Last visit was: 22 Apr 2026, 20:14 It is currently 22 Apr 2026, 20:14
Home
Messages
Tests
Schools
Events
Close
GMAT Club Daily Prep
Thank you for using the timer - this advanced tool can estimate your performance and suggest more practice questions. We have subscribed you to Daily Prep Questions via email.

Customized
for You

we will pick new questions that match your level based on your Timer History

Track
Your Progress

every week, we’ll send you an estimated GMAT score based on your performance

Practice
Pays

we will pick new questions that match your level based on your Timer History
Not interested in getting valuable practice questions and articles delivered to your email? No problem, unsubscribe here.
Go to My Error Log Learn more
Close
Request Expert Reply
Confirm Cancel
User avatar
KingKREEP
User avatar
Current Student
Joined: 21 Mar 2007
Last visit: 07 Oct 2011
Posts: 570
Own Kudos:
73
Given Kudos: 3
WE 1: Hi-tech Product Development
Posts: 570
Kudos: 73
School selection done. Please advise Updated on: 19 Jul 2007, 23:00
Originally posted by KingKREEP on 22 Mar 2007, 00:03.
Last edited by KingKREEP on 19 Jul 2007, 23:00, edited 2 times in total.
Kudos
Add Kudos
Bookmarks
Bookmark this Post
Hi Paul,
You might remember that I had posted my profile (below) a long time back (say Feb-March) and had asked you for an evaluation. Now I believe that I am finally done with the school selection. The schools that I will be applying to are:

1. HBS
2. Wharton
3. Chicago
4. Kellogg
5. Darden
6. Michigan

All of these schools are within the top-15 and I strongly believe that given my profile, I am definitely competitive within the top 15. Do you think that I am being a little too ambitious putting all my eggs in one basket? Or should look a little lower in the rankings? Thank you for your views.

- KK

kingKREEP
Hi Paul,

I am an Indian looking to start my MBA in fall, '08. Please give me an honest appraisal of my profile.

Backround

Age: 24 (will be 25 when I join)
Enthnicity: Indian
Background: IT (What else?! :-D)

Academics

Undergrad: B.E (Electronics) from an no-name institute. I don't know my GPA as we work on a percentage system. However, I scored in the highest possible class (distinction). I realised the importance of a good brand name a little too late. Well, I can't do much about that now, can I?!

GMAT: 760 (Q49, V46, AWA 4.5)

Work-Experience

Full time:
I. Right after graduating, I worked for a year in an Indian software services company. The highlights:
1. Within a few months, I was leading a team of 3 people. Two were freshers right out of college (like me). The third was an existing employee with 3 years of experience.
2. Collaborated closely with the Project Manager for resource allocation, scheduling, etc. (Normally people with 5+ years of experience get to do these things.)
3. Goes without saying that I got an 'Above Expectation' rating.
4. The COO of the organization (one of the 20 most influential people in my country) intervened and attempted to keep me from leaving when I asked to leave the organization. We met up and spoke a number of times. I did a couple of odd jobs for him (eg. helped edit his book on Entrepreneurship published by Penguin India which is now available in bookstores ).Even though I ended up leaving the organization, I still maintain an excellent relationship with the man.

Why did I leave? The organization was not a good 'fit' for me. I felt very caged in the organization and I also felt that it was not appreciative of the fact that there is more to life than work. The COO perfectly understood my reasons for leaving and like I said, we still are in touch.

II. I joined a leading German software development firm and have been working here since. The highlights:
1. Leading a team of 3 members (all of whom are senior to me by atleast 1 year).
2. Excellent rapport with the project manager and the program director.
3. Goes without saying that I got an 'Above Expectation' rating.
4. Interact regularly with international colleagues and have also got appreciations from some of them.
5. Was a member of the seed team (8 people) for Knowledge Transfer certification process for our line of business (about 170 people)

Part time:
I. Worked in a leading BPO during my final year in college. The highlights:
1. This is actually a full time job, not a part time one. I balanced a full-time job, a full-time job and a project at college for almost 6 months.
2. I got the award for the most promising trainee and was a consistent high performer throughout my tenure there.

Why did I do it? I wanted to develop and enhance my communication skills and get a feel of what it is to actually interact with customers, solve problems, multi task and think on the fly. I believe I benefited immensely from the experience.

