Profile Evaluation Request for MBA Fall'15 admit

Question

Hello, 
I am in the process of shortlisting B-Schools for a Fall'15 admit and I am wondering if you can suggest me some of the better schools within my reach. My credentials are as under:

Undergrad Degree : Bachelors in Mechanical Engineering from VTU, India
 GPA/Aggregate : 59% (I am not sure how much that would equal to on the 4.0 scale)

GRE Score : 319 (156V, 163Q), 3.5 AWA (Equivalent to a 650 GMAT score via the Official ETS Conversion tool)

Age : 27 years

Work Experience : 
4+ years of international experience with an understanding of Market Dynamics in Asia Pacific region within the industrial manufacturing domain with an 
emphasis on Product Quality Assurance. Experience in vendor management, process and operations management, logistics and budgeting

Skillset : Statistical Process Control, Kaizen, 6 Sigma, Experimental Design, Total Quality Management (TQM), Defect Tracking, Lean Manufacturing, ISO 
9001 QMS, Data Analytics, Value Stream Mapping

Achievements :
-Directly managed a team of five resources under the Quality Control Department overseeing Raw Material Selection, Process Parameter Selection, Production trial, Sampling, Inspection of finished and semi-finished product, Testing, Result analysis in adherence to Kaizen principles
-Designed and oversaw implementation of Japanese methodology of 5S on the shop floor thereby increasing production efficiency by 2.4%
-Assisted in developing regional marketing strategy by performing client segmentation, preparing marketing collateral, building promotional campaigns and prioritizing direct and indirect channel pipeline
-Achieved the highest fire ratings (UL94 H-1 & CLASS’O’) of insulation products in the construction and manufacturing domain thereby enhancing the value proposition attached
-Facilitated organic growth of the firm in European markets by achieving CE Certification that is widely accepted in the region
-Identified challenges in terms of customer attrition, conducted SWOT analysis and implemented 3 sigma leading to increase in customer satisfaction by 12.6%
-Streamlined the process of Quality Assurance in the firm by integrating the various aspects of Quality Control, Inspection and Product Improvement that resulted in a reduction of product failure rate by 7%

Community service : 
Active member of Faith Society(based in Lucknow, India) - 
-Promotes multifaceted personality development and education among the differently abled, minorities, socially downtrodden and economically weaker sections of the society, as classified under government norms.
-Arouses global awareness withing local districts by arranging debate programs and street theater, in order to promote social justice, equality, fraternity and eradicate animosity on the basis of caste, regions and linguistics.
-Launches awareness campaigns for family planning and participates in government organized rehab and vaccination camps thereby emphasizing health and sanitary awareness especially in the rural communities.

mbaMissionJenK · Answer

Hi there,

Thanks for posting. You have not shared your goals/rationale for the MBA (which is relevant even for admissions), nor some general factors about types of schools you are interested in, or even geographic region?

So those points aside, you have some solid work experience, but with your academics and GMAT and the fact that there are a lot of similar applicants, I would suggest looking outside the top 25-30 schools in the US at least for best chances. You can look at the US News & World Report ranking listing for ideas and also scan down average GMAT scores and see how you compare to the school averages.

Let us know if you have further q's and good luck!

arshadhashmi · Answer

Thanks. Actually, I am interested in General Mgmt and I know that these three are not the best of b-schools, but given a choice, which one should I go for among SUNY Buffalo/Binghamton/Alabany. My priorities will be:

1. Post grad job prospects (esp. in the West)
2. Scholarships/grants for Intl applicants (Indian)

mbaMissionJenK · Answer

Hi there-- my advice for that level of detail q by school would be to look at their website first of all, and/or the Businessweek.com B-school profile screen shot, which includes many of those stats, but also the hiring statistics and financial aid stats by school. Anything you cannot find, you can reach out to the school's admissions and/or careers office to clarify. Good luck!

arshadhashmi · Answer

Hi,

I am also interested in Accelerated/1 year MBA programs mainly due to lower costs involved, in comparison to the traditional Full-time option. But I have a few concerns:

1. Do they have similar job prospects as the traditional Full-time program?
2. Will I be able to do an internship while pursuing the course?
3. Will I be able to work part time simultaneously in order to support my living expenses?

mbaMissionJenK · Answer

Hi there--

One-year MBAs are an option to consider and usually do offer cost savings at least in terms of the year of saved living costs (in some cases tuition is not necessarily cut in half fyi). Yes job prospects are generally the same. Many 1-year programs do still offer the internship option for those who would like to do one, you need to research by program. Working part-time during the program is usually not an option as the coursework is so intense and there is just no time. However keep in mind that in most cases internships are paid and sometimes quite well. Also many b-school students finance their degree through low-interest rate educational loans, paid back over 5-15 years with their post-MBA salaries. Hope this helps!

Profile Evaluation Request for MBA Fall'15 admit

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