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Shiladitya123
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Joined: 07 Sep 2025
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Location: India
Schools: ISB '27 IIM
GPA: 71.4%
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Gmat score 03 Jun 2026, 19:08
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I recently gave my GMAT Exam ad got 655 (Q86, V82, DI79). Highly unlikely that i would be able to give it another try due to work and logistical issues. Is that good enough for ISB & IIM Executive programs that i am trying for. My profile is as follows;

31 M (Indian), 10th- 9.2 CGPA 12th- 90 %. (Both CBSE) UG- 71.4 %, from VTU in mechanical engineering.

Work ex.
2017-2018, co founder of a video production startup in Bangalore. (1 year)
2018-2021, trainee engineer in piping construction field, in Kuwait. 9 months career gap for personal reasons.
2022-2025, site mechanical engineer in Facility management field in Kuwait.
2025-current, site mechanical engineer in HVAC construction, in Saudi Arabia.

Certified Scrum Master.

Emcee in various college fests and cultural events. Vice president of the Literary club and head of Drama Club in college. Part of the Bengali Assosciation in Kuwait.
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ApplicantX
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Concentration: General Management
Schools: Stern '20 (A) Darden '20 (S) NUS '20 ISB '19 (II) Schulich Sept 18 Intake (S)
GMAT 1: 740 Q49 V42
GPA: 3.92
Schools: Stern '20 (A) Darden '20 (S) NUS '20 ISB '19 (II) Schulich Sept 18 Intake (S)
GMAT 1: 740 Q49 V42
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Gmat score 03 Jun 2026, 22:35
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655 is definitely good enough to apply. I wouldn't skip applying just because of the score. Your profile is actually more interesting than a standard engineer profile, startup experience, Middle East exposure across Kuwait and Saudi, leadership activities, and almost 8+ years of experience all help.

For Indian School of Business, I'd say you're in the mix. For top executive programs at the older Indian Institutes of Management, it's also a competitive score.
At this point, I'd focus more on essays, career story, and explaining your progression rather than worrying about squeezing out another 20-30 GMAT points. The application will matter more than the score from here.
Shiladitya123
I recently gave my GMAT Exam ad got 655 (Q86, V82, DI79). Highly unlikely that i would be able to give it another try due to work and logistical issues. Is that good enough for ISB & IIM Executive programs that i am trying for. My profile is as follows;

31 M (Indian), 10th- 9.2 CGPA 12th- 90 %. (Both CBSE) UG- 71.4 %, from VTU in mechanical engineering.

Work ex.
2017-2018, co founder of a video production startup in Bangalore. (1 year)
2018-2021, trainee engineer in piping construction field, in Kuwait. 9 months career gap for personal reasons.
2022-2025, site mechanical engineer in Facility management field in Kuwait.
2025-current, site mechanical engineer in HVAC construction, in Saudi Arabia.

Certified Scrum Master.

Emcee in various college fests and cultural events. Vice president of the Literary club and head of Drama Club in college. Part of the Bengali Assosciation in Kuwait.
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ISBeacon
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Gmat score 03 Jun 2026, 22:37
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Shiladitya123
I recently gave my GMAT Exam ad got 655 (Q86, V82, DI79). Is that good enough for ISB & IIM Executive programs that i am trying for. My profile is as follows
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There is no definitive answer to good enough GMAT score Shiladitya123.

655 is a competitive score. Please apply to your target schools confidently.

Good luck!
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GyanOne
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Gmat score 03 Jun 2026, 23:38
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Shiladitya123 At 31 with eight-plus years across a startup, Kuwait, and now Saudi, your GMAT is probably not the binding constraint here. A 655 Focus, and Q86 in particular, is a respectable showing for executive tracks, and adcoms reading your profile will spend most of their time on trajectory, not the test.

- For ISB and the IIM executive programs, the score functions as a hygiene check once you clear a reasonable bar. Q86 from a mechanical engineer signals quant comfort, which is what they want to confirm. Beyond that, the application story carries almost everything.

- Your most underleveraged asset is the video production startup right out of college. Most engineering profiles in this applicant pool are linear corporate climbs, and you have a non-linear opening that signals ownership and risk tolerance. Lead with it in essays, don't bury it as one line on the CV.

- The Kuwait-to-Saudi arc reads as "engineer abroad" on first glance. Reframe it with specifics on project scope, headcount you have managed, budgets you have owned, and the cross-cultural teams you have led. The kind of infrastructure work you have done is something Indian B-school cohorts almost never see firsthand, and that scarcity becomes leverage when you name it concretely.