Extra-curriculars
1. I play the drums. I played for a leading professional rock band in Bangalore. The band included some of the most senior musicians from my city.
2. I am actively involved with the community service wing of my organization. No, I'm not just another volunteer. When I joined the organization, the community service team was practically dead. A couple of like minded volunteers and me swung in and now the team has really picked up. The size has grown from 5 to 50+. We also won accolades for our work from the MD for our organization in India.
3. Part of the founding team (6 people) for the organization wide (4 countries - India, Germany, Israel and the USA) community service newsletter. I also sit on the editorial board for the same.

MBA concentration interests:
I hope to concentrate in GM/Strategy as I wish to join a prestigous strategy consulting firm (read as McK, Bain and BCG) after my MBA.

Post-MBA short term goals:
Join as an associate in a prestigous strategy consulting firm (read as McK, Bain and BCG) after my MBA.

Long-term career goals:
I wish to work in the Strategy consulting industry for about 10-15 years and then transfer to an organization at a very senior executive (say.... MD) level.

To achieve these goals, I hope/wish to do an MBA from a top 10 university (US-East coast only). However, I do realize that the competition is fierce to say the least! So I would like you to recommend 5 universities (2 strech, 2 reach and 1 safe) based on the following criteria:
1. My profile
2. My interests (GM/Strategy)
3. My post-MBA short term goal: Management consulting

If you are still reading this(:-D ), thank you for taking the time to go through my post. I apologise for the rambling. But as you can see, this MBA is going to be a very important part of my life. So please bear with me. Thanks a ton for your time! I hope to hear from you soon.
Show more
User avatar
PaulBodine
User avatar
Joined: 12 Dec 2005
Last visit: 11 Jul 2018
Posts: 1,794
Own Kudos:
192
Status:Trust Experience, Trust Success
Affiliations: U. Chicago, Johns Hopkins, AIGAC
Posts: 1,794
Kudos: 192
School selection done. Please advise 22 Mar 2007, 23:59
Kudos
Add Kudos
Bookmarks
Bookmark this Post
KingKREEP
Hi Paul,

I am an Indian looking to start my MBA in fall, '08. Please give me an honest appraisal of my profile.

Backround

Age: 24 (will be 25 when I join)
Enthnicity: Indian
Background: IT (What else?! :-D)

Academics

Undergrad: B.E (Electronics) from an no-name institute. I don't know my GPA as we work on a percentage system. However, I scored in the highest possible class (distinction). I realised the importance of a good brand name a little too late. Well, I can't do much about that now, can I?!

GMAT: 760 (Q49, V46, AWA 4.5)

Work-Experience

Full time:
I. Right after graduating, I worked for a year in an Indian software services company. The highlights:
1. Within a few months, I was leading a team of 3 people. Two were freshers right out of college (like me). The third was an existing employee with 3 years of experience.
2. Collaborated closely with the Project Manager for resource allocation, scheduling, etc. (Normally people with 5+ years of experience get to do these things.)
3. Goes without saying that I got an 'Above Expectation' rating.
4. The COO of the organization (one of the 20 most influential people in my country) intervened and attempted to keep me from leaving when I asked to leave the organization. We met up and spoke a number of times. I did a couple of odd jobs for him (eg. helped edit his book on Entrepreneurship published by Penguin India which is now available in bookstores ).Even though I ended up leaving the organization, I still maintain an excellent relationship with the man.

Why did I leave? The organization was not a good 'fit' for me. I felt very caged in the organization and I also felt that it was not appreciative of the fact that there is more to life than work. The COO perfectly understood my reasons for leaving and like I said, we still are in touch.

II. I joined a leading German software development firm and have been working here since. The highlights:
1. Leading a team of 3 members (all of whom are senior to me by atleast 1 year).
2. Excellent rapport with the project manager and the program director.
3. Goes without saying that I got an 'Above Expectation' rating.
4. Interact regularly with international colleagues and have also got appreciations from some of them.
5. Was a member of the seed team (8 people) for Knowledge Transfer certification process for our line of business (about 170 people)

Part time:
I. Worked in a leading BPO during my final year in college. The highlights:
1. This is actually a full time job, not a part time one. I balanced a full-time job, a full-time job and a project at college for almost 6 months.
2. I got the award for the most promising trainee and was a consistent high performer throughout my tenure there.

Why did I do it? I wanted to develop and enhance my communication skills and get a feel of what it is to actually interact with customers, solve problems, multi task and think on the fly. I believe I benefited immensely from the experience.

