Welcome to Ask mbaMission

Hi Mihir,

Thanks for reaching out. Your educational background is great, like to see first class w/distinction. Your GMAT is strong, but not stellar for your applicant pool. Your work experience and progression sound strong too, but again not very differentiated from your applicant pool. Have you had much exposure to any of those overseas projects? If so, that could help. Any current extracurriculars? That could help too.

Right now, here's how I would assess the schools you list

1. Darden - ambitious, possibly achievable (depending on some of the factors I mentioned above + how strongly you execute your application / engage with the school)
2. Ross - ambitious, possibly achievable (same here)
3. Tepper - achievable
4. Tuck - ambitious
5. Mendoza - safety
6. Yale - ambitious

Good luck, and keep us posted if we can help with anything else.
Kate

Hello,

Please help me in evaluating my profile.

I am from Mumbai, India. I am 29 years old and looking to apply for MBA in Round 2 of b-schools. My preference is US b-schools followed by Canada. However, I am willing to look at other countries too as well as India. Below are my academic and work ex details:

GMAT Score: 610 (q43, v31) (Retaking on 14th Nov. However, I am prepared to go ahead with 610 even if my score doesn’t improve)

Bachelor’s Degree %: Third Year - 67.42., Second Year - 65.66, First Year - 57. I did my Bachelor's in Management Studies (BMS) from University of Mumbai. It's a 3 years degree and hence I have 15 years of education.

12th % (Science): 53.67

10th %: 82.13

Work Experience (in months): 67 months till now. Most of the work experience has been in real estate in sales & leasing of commercial office spaces. I have worked with some of the top real estate developers in Mumbai.

LinkedIn Profile: https://www.linkedin.com/in/samdighe


Career Goals

Short Term Goals - Post MBA, I would like to get a job in the Marketing field preferably in a brand management role. I would definitely like to work in the same country where I get my MBA from at least for 5 years so that I get international experience as well as recover my cost.

Now, I am aware that getting into brand management roles is difficult for international students. Hence, I would like to get into a school which has a strong General management as well as a strong Marketing course so that I can explore other options during my MBA. I would also like to be in a location where there are multiple opportunities across industries (not necessarily a big city though).

Long Term Goals - I would like to continue growing in the marketing vertical of a prestigious global brand. Mostly, would like to come back to India after a few years, so the b-school brand should have a good reputation in India also.

Why an MBA and why now?

1) The primary reason for doing an MBA would be to switch from Sales to Marketing.
2) To get international exposure
3) Grow exponentially in terms of scope of career opportunities as well as my pay scale.

If I switch my job now, I know I will get a pay scale hike but the role will remain more or less the same. Also, all my life, I have been in Mumbai. I feel my learning and experiences have been completely one dimensional.

I would like to be in a country where the work visa policies are generous and the quality of life is good.

Extra-Curricular & Achievements:
1) One of the core team members of the college festival and was later on appointed as the chairman of the festival.
2) Participated in the inter-school badminton tournament.
3) Participated in various social service programs during school
4) Learning Latin dance
5) Volunteered at an event at ADAPT (The Spastic Society of India) and a rally organized by India Against Corruption
6) Scored highest marks in college in one of the subjects in the 4th semester.
7) Received a scholarship from a fortune 500 company for meritorious performance in 10th.

My questions are:
1) Which schools can I target? Please suggest a few as per my preferences mentioned above. I would prefer schools which don’t have a really large schools size and has case study based pedagogy (Please keep in mind that I have 15 years of total education as opposed to 16 years)
2) What would be the maximum number of schools that I can apply to in R2 (considering most R2 deadlines are around 1st or the 2nd week of Jan) without affecting the quality of my application? I aim to apply to at least 4 to 5 schools.
3) Is there any possibility to get scholarship?

Thank you.

