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Updated on: 22 Jun 2020, 03:00
Originally posted by AragornElessar on 18 Mar 2020, 09:19.
Last edited by AragornElessar on 22 Jun 2020, 03:00, edited 1 time in total.
Last edited by AragornElessar on 22 Jun 2020, 03:00, edited 1 time in total.
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01 May 2020, 13:14
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Hi AragornElessar,
Thank you for your post. Here are a few thoughts by category:
EXPERIENCE AND TELLING YOUR STORY
You have some very strong professional and international experiences (even including the failed startup venture as it was a valuable learning experience), so that gives you a nice foundation on which to build. And as I tell applicants all the time -- those experiences are "nice" in and of themselves, but how effective they become within your application can vary wildly depending on how good of a job you do presenting them; unpacking the lessons, growth, and impact of the experiences; and weaving them into a specific and compelling narrative about how who you are and what you've done to this point (i.e., the SPECIFIC knowledge, skills, and experience you've gained to this point) PLUS what you'd gain for the MBA (i.e., the SPECIFIC knowledge, skills, and experience you're missing) EQUAL or LEAD to your SPECIFIC post-MBA goals. This narrative should include a deep understanding of how each program to which you apply specifically fills the gaps of what you're missing. You can read more about to approach these cornerstone application here: https://www.avantiprep.com/blog/the-mos ... on-process.
AGE AND AMOUNT OF WORK EXPERIENCE
The X factors that I see are, perhaps unsurprisingly, your age / level of work experience and the fact that you already have an MBA. On the first point, you are going to find yourself on the older side of the pool for full-time programs, though I do see this as being somewhat muted by the fact that you are targeting European programs, leaning toward 1-year programs, and have entrepreneurial goals, the latter of which could offset some concerns about how exactly you'd place post-MBA). You will still trend older for these programs (many boast average work experience levels of around six years), so you will want to be super proactive and clear in explaining why a full-time MBA, and why now. Much of that will connect back to the specifics of the career narrative construct I referenced in the preceding paragraph.
THE "SECOND MBA" FACTOR
On the second point about already having an MBA, it would help to know what kind. If it's a full-on MBA (and really in any case), you should check to confirm whether each program you're considering allows that. Many do, but some do not. Some schools will answer this in their FAQs, whereas you will likely have to ask others directly. In all scenarios, you are then going to (again) have to be super proactive and clear in explaining why you now need a second MBA. This once again harks back to the career narrative ("knowledge, skills, experience") construct referenced in the paragraph above.
THINGS TO KEEP IN MIND WITH ENTREPRENUERIAL GOALS
With entrepreneurial goals, there is added pressure to be (once again) super proactive, clear, and specific about what those goals are. You do not want to simply say, "I want to start such-and-such a company...". You will want to be able to share the specifics vision (even if preliminary), where it comes from, what it would solve or do, what EXACTLY you're missing in order to fulfill that vision, and how EXACTLY each program will help you fill those gaps in order to achieve that vision (think in the classroom, outside the classroom, partners, alumni network, funding, entrepreneurial resources, research centers, faculty, startup labs, community, culture, leadership skills, etc.). And don't just say what you'll get from each program -- be sure to share how you can uniquely contribute as well. (On this point, your more professional and international experiences can be leveraged to your advantage. But be SPECIFIC about your intended contributions and how they align with or fit with each program's offerings, culture, community, etc.
GMAT SCORES AND SCHOOLS
If you're interested in full-time programs, then I do think that one-year programs are the right place to look. If you were open to the U.S., then you might consider one-year programs there as well (e.g., Kellogg, Stern, Johnson... possibly even Fuqua's accelerated program if your previous degree qualifies... or Goizueta, Marshall, Mendoza if you are open to looking a little lower down in the rankings). The first handful of these would not be easy, nor would the top European programs you've listed, and a 730 would normally place you on the fringe or outside the competitive range for a Kellogg or Stern, especially as an outlier on the work experience front (e.g., 730 is roughly a 10th percentile score for an enrolled Indian student of either gender at U.S. *T10-14* full-time, two-year programs). But one-year programs tend to be softer on the GMAT front than a given school's two-year counterpart, so overall, if you are wise about how you piece your school strategy together, you could create a nice mix of reaches, difficult but more realistic options, and possibly even some programs where you feel good about your chances. Just remember that being competitive at any of these programs requires strong application execution!
