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Question

Paul,

Here is my profile:

Indian, Male, 29 yrs(will be 30+ when I start, if accepted!).

Education:
Engineer by profession, from a top state university in India(non IIT) and graduated with 80+%(top 10 of the class) but I am not attempting to convert to GPA as the procedure would differ from school to school. Not much extracurrics at Uni though I have some good extracurrics in school(way too dated I think). But just to emphasize my academic strenght, let me mention that I was the class topper in my high school( in class XII, as we call it in India).

GMAT: 700(48Q, 38V) --- >80 percentile in both.

My strenght is my work ex which is as follows:
Work Experience
I have 7.5 years of experience now and will have 9+ when I intend to start in 2010. I have grown organically in my company( no job switches so far) and became a Project Manager 2 years ago. I have strong leadership experience and am a Program Manager currently looking at a portfolio of projects and handling revenue to the tune of 6+ Million USD. I manage a 40 + member project team. Have strong numerical results to highlight in terms of revenue, PTI, client satisfaction index etc. Also, have Business development experience and working with other teams to develop proposals etc.
Also, I am a Top Talent in my Org( this is an executive grooming program) and am continuing in it for the last 2 years.
So, though my demographics are not my strong point( Indian, M, IT) but I hope my work ex gives me an edge since I have had continuous progress thoughout my short career.
I can get good recos I believe and write good essays I hope!

Extracurrics
Not a very strong point in my app but I do have a few. I am the US state lead for my state for practitioners from my company who come to my state. I have executed this role for the past 2 years and lead a team of around 15 in the state, corodinating get togethers, team building exercises, acting as a single point of contact, providing feedback on company policies etc.

Also, I have founded a couple of technical clubs in my company which I lead for a couple of years before moving on.

I am also a part of https://www.kiva.org. Its a NGO committed to provide resources to entrepreneur in developing countries using microfinancing techniques. I am active member of this org and regularly help out folks in need.

My target is 1 year( I guess it makes sense with my demographics and exp....doesn't it?) course and since I want to work in Asia in general and India in particular post MBA, I am looking at the following schools:
Also, I want to be in IT post MBA, so, I want to advance my career in IT without any switch and may be add the strategy dimension to my profile.

Wharton MBA ( this is a kind dream school you might say....)
INSEAD
ISB
IIMA, 1 year
IIMC, 1 year

Specifically interested to know my chances.
Kellog
IMD
MIT
Ross
Hass

My questions to you specifically:

1. I am assuming that applying in 2009 with a 2008 GMAT should not be a problem. Please advice if otherwise.
2. How do u evaluate my chances for INSEAD and Wharton specifically....Any other schools I should look at that may have a 1 year course. I know wharton is 2 years but as I said its a dream school and I will make an exception if accepted... :-)

.
3. Do u fancy my chances at Kellog/IMD/MIT/Ross/Hass?
4. Any particular weakness that I should focus and try to improve upon? I dont intend to give the GMAT again as a 20-30 point increase will not get me into any school that 700 wouldn't....whats your thought on this?
5. and I forgot to mention that during my undergrads, I had to skip a semester due to a medical reason which I completed soon afterwards. I believe I should make it clear to the adcom upfront rather than being asked about it?

Sorry for the long post and thanks for your time in providing some expert guidance.

-Sunny

. 3. Do u fancy my chances at Kellog/IMD/MIT/Ross/Hass? 4. Any particular weakness that I should focus and try to improve upon? I dont intend to give the GMAT again as a 20-30 point increase will not get me into any school that 700 wouldn't....whats your thought on this? 5. and I forgot to mention that during my undergrads, I had to skip a semester due to a medical reason which I completed soon afterwards. I believe I should make it clear to the adcom upfront rather than being asked about it? Sorry for the long post and thanks for your time in providing some expert guidance. -Sunny

Sunny143 · Answer

Paul....I assume you are keeping very busy these days...but it would be great if you can shed some light on the profile and chances...Thanks in advance.

Accepted.com · Answer

Sunny143,

1. I am assuming that applying in 2009 with a 2008 GMAT should not be a problem. Please advice if otherwise.
 Not a problem. 
2. How do u evaluate my chances for INSEAD and Wharton specifically....Any other schools I should look at that may have a 1 year course. I know wharton is 2 years but as I said its a dream school and I will make an exception if accepted.... 
 Your professional leadership is your only major asset (though it's an important one); everything else looks "par for the course" for the top schools, so given the competitiveness of these schools and your large applicant pool INSEAD and Wharton would be definite longshots in my book. But everyone needs longshots. Other 1-years: consider Cornell, Emory, Empresa, ESADE

3. Do u fancy my chances at Kellog/IMD/MIT/Ross/Hass?
 The same as INSEAD and Wharton for Kellogg and Hass; somewhat better at IMD and Ross.

4. Any particular weakness that I should focus and try to improve upon? I dont intend to give the GMAT again as a 20-30 point increase will not get me into any school that 700 wouldn't....whats your thought on this? 
 Nothing particular, you just need to emphasize your distinctiveness and explain why your age is not an issue (emphasize maturity, specificity of goals, etc.) No reason to retake GMAT.

5. and I forgot to mention that during my undergrads, I had to skip a semester due to a medical reason which I completed soon afterwards. I believe I should make it clear to the adcom upfront rather than being asked about it?
 You could give it 2-3 sentences in an optional essay, but nothing more. It's not important.

Sunny143 · Answer

Thanks Paul for taking the time to respond to my questions. I have just a few more and if you can respond to them, it will be great

though I understand that I should play my WE up, but how common do u think is the WE that I have among the Indian, M IT demographics...? Do u think with around 9 years of WE( when I apply), my profile would loose its edge( as you are expected to do managerial stuff with that exp anyway...isn't it?). Should I apply earlier? 
Can u recommend any school which has a strong strategy and IT combination?
Is it ok to quote from your appraisal reviews(year end appraisal by your managers) in your essays?

Thanks Paul.

Accepted.com · Answer

I didn't say your W/E was flawless, just that it was your strong suit. In other words, the "male Indian IT" issue obviously does not help you (it is an "obstacle" to overcome), but even given your age you appear to have strong leadership experience, so *that* part helps you. Yes, I would apply now, no need to wait IMO.

Strong in both strategy and IT? Hmm, Wharton, NYU Stern, Haas, MIT Sloan, maybe also Texas, Tepper, and Michigan?

Yes, direct quotes from your performance evaluations are fine in moderation, especially if they're really enthusiastic. I don't know why more applicants don't do it.

Good luck,

Sunny143 · Answer

Thanks Paul. Really appreciate all your inputs.

Accepted.com · Answer

You're welcome.

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