Profile Evaluation of an already existing MBA

Question

Female - 25 - Indian
1)Under Grad in computer science at top 20 but with dismissal scores of 2.26 GPA
2) MBA in telecom management from an average school with 72% 
3) Working for a year in an telecom company as a product management executive.
4) Targetting GMAt of 700, getting pretty good scores right now in prep tests

I have the following questions keeping in mind good school in Finance

1) Is my undergrad scores a negative factor ?
2) Is my existing MBA going to be a major hurdle to prove to the admissions committee that I need to do another MBA ?
3) I just have 1 year experience, do you think its advisable for me to apply one I get 3 years experience ?
4) I do not have any kind of extra circular activities or have not done any social work, how big an impact is it ?
5) If I need to plan for a top mba aschool do you advise me to plan for fall 2010 or build up my resume and plan for fall 2011, so that I can build up my extra circular activities and also my experience 
6) What kind of activities do I need to get involved in to build a strong resume
7) Do you think If i take up certifications like CFA will help my admission process in finance ?
8) What should my resume look like if I need to get into the schools mentioned with a good scholarship.

Can you please commend on the above questions and also the probable schools I should be targeting keeping in mind that it should be pretty good for finance and scholarships

AlexMBAApply · Answer

1. Yes, but in and of itself not fatal so long as your GMAT scores are strong (700+).

2. Yes, in fact it will be a far bigger hurdle than your low GPA. B-schools are generally wary of taking on someone who already has an MBA - and if your MBA is from a US school, your chances of getting another MBA from a US school are pretty much slim to none.

3. Yes, you need more than just 1 year of experience. 3+ years is more in line. Keep in mind that you're competing with other MBA students for jobs, many of whom will have solid years of work experience. An MBA is a complement, not a substitute for prior work experience.

4. Depends on the schools. If you're targeting top 16 schools, it can be important. If you're targeting schools outside of that, it's less important so long as your GMAT is in range and the rest of your application (essays, rec letters, resume, interview) is well executed.

5. See 1 - 4. Your chances of getting into an MBA program are slim, because there's too many concerns you will have to address.

6. That is something you need to figure out. You want to pursue things that you have a genuine interest in - stuff that you would be doing irrespective of your b-school plans. It's not about window dressing and resume building - it's about getting involved because you want to.

7. No.

8. See 1 - 7. You'll have a hard enough time getting in, let alone trying to secure scholarships.

I recommend that you forget about getting a second MBA. Focus on making the most of your work experience now and over time.

superman · Answer

thanks a ton, the profile is of my fiance who is going to join me after my marriage and was contemplating on doing an MBA or work in USA. Your explanation does answer her future path.

thanks once again

Profile Evaluation of an already existing MBA

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