GMAT 720 (IR 3, AWA 5) - 8 years Investment Banking - Profile Eval

Question

Hi all, I am grateful for any advice you have. Can you please give an indication of the best schools I can get in. I have a finance background so I guess that's how I should focus to maximize my chances (rather than focusing on a school known for marketing, etc.).

Details of my profile:

Bio:  Age 31, Male, Indian.

GMAT:  720 (Q49, V40, IR 3, AWA 5) - Planning to take again if profile is not strong enough.

Career:  8 years experience in investment banking (back-end / off-shore). Good growth / promotions. Currently in team-management / leadership role.

Education:  Graduated in 2011 - Btech in Engineering from IIT Roorkee - GPA of 7.3/10.0.

Please let me know what schools I should target, based on this score. Also, I am planning to take GMAT again in first week of August - but I am scared that it will leave me very less time to write applications. If possible, please advise me on that front as well.

Thanks a ton

maryrosie · Answer

That seems to be a great score, what are your requirements for your school?

Admissionado · Answer

It would be ideal to improve your GMAT to a 740+ if possible since you are coming from the very toughest demographic out there when it comes to b-school apps & one that also tends to have high GMAT scores (20-40 points over a school's average). That said, the biggest challenge is going to be your years of experience, which put your significantly above the average for top schools. Most schools are looking for applicants with 3-5 years of experience upon matriculation. Is a part time MBA an option for you at all. At part time programs your years of experience will be right in line with the average & you'd have a very strong shot at top schools even with your current GMAT (although of course higher is always better!) Part time programs give you access to the same professors, network, employment opportunities, etc but are easier to get into than their full-time counterparts. Most importantly, however, they are looking for candidates with the amount of experience that you have, so it will fall in line with their average rather than being an obstacle in your candidacy.

SS101 · Answer

Thanks for your reply. I do plan to improve on score by re-appearing on 10th August. But doesn't it leave me with very little time to prepare for R1 applications?

Admissionado · Answer

Yes, that is a bit crunched but depending on the school & it's deadline you will possibly be able to get one app in R1. Otherwise it's best to wait until R2 so you have time to do your best work on them!

GMAT 720 (IR 3, AWA 5) - 8 years Investment Banking - Profile Eval

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