Profile evaluation for a Pakistani

Question

I have received valuable feedback from you guys in my previous thread but I feel the need for a new thread considering a lot of new developments have taken place. Moreover I think that my profile will help others from sub-continent in assessing their chances since my basic background is similar to most aspirants from the sub continent

Age : 22 (24 at the time of 2011 intake)
 Gender : Male
 Nationality : Pakistani
 Undergrad Degree & CGPA : BBA(Hons) & 3.30
 Grad Degree & CGPA : MBA Banking & Finance & 3.84
 GMAT : 690 1st attempt
 WE : 
1)1 year on rotations through various SBUs and departments of my family owned business  (part-time) 
2)1 year as Managing Director at a Flour mill owned by my family  (part-time) 
3)1 year as Director Finance & Strategy in a nationwide pesticide & fertillizer distribution company owned by my family  (part-time) 
4)1 year as an entrepreneur where I acquired a seed processing plant (a sick unit through auction), got it in working condition, designed business processes and established manufacturing and sales team and took the unit from 0 revenues to USD 1 million revenue within a year, after which I turned over the business operations to my family  (part-time) 
5)4 week Internship at Coca Cola  (full time) 
6)4 week internship at ABN AMRO Bank  (full time) 
7)Currently acting as an entrepreneur and managing my hedge fund (worth USD 1 million) specializing in trading energy futures on NYMEX and equities on various international stock exchanges  (part-time) 
8)10 months working as a Management Trainee at HSBC Bank  (full time) 
 By the time of applying I would have atleast 2 years of full time experience with HSBC

Other Achievements/Extra Curricular 
1)Head Boy during my secondary and high school
2)Class rep during A levels
3)Gold medal in Business Studies during A levels
4)Active member of my schools debating club and sports club
5)Won inter school chess championship during A levels
6)Active player of chess, table tennis, tennis, snooker, cricket and football
7)99th percentile on MENSA IQ test (IQ 164)
 
Community Involvement 
1)Launched a campaign in collaboration with my university to raise funds and goods for affectees of 2005 pakistan earthquake
2)Launched a camp for poor patients in our family owned hospital where they are treated free of cost
3)Launched nationwide campaign to educate farmers all over the country about benefits of high yielding varieties of seeds, correct use of fertilizers and pesticides to raise crop output
4)Worked a volunteer in a government owned hospital for 1 month

Why MBA?

The reason I want to do MBA is to launch my family's business globally. I need to have knowledge of global markets and need the best possible education for optimum success. My specific aim in the short run is to create awareness about various derivatives in Pakistan which is one of the biggest producers of various commodities such as wheat, rice, cotton and sugarcane. I want to create an exchange in Pakistan on the scale of CME to promote hedging and trading of agricultural and other commodities. Other than this I also want to exchange ideas with people of diverse nationalities and copy their successes in my own country and business.

Target Schools 
LBS, Chicago, Columbia, Wharton

Intake year 
2011

1)Please advise whether my GMAT score and CGPA is good enough or not for the above unis
2)What are my chances in the above unis?
3)Please also recommend any other unis with strong finance and entrepreneurship focus

MJ2009 · Answer

where did you study, IBA or CBM? you seem to have already done your MBA and that too at before 22. :roll:

!! LBS looks for quite a lot more work experience.. other schools you mentioned have relatively less average work experience among their students but definitely more than 2 years. The scores, although on the lower end of the scale, are still within range for the schools you mentioned, do check on respective websites. In light of this I really wonder why you feel you need to get a MBA and perhaps the adcom might also wonder why he needs a MBA when he(you) already has the resources and the expertise to achieve all that people are trained to accomplish after getting the MBA. Usman, on a side note, I'm from Pakistan also, and well you and I both know that your BASIC backrground (or otherwise) is not at all similar to most aspirants from the sub-continent. I feel it imperative to state this because otherwise it would give an incorrect impression of candidates from the sub continent.

usman88 · Answer

If you are really from Pakistan then its strange you are asking. I did a 3 yrs bachelors followed by 1 year MBA as there were no HEC requirements pertaining to 4+2 back then. You would also know that Pakistanis immediately do MBA after their bachelors because their is no requirement of work experience by most universities (even IBA did not had when I did mine). 22/23 is average age of MBAs who completed a 3+1 program

I have already explained in detail the reasons in  Why MBA  section. I never knew a successful turnaround of a SME automatically disqualifies one from getting admission into an elite school. On the contrary I though it would actually increase my chances.

My profile (keeping in mind family business part) definitely resembles profiles of other applicants with respect to work experience (years of part time work in family business followed by full time work in MNCs) and financials. Offcourse if we eliminate the family business then there is alot of difference

Icarus · Answer

Usman,

I would have to agree with MJ2009 that your profile is atypical for an applicant hailing from that region (and I believe he/she meant it in a good way - think diversity)

MJ2009 raises another valid point with about your already acquired MBA qualification. A lot of MBA programs will not even consider your application if you already have an MBA for obvious reasons. I have seen this fact stated very clearly on the websites of some schools. The good thing for you is that Wharton will not hold this against you. I think CBS and Booth website have nothing to say about this so you can make your case there as well (You might want to confirm before applying).

Your Why MBA? argument should be more focused towards Why *another* MBA?. Given the success that you have had, your current argument seems superfluous.

1) Yes
2) These are reach schools for everyone (IMHO, the showing the need to get a second MBA will make or break it )
3) Stern, Anderson (Finance), Haas (Entrepreneurship)

I`

PaulBodine · Answer

usman88,

You have the makings of an impressive and distinctive profile. As long as you have 2 years of work experience you should be OK applying to all 4 of the programs you mentioned. Understand that European schools generally prefer more work experience than U.S. ones. These are all outstanding, competitive programs that receive many applications from South Asian males, so the odds, even for strong candidates, are not great. Still I would not discourage you from applying. Other strong entrepreneurship and finance programs you could consider include MIT Sloan, Rochester, UCLA, and Berkeley Haas.

Good luck,

Profile evaluation for a Pakistani

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