- Address the nine-month gap plainly in the additional info section. Indian adcoms are used to it, and a clean one-paragraph explanation neutralises the question before it becomes one.

- The real lift is "why MBA now, and to do what next." If you can tie this to a credible post-MBA target like energy transition, infrastructure PE, or sustainability consulting in the Gulf-India corridor, your 655 stops being the conversation.

Build the narrative first. Once the story is sharp and specific, your score will read as more than enough.

Shiladitya123
I recently gave my GMAT Exam ad got 655 (Q86, V82, DI79). Highly unlikely that i would be able to give it another try due to work and logistical issues. Is that good enough for ISB & IIM Executive programs that i am trying for. My profile is as follows;

31 M (Indian), 10th- 9.2 CGPA 12th- 90 %. (Both CBSE) UG- 71.4 %, from VTU in mechanical engineering.

Work ex.
2017-2018, co founder of a video production startup in Bangalore. (1 year)
2018-2021, trainee engineer in piping construction field, in Kuwait. 9 months career gap for personal reasons.
2022-2025, site mechanical engineer in Facility management field in Kuwait.
2025-current, site mechanical engineer in HVAC construction, in Saudi Arabia.

Certified Scrum Master.

Emcee in various college fests and cultural events. Vice president of the Literary club and head of Drama Club in college. Part of the Bengali Assosciation in Kuwait.
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CrackAdmission
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GMAT 1: 740 Q50 V40
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Gmat score 04 Jun 2026, 01:35
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Shiladitya123

A 655 GMAT is certainly within range for ISB and most leading Indian executive MBA programs (barring IIMA PGPx).

A few observations:
  • The entrepreneurship stint has value if portrayed aptly. Very few engineers can claim they attempted building a venture before starting their corporate career.
  • Your international experience is a genuine differentiator. Spending most of your career across Kuwait and Saudi Arabia gives you a level of global exposure that many applicants lack.
  • Leadership needs to be demonstrated through people management. If you've led teams comprising both blue-collar workers and white-collar stakeholders on construction and facility management projects, this can become one of the strongest parts of the application.
  • The Bengali Association's involvement can add a community-building dimension. AdComs appreciate applicants who contribute beyond work, especially when they help build and sustain communities abroad.
The biggest challenge is storytelling. Right now, the profile can easily be viewed as "another engineer working overseas." The real opportunity is connecting entrepreneurship, international exposure, leadership, and community involvement into one coherent narrative. That's where many otherwise strong applicants leave points on the table. Think on the lines of positioning the profile around a journey from entrepreneurship → global engineering leadership → community building, supported by substantial international exposure.
Feel free to reach out if you seek specific guidance wrt drafting a high-impact application.

Cheers and wishing you all the best !!
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GradOcean
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Gmat score 04 Jun 2026, 02:16
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Hi Shiladitya123,

With your profile and experience, a 655 GMAT FE score is competitive for the one-year MBA programs at IIMs and should put you in a strong position, as it is above the average range for many of these programs.

For ISB, the score is slightly below the typical average, but that should not discourage you from applying. A strong application is not only about the GMAT score — your professional journey, achievements, leadership experiences, and career narrative will play a significant role.

I believe there are several strong stories and experiences from your background that can be highlighted effectively. The key differentiator will be the quality of application execution, positioning, and clarity of your post-MBA goals.

All the Best!

Happy to connect if you’d like to discuss your profile in more detail.

[color=#000000]Website: Gradocean.in
Email: [color=#006597][email protected][/color]
Phone: +91-9892714308[/color]
Shiladitya123
I recently gave my GMAT Exam ad got 655 (Q86, V82, DI79). Highly unlikely that i would be able to give it another try due to work and logistical issues. Is that good enough for ISB & IIM Executive programs that i am trying for. My profile is as follows;

31 M (Indian), 10th- 9.2 CGPA 12th- 90 %. (Both CBSE) UG- 71.4 %, from VTU in mechanical engineering.

Work ex.
2017-2018, co founder of a video production startup in Bangalore. (1 year)
2018-2021, trainee engineer in piping construction field, in Kuwait. 9 months career gap for personal reasons.
2022-2025, site mechanical engineer in Facility management field in Kuwait.
2025-current, site mechanical engineer in HVAC construction, in Saudi Arabia.

Certified Scrum Master.

Emcee in various college fests and cultural events. Vice president of the Literary club and head of Drama Club in college. Part of the Bengali Assosciation in Kuwait.
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