Extra-curriculars
1. I play the drums. I played for a leading professional rock band in Bangalore. The band included some of the most senior musicians from my city.
2. I am actively involved with the community service wing of my organization. No, I'm not just another volunteer. When I joined the organization, the community service team was practically dead. A couple of like minded volunteers and me swung in and now the team has really picked up. The size has grown from 5 to 50+. We also won accolades for our work from the MD for our organization in India.
3. Part of the founding team (6 people) for the organization wide (4 countries - India, Germany, Israel and the USA) community service newsletter. I also sit on the editorial board for the same.

MBA concentration interests:
I hope to concentrate in GM/Strategy as I wish to join a prestigous strategy consulting firm (read as McK, Bain and BCG) after my MBA.

Post-MBA short term goals:
Join as an associate in a prestigous strategy consulting firm (read as McK, Bain and BCG) after my MBA.

Long-term career goals:
I wish to work in the Strategy consulting industry for about 10-15 years and then transfer to an organization at a very senior executive (say.... MD) level.

To achieve these goals, I hope/wish to do an MBA from a top 10 university (US-East coast only). However, I do realize that the competition is fierce to say the least! So I would like you to recommend 5 universities (2 strech, 2 reach and 1 safe) based on the following criteria:
1. My profile
2. My interests (GM/Strategy)
3. My post-MBA short term goal: Management consulting

If you are still reading this(:-D ), thank you for taking the time to go through my post. I apologise for the rambling. But as you can see, this MBA is going to be a very important part of my life. So please bear with me. Thanks a ton for your time! I hope to hear from you soon.
Show more


KingKREEP,

I like a man with very focused questions. :) "Stretches" and "reaches" are the same thing so I will asume you mean 2 stretches, 2 competitives, and 1 safety. Based on your strong profile, your 2 stretches could be Harvard and Tuck/Columbia, your competitives could be Wharton and MIT, and your safety could be Virginia.

Good luck,
User avatar
KingKREEP
User avatar
Current Student
Joined: 21 Mar 2007
Last visit: 07 Oct 2011
Posts: 570
Own Kudos:
73
Given Kudos: 3
WE 1: Hi-tech Product Development
Posts: 570
Kudos: 73
School selection done. Please advise 23 Mar 2007, 00:59
Kudos
Add Kudos
Bookmarks
Bookmark this Post
pbodine


something

Show more


Thanks for the info (and the compliment) Paul! What about C-GSB? I was looking at that school and I kinda liked what I saw. Which pool would that fall into for me - Strech, Competitive or Safety?

P.S: You must be one hell of patient person to go through my entire post! Appreciate it...thanks a ton! :thanks

- kingKREEP
User avatar
PaulBodine
User avatar
Joined: 12 Dec 2005
Last visit: 11 Jul 2018
Posts: 1,794
Own Kudos:
192
Status:Trust Experience, Trust Success
Affiliations: U. Chicago, Johns Hopkins, AIGAC
Posts: 1,794
Kudos: 192
School selection done. Please advise 26 Mar 2007, 17:13
Kudos
Add Kudos
Bookmarks
Bookmark this Post
KingKREEP
pbodine


something


Thanks for the info (and the compliment) Paul! What about C-GSB? I was looking at that school and I kinda liked what I saw. Which pool would that fall into for me - Strech, Competitive or Safety?

P.S: You must be one hell of patient person to go through my entire post! Appreciate it...thanks a ton! :thanks

- kingKREEP
Show more


I would put Chicago in the "competitives" category.
User avatar
KingKREEP
User avatar
Current Student
Joined: 21 Mar 2007
Last visit: 07 Oct 2011
Posts: 570
Own Kudos:
73
Given Kudos: 3
WE 1: Hi-tech Product Development
Posts: 570
Kudos: 73
School selection done. Please advise 28 Mar 2007, 01:07
Kudos
Add Kudos
Bookmarks
Bookmark this Post
pbodine

something
Show more


Thank you for the info Paul! Now I'm going to get my hands on your book. It comes very highly recommended by some of the gmatclub members. :cool
User avatar
PaulBodine
User avatar
Joined: 12 Dec 2005
Last visit: 11 Jul 2018
Posts: 1,794
Own Kudos:
192
Status:Trust Experience, Trust Success
Affiliations: U. Chicago, Johns Hopkins, AIGAC
Posts: 1,794
Kudos: 192
School selection done. Please advise 01 Apr 2007, 19:26
Kudos
Add Kudos
Bookmarks
Bookmark this Post
KingKREEP
pbodine

something

Thank you for the info Paul! Now I'm going to get my hands on your book. It comes very highly recommended by some of the gmatclub members. :cool
Show more