I hope this helps and wish you the best of luck. If you would like to further this conversation, please feel free to sign up for a Free Consultation here: https://www.avantiprep.com/free-consultation.html
Best Regards,
Greg
Thank you for your post. Here are a few thoughts by category:
EXPERIENCE AND TELLING YOUR STORY
You have some very strong professional and international experiences (even including the failed startup venture as it was a valuable learning experience), so that gives you a nice foundation on which to build. And as I tell applicants all the time -- those experiences are "nice" in and of themselves, but how effective they become within your application can vary wildly depending on how good of a job you do presenting them; unpacking the lessons, growth, and impact of the experiences; and weaving them into a specific and compelling narrative about how who you are and what you've done to this point (i.e., the SPECIFIC knowledge, skills, and experience you've gained to this point) PLUS what you'd gain for the MBA (i.e., the SPECIFIC knowledge, skills, and experience you're missing) EQUAL or LEAD to your SPECIFIC post-MBA goals. This narrative should include a deep understanding of how each program to which you apply specifically fills the gaps of what you're missing. You can read more about to approach these cornerstone application here: https://www.avantiprep.com/blog/the-mos ... on-process.
AGE AND AMOUNT OF WORK EXPERIENCE
The X factors that I see are, perhaps unsurprisingly, your age / level of work experience and the fact that you already have an MBA. On the first point, you are going to find yourself on the older side of the pool for full-time programs, though I do see this as being somewhat muted by the fact that you are targeting European programs, leaning toward 1-year programs, and have entrepreneurial goals, the latter of which could offset some concerns about how exactly you'd place post-MBA). You will still trend older for these programs (many boast average work experience levels of around six years), so you will want to be super proactive and clear in explaining why a full-time MBA, and why now. Much of that will connect back to the specifics of the career narrative construct I referenced in the preceding paragraph.
THE "SECOND MBA" FACTOR
On the second point about already having an MBA, it would help to know what kind. If it's a full-on MBA (and really in any case), you should check to confirm whether each program you're considering allows that. Many do, but some do not. Some schools will answer this in their FAQs, whereas you will likely have to ask others directly. In all scenarios, you are then going to (again) have to be super proactive and clear in explaining why you now need a second MBA. This once again harks back to the career narrative ("knowledge, skills, experience") construct referenced in the paragraph above.
THINGS TO KEEP IN MIND WITH ENTREPRENUERIAL GOALS
With entrepreneurial goals, there is added pressure to be (once again) super proactive, clear, and specific about what those goals are. You do not want to simply say, "I want to start such-and-such a company...". You will want to be able to share the specifics vision (even if preliminary), where it comes from, what it would solve or do, what EXACTLY you're missing in order to fulfill that vision, and how EXACTLY each program will help you fill those gaps in order to achieve that vision (think in the classroom, outside the classroom, partners, alumni network, funding, entrepreneurial resources, research centers, faculty, startup labs, community, culture, leadership skills, etc.). And don't just say what you'll get from each program -- be sure to share how you can uniquely contribute as well. (On this point, your more professional and international experiences can be leveraged to your advantage. But be SPECIFIC about your intended contributions and how they align with or fit with each program's offerings, culture, community, etc.
GMAT SCORES AND SCHOOLS
If you're interested in full-time programs, then I do think that one-year programs are the right place to look. If you were open to the U.S., then you might consider one-year programs there as well (e.g., Kellogg, Stern, Johnson... possibly even Fuqua's accelerated program if your previous degree qualifies... or Goizueta, Marshall, Mendoza if you are open to looking a little lower down in the rankings). The first handful of these would not be easy, nor would the top European programs you've listed, and a 730 would normally place you on the fringe or outside the competitive range for a Kellogg or Stern, especially as an outlier on the work experience front (e.g., 730 is roughly a 10th percentile score for an enrolled Indian student of either gender at U.S. *T10-14* full-time, two-year programs). But one-year programs tend to be softer on the GMAT front than a given school's two-year counterpart, so overall, if you are wise about how you piece your school strategy together, you could create a nice mix of reaches, difficult but more realistic options, and possibly even some programs where you feel good about your chances. Just remember that being competitive at any of these programs requires strong application execution!
I hope this helps and wish you the best of luck. If you would like to further this conversation, please feel free to sign up for a Free Consultation here: https://www.avantiprep.com/free-consultation.html
Best Regards,
Greg
