Profile evaluation please! (700 GMAT. Big Gap)

Question

Hello!

Round 2 is coming up and I just did my GMAT 700 (45Q 41V). I'm planning to apply to the following schools:

1) Cornell Johnson
2) UCLA Anderson
3) Dartmouth Tuck
4) Oxford Said
5) Cambridge Judge

GPA: 3.2 from a mid tier college in India (Bachelor in Business Management). I'm also an American citizen (proper citizen, not greencard), so not sure which category I'd fall in to.
- 4 years work ex (upon matriculation) at a Private wealth management company where I co-manage ~ 10 million USD worth of assets (stocks, mutual funds, other financial instruments) for investors.

- Head of college creative culture and fest team
- Director and judge of college and regional public speaking forum 
- College Basketball Team
- Editor of college Magazine

Don't really have much else to put. The big thing that worries me however is the fact that I had enrolled at Purdue right out of high school and subsequently dropped out and didn't go back to college for another 3 years. This time was spent working for my uncle's juice company but it wasn't really 'work' per say. How much is this drop and break going to affect my candidacy? Surely the adcoms are going to question a 4 year blank on my app. Is there a way to spin this in a positive way or should I just leave it off my app completely?

Do I have a shot at those schools?

Thanks!

Admissionado · Answer

Hey there,
Well likely things would be a bit tough at these schools. I think you need to expand your school list and look at lower ranked colleges. Your GMAT is below average, you are from a tough demographic, and you have that huge gap (about which you will definitely need tow rite a story). But at this point my main question would be: Do you actually have enough time to submit great applications for this R2 which is a bare 1.5 weeks away!!

You might be better off planning for next year, if that is an option.

Best,

VeritasPrepDozie · Answer

They will certainly be curious about this gap so make sure you explain thing. Your profile is solid but for these school things will be tough for you. From this list UCLA represents the best opportunity but is in no way a slam dunk. I would look a little further down your potential school list to improve your chances

ARLeeConsulting · Answer

From a purely GMAT point-of-view, your best chances are with Judge (696 GMAT average) and Said (690). After this two, Johnson (700). Anderson (716) and Tuck (722) will be much harder.

Your GPA might be fine, especially given that you reach the 700 GMAT score. Although, you should definitely use the essays to justify your GPA and most especially the gap in your undergrad. I don't know if it's your case, but you can always justify it due to financial needs to support your family and/or pay for school.

You could try this year Judge, Said and maybe Johnson, and see how it goes. Although deadlines are coming up soon. Depending on the outcome, consider retaking the GMAT and applying to UCLA and Tuck next year.

Good luck!

TheIvyLeagueEdge · Answer

With your gap, you actually need more, not less time for your application, including your resume, essays and story. Your current WE may well compensate for your gaps, but you need to prepare.

Will suggest to go for later rounds of Asian schools (NUS, NTU, INSEAD) etc, but strongly suggest you to NOT risk it with Cornell. Tuck is absolutely out.

calappa1234 · Answer

Hi everyone, thanks for all the replies.

I know deadlines are just about ten days away and although I'm going ahead and applying to a couple of schools (said, Judge), would it be a better idea to re-take the GMAT and try again next year?

I was scoring 730-750 on the mocks before the actual exam, so I can definitely improve by at least 20 - 30 points. Would that be enough to make me competitive for schools like Tuck/kellog? And if so, is it worth waiting and trying again next year, instead of say, going to a slightly lower ranked school (thats if I'm accepted this year) such as said/oxford/ross etc..?

Thanks!

ARLeeConsulting · Answer

Hi calappa1234,

I think it's a good idea to apply now to Said/Judge and then retake the GMAT to apply next year to Tuck/Kellogg/Ross.

That being said, the main issues I see are:

(1) Do you have enough time to put together compelling applications for Said and Judge?

(2) I do not know your age, but taking into consideration your gap and that you already have 3-4 years of work experience, I would say that you might already be slightly above the average age for the US schools. This is not a deal breaker at all, however this means that your application must be truly outstanding.

Best of luck!

MBAPrepCoach · Answer

It sounds like you are already disenchanted with the idea of going to Oxford or Judge and so why apply? If accepted you will just be singing the could have should have song.

If I were you I would allocate that time to retaking the GMAT and working on your application materials which are mostly not school specific honestly - recommendation stories, CV, positioning, narrative, goals questions Etc.

I am curious about your age given that you have 4 years of work experience and the three year gap. If you're over 30 then I think European schools would be an essential part of your mix.

However I don't think I would encourage you to go for round 2 because I have no confidence in anyone putting together and a compelling application for two schools in 10 days. Even one school in 10 days is ill-advised, this is a very iterative process if you're doing it correctly, it would be foolish in my opinion and not a good use of your time.

I would recommend you submitting round 3 London Business School in March, it's very competitive however you have a good background for that. And more important round one for INSEAD, also due in March. Maybe HEC.

This is only if you are over 30 and/or feel the need to submit applications right away.

However if those conditions don't apply then nail the GMAT, 730+ differentiate your profile, ie get some leadership experience in a community organization and join Toastmasters. Get your application materials together - which takes deep introspection and months of work - and come correct at Round 1.

https://MBAPrepCoach.com

Profile evaluation please! (700 GMAT. Big Gap)

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