Thanks, I hope you find it helpful.
User avatar
KingKREEP
User avatar
Current Student
Joined: 21 Mar 2007
Last visit: 07 Oct 2011
Posts: 570
Own Kudos:
73
Given Kudos: 3
WE 1: Hi-tech Product Development
Posts: 570
Kudos: 73
School selection done. Please advise 16 Jul 2007, 20:03
Kudos
Add Kudos
Bookmarks
Bookmark this Post
Hi Paul,
You might remember that I had posted my profile (below) a long time back (say Feb-March) and had asked you for an evaluation. Now I believe that I am finally done with the school selection. The schools that I will be applying to are:

1. HBS
2. Wharton
3. Chicago
4. Kellogg
5. Darden
6. Michigan

All of these schools are within the top-15 and I strongly believe that given my profile, I am definitely competitive within the top 15. Do you think that I am being a little too ambitious putting all my eggs in one basket? Or should look a little lower in the rankings? Thank you for your views.

- KK
User avatar
PaulBodine
User avatar
Joined: 12 Dec 2005
Last visit: 11 Jul 2018
Posts: 1,794
Own Kudos:
192
Status:Trust Experience, Trust Success
Affiliations: U. Chicago, Johns Hopkins, AIGAC
Posts: 1,794
Kudos: 192
School selection done. Please advise 20 Jul 2007, 09:03
Kudos
Add Kudos
Bookmarks
Bookmark this Post
KingKREEP
Hi Paul,
You might remember that I had posted my profile (below) a long time back (say Feb-March) and had asked you for an evaluation. Now I believe that I am finally done with the school selection. The schools that I will be applying to are:

1. HBS
2. Wharton
3. Chicago
4. Kellogg
5. Darden
6. Michigan

All of these schools are within the top-15 and I strongly believe that given my profile, I am definitely competitive within the top 15. Do you think that I am being a little too ambitious putting all my eggs in one basket? Or should look a little lower in the rankings? Thank you for your views.

- KK
Show more


KK,

You might be reaching a bit high, so if you really need to be in an MBA program next fall you might add one or two safeties, but you should be competitive at many of these schools.

Good luck,
User avatar
KingKREEP
User avatar
Current Student
Joined: 21 Mar 2007
Last visit: 07 Oct 2011
Posts: 570
Own Kudos:
73
Given Kudos: 3
WE 1: Hi-tech Product Development
Posts: 570
Kudos: 73
School selection done. Please advise 21 Jul 2007, 22:14
Kudos
Add Kudos
Bookmarks
Bookmark this Post
pbodine
KingKREEP
Hi Paul,
You might remember that I had posted my profile (below) a long time back (say Feb-March) and had asked you for an evaluation. Now I believe that I am finally done with the school selection. The schools that I will be applying to are:

1. HBS
2. Wharton
3. Chicago
4. Kellogg
5. Darden
6. Michigan

All of these schools are within the top-15 and I strongly believe that given my profile, I am definitely competitive within the top 15. Do you think that I am being a little too ambitious putting all my eggs in one basket? Or should look a little lower in the rankings? Thank you for your views.

- KK

KK,

You might be reaching a bit high, so if you really need to be in an MBA program next fall you might add one or two safeties, but you should be competitive at many of these schools.

Good luck,
Show more


Thanks for the input Paul. Appreciate it.
User avatar
PaulBodine
User avatar
Joined: 12 Dec 2005
Last visit: 11 Jul 2018
Posts: 1,794
Own Kudos:
192
Status:Trust Experience, Trust Success
Affiliations: U. Chicago, Johns Hopkins, AIGAC
Posts: 1,794
Kudos: 192
School selection done. Please advise 23 Jul 2007, 20:22
Kudos
Add Kudos
Bookmarks
Bookmark this Post
KingKREEP
pbodine
KingKREEP
Hi Paul,
You might remember that I had posted my profile (below) a long time back (say Feb-March) and had asked you for an evaluation. Now I believe that I am finally done with the school selection. The schools that I will be applying to are:

1. HBS
2. Wharton
3. Chicago
4. Kellogg
5. Darden
6. Michigan

All of these schools are within the top-15 and I strongly believe that given my profile, I am definitely competitive within the top 15. Do you think that I am being a little too ambitious putting all my eggs in one basket? Or should look a little lower in the rankings? Thank you for your views.

- KK

KK,

You might be reaching a bit high, so if you really need to be in an MBA program next fall you might add one or two safeties, but you should be competitive at many of these schools.

Good luck,

Thanks for the input Paul. Appreciate it.
Show more


You're welcome.