Regards,
Sameer Dighe

Hi Sameer,

Thanks for sharing your profile. I like your outline of reasons for the MBA, very clear and makes sense. I think your biggest challenge is demonstrating you've got the academic stats to do well at a good program. Your GMAT and GPA numbers together are going to present a challenge for any schools in about the Top 30. Especially given your demographic pool of applicants from India. So I really hope it goes well on the 14th! And if not, it may be worth another attempt to open up more options for schools.

Here are some schools that come to mind given your criteria -- Ivey (in Canada, uses case method), UNC Kenan-Flagler (also uses case method and good for marketing), Ohio State Fisher (also good for marketing), Penn State Smeal, Wisconsin, SMU Cox, Illinois. I think your 610 will at least be in the middle 80% for most of these schools, though towards the low end, so some of these still could be tough.

Most applicants apply to around 4 to 6 schools. Given that you're balancing GMAT too, I'd stick to the lower end of that and aim for about 4 schools for the upcoming January round.

Hope this helps, and good luck!

Kate

I am a prospective MBA student. My focus is on non-interest based financial instruments and non-interest based income. How do I sell this unique focus in my application essays?

Hello Kate,

This is Deep, seeking for your advice because my career is at quite an unusual state at this point.

I did my B.Sc and M.Sc in Chemistry from India and pursued PhD in the same at the University of Saskatchewan, Canada in 2011. But in early 2016 (after 4.5 years into the program), due to my mother's sudden death, my dad's illness and other family issues I had to get back without finishing my PhD. (my supervisor was obviously not willing to let me have a year-long leave, which was the only option for me to take care of my dad and the family issues). After getting back to India, the industry jobs seemed to be not well-paid, since they were considering me as a Masters fresher.

This is why I am considering an option of doing MBA/Masters in Management with a GMAT score (will be appearing in Dec. 2016- Mock scores are in the range of 720-750 in Manhattan Prep, GMAC, Veritas Prep – Q 50-51, V 39-43), to get better job opportunities later.

My academic background:

• 10th standard (2002): 86%,
• 12th standard (2004) (science): 88%,
• B.Sc (Chemistry) (2008): 59.5%, (GPA: 3.0 out of 4.0 WES conversion),
• M.Sc (Chemistry) (2010): 66% (GPA: 3.0 out of 4.0 WES conversion)]

Extracurricular activities:

• Chess champion in college.

• Actively involved with an NGO and an old age home.

• Proficiency in German, Spanish, French.

• Chief student organizer of cultural events and get-togethers in the department during my PhD stay in Canada and secretary of advertisement section for departmental reunion for 3 years in India.

Professional achievements:

• Best graduate teaching assistantship award in the department, University of Saskatchewan, Canada in 2015.

• Best graduate research assistantship award in the department, University of Saskatchewan, Canada in 2014.

My interests in business fields:

• Logistics and Supply Chain Management

• Big Data Analytics

• Bio-tech and Pharmaceutical Management.

My questions:

1. a) MBA or MIM which one do you feel would be a more appropriate program for me? You need to consider that I don't have a full-time work experience and from a natural science background (I am prepared to take up any additional courses), but I am 29, so there will be an age gap from the average age for MIM students (I am comfortable with it though).

b) Even if I get into an MIM program, would my age be an issue while considering job offers post-graduation?

c) Although the graduate teaching assistantship in Canada for 4.5 years and also a graduate research assistant in the department (under direct payroll of the department, publications in US journals), would that be considered as any work experience?

d) Or in general, do you feel that my overall profile looks competitive enough with any extra edge from the international experience?

2. I am willing to stay abroad with a job-offer post-graduation at least for 2 years, or if possible, more. Considering that, would you suggest me any destination country (not considering North America)?

3. Some good universities (GGSB, ESCP France) with the more directed courses e.g. the Pharmaceutical management are not asking for GMAT, although they do so for MBA/MIM courses. Should I be careful about those courses without any requirement for GMAT scores or the non-requirement is just because the prospective students are already screened by their initial academic backgrounds?


Many thanks in advance, looking forward to your reply.

