Request for Profile Evaluation- Indian Male | Consulting

Question

Hi experts,

I'm planning to apply in R2 and could really use your insights and thoughts on my profile.

Demographic

Nationality- Indian
Gender- Male

Acad

GMAT- 710 (Q48 V40)
Undergrad School- relatively less known but has alumni in major B-Schools globally 
Undergrad GPA- 7.93/10
Area of study- Major: Engineering; Minor: Design

Work Experience

Industry- Consulting
Area- Strategy and Analytics
Firm- Big4, and a boutique (~2 years at both; both feeder & recruiter firms)
YOE- Currently 4.5+ years (will be more than 5 years by matriculation)
Geography- Working from India, however, worked with clients across the globe (primarily US), and have made short trips to the US too for work
Post MBA Industry- Strategy/Management Consulting

Extra Curriculars and additional information

Leadership and team management experience during undergrad
Have co-authored and published a research paper during undergrad
Have taken exciting initiatives at work wrt to L&D of team members
Fast-tracked promotion at work
Merit-based undergrad scholarship- 90% tuition waiver
Backpacked across Europe and India (not sure whether this is relevant/helpful, but I read somewhere this may also contribute to "international exposure")

I'm targeting Kellogg, Booth, Columbia (CBS), Ross, Tuck, and Yale SOM (have undergrad alumni in most of these schools). I'm also planning to retake the GMAT- I'm confident that I should be able to boost my score by 20-30 points, however, would proceed with the applications either way.

Please let me know if I can help with any more information and do share your thoughts on my profile!

Thanks!

Please let me know if I can help with any more information and do share your thoughts on my profile!

Thanks!

CrackAdmission · Answer

Hello va789 , Below is our evaluation of your profile. GMAT: Besides Yale and potentially Kellogg (based on some past success stories we have witnessed), for all the other schools in your list is less. >=730 would be a sweet spot. Academics: Assuming it’s a Tier 2 school and with your CGPA is just par. Again, it won’t give you any edge in your application. Work Experience: • While your experience with a BIG4 might not help you differentiate yourself with everyone else with exp. In BiG4, ZS, Accenture etc., the work you have done at the Boutique consulting firm would help you create the differentiation. While small stints in USA is not a proxy for international work experience, if you are able to showcase stories around how you were able to leverage these stints to improve the cross-country collaboration among your team members and thus improve cohesiveness and productivity of the team, it will be impactful. • Your transition from Big4 to boutique or the other way round should clearly show growth in your career – ex. From execution only to execution cum BD. It definitely shouldn’t give an impression that you only switched companies, but were pretty much doing similar role only for an employer of different size. Extracurriculars: • While publishing a research paper demonstrate initiative and intellectual curiosity – a quality needed to excel as a consultant, I didn’t see a lot of other high impact endeavours. Not sure about the nature of the work you have done with L&D team, but if you can showcase unique initiatives for team building / skill enhancement etc., it will be more potent. • You can include stories from backpacking experiences to highlight adaptability, curiosity, and personal growth. Career Goals: While transition to front end management consulting seems to be a natural extension as far as your career is concerned, it comes across as an extremely safe and uninspiring choice. Articulating a specific vision or impact you wish to achieve post-MBA could add inspiration to the goal. In summary, key to your success would be how your able to position yourself uniquely among several other Indian Male applicants who have similar backgrounds. Also do keep in mind that the narrative you communicate about yourself from different aspects of your application should align with the values of the particular school. Feel free to reach out to us at Arijit.biswas@crackadmission.com in case you seek professional guidance wrt to your applications. Cheers and wishing you all the very best!!

MBAGuide · Answer

va789 Improving your GMAT score would give your application to the top schools on your list a big boost. That being said, I think you are well aware that you have a seemingly over-represented profile for these top programs. Therefore, you now need to develop a solid strategy to emphasize why you would be a good fit at each of these schools you are applying to. Of course, this will require a good bit of research and outreach. It's great that you have some connections at these schools. Now is the time to endear yourself to adcoms and alumni and gain insight into the "fit" aspect. Exemplify your standout traits with examples from your professional and personal life. Do not sell yourself short. Not everyone has to be an outlier in the MBA class at ultra-competitive schools. While it's true that schools are looking for a diverse student body, that does not mean you have to have an exotic background or rare skill set. Admissions committees are looking for students who can enrich the class and bring different perspectives to the table. The source of these experiences can vary widely. Many applicants think that their profile is not diverse or unique enough and rule themselves out prematurely with this attitude without even trying. Looks like you would have some solid work experiences to back your candidacy. By combining all of your experiences and attributes, you can create a unique profile that will leave a lasting impression on admissions committees. Get candid advice tailored to your specific situation. We do not cap discussion hours with our applicants. Aanchal Sahni (INSEAD alum, former INSEAD MBA admissions interviewer) MBAGuideConsulting LinkedIn |WEBSITE: https://mbaguideconsulting.com/ | Message: +91 9971200927| email- mbaguideconsulting@gmail.com

Score-Quest · Answer

Your GMAT score is a bit on the lower side for your target schools, but your verbal score is impressive. Aiming for a Q50/51 could potentially boost your score to around 750, which would really strengthen your application from a GMAT perspective.

Your undergrad background and work experience in consulting, especially with feeder firms, are solid. The international exposure you've gained through travel is definitely a plus. Feel free to DM if you have more questions or need further insights. Good luck!

TheIvyLeagueEdge · Answer

va789 :

Given you come from a highly over-represented pool (Indian, Male, Engineer, and Consultant to boot) does not mean that you cannot get in; it only increases your competition (in a similar pool) with other candidates with very similar profiles. Strongly suggest therefore, that you look at ways to differentiate yourself; Part of that may come through your demonstrated leadership experiences, but other parts may come through things that help you stand out, and even more importantly, HOW you SHOW, not just tell the story.

All these can give you the proverbial sweet spot to apply from; A lot would also hinge on how you are able to show your career trajectory, promotions, ECs and the passion that helps the reader champion your case. Happy to assess some of these through detailed questions and profile assessment on a 1-2-1 call.

Published Research paper by itself adds that degree of intellectual curiosity, but would aid your application when the ENTIRE application consistently plays on the strength that helps you stand out. 
Exposure to diverse cultural contexts must also be played to strengthen your persona.

Kellogg & Yale though are more accepting of lower GMATs for decent profiles, but even there, the competition within your pool is high; for most other schools, Booth & CBS most notably, a 740 may help you better.

Hope this helps..

ExpertsGlobal · Answer

Hello  va789 ,

Thanks for writing in.

Considering the schools you are targetting and the fact that you are applying in Round 2, you should be looking at a score upwards of 740 on the GMAT! Needless to say, the higher the better; we are hopeful you will achieve your target score; however, in case you do not, we would suggest that you wait it out, improve your score and apply in Round 1 next year.

Of course, how well you articulate your strengths and growth in your essays will be very crucial as well.

All the best!

Request for Profile Evaluation- Indian Male | Consulting

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