Hi SScandidatepaki,
That's a good question...you can "sell" some of that expertise via your resume and recommendation letters so you may not need to dedicate a lot of space to it in the essays. But the best way to sell it in the essays is to share examples and stories that illustrate you using and applying that expertise to solve challenging problems, and in particular doing it in a way that highlights your successful results and impact. Does that focus tie in to your post-MBA goals? If so, you can also discuss how that experience will set you up well to make a transition post-MBA. For other essay writing tips, you might want to check out our blog (https://www.mbamission.com/blog/) or our free personal statement guide (https://shop.mbamission.com/products/per ... ment-guide).
Good luck!
Kate

Hi Deep,
See my notes in line below.
Good luck!
Kate

Hi Kate!

I would like to know about my prospects at the top 10 Schools for an MBA in USA.

My Background.

Trained physician (M.B.B.S, M.D) with a GPA of 3.2 and a Post graduate GPA of 3.6
Have an M.D in Pharmacology in one of the Government Medical Colleges in India.
I am interested in a career in health-care management and Pharmaceuticals.
I feel the current health-care scenario in India is a bit disorganized and it is affecting Health-care delivery. i feel an MBA can help me streamline health delivery. I would like to work in healthcare consulting for Big4.
Have a excellent work experience in day to day patient management (sometimes up to 200-250 patients a day). Trained to analyze the extensive data of patients and provide optimum healthcare to them.
My GMAT scores are 710 (Q49, V36)
organized various academic events for fellow doctors. One such event was appreciated by the Dean of the school. Unfortunately, professional commitments could not let me contribute extensively to my community.
Planning to apply in R2.
Thanks in anticipation!

Hi there!
Thanks for reaching out.

Your career interests and reasons for going into healthcare consulting make a lot of sense, and as a non-traditional applicant, being able to clearly explain why you need an MBA is really important, so it sounds like you've got a strong story to tell there. That is great you have experience working with so many patients and experience with data analysis too -- those are skills that will translate well to the research/analysis and relationship building required in consulting. What about leadership and/or team experience? Those would be other areas to highlight.

Your GPA and GMAT stats are good, and although your background is different from the typical applicant from India, it is still an extremely competitive applicant pool where we see much higher GPAs and GMATs. So I think some top 10 schools could be tough -- if I were you, I would mix in a few schools outside the top 10 (maybe schools like UCLA or Duke which are both strong in healthcare?) so that you have a range of target schools.

Good luck!
Kate

Thank you Kate.
I would like to add that my specialization involves coordinating various healthcare measure in a hospital, have hands on experience in counseling caregivers of psychiatric patients, initiating and managing de-addiction programs. I am required to mentor atleast 3-4 doctors every year along with conducting academic sessions for trainee doctors. I have experience in guiding many trainee doctors for research protocols, with respect to their feasibility and usefulness in the community.

That sounds like very valuable experience...you'll definitely want to highlight that counseling and mentoring experience in your applications. That shows very strong people skills and empathy for others too, which business schools will definitely value. Make sure your recommenders will speak to some of these important qualities too!

Kate

Hello Team,
I am planning on applying to study MBA. Please evaluate my profile based on the following:
• Nationality – Indian
• Age- 27
• Education- Bachelor’s in Commerce (Accounting and Computers) - 3 Years Course, Percentile- 72%: While in School, I was a School Prefect. I did my post-graduation diploma (PGDM) – Specialization in General Insurance – 65%.
• Participated in various dance competition and skits.
• Internship- Worked as an Intern in one of the leading insurance company as part of my post-graduation program. Worked with operation team and learnt policy issuance procedures
• Also visited TPA with sales team and learnt the procedures.
• Profession- Through campus placement, I got placed in one of the leading insurance company in India in 2010 and has been working since then. I worked in multiple departments – Sales, Underwriting, operation and claims departments.
• In 2012, through IJP, I got placed in underwriting and handled various regions of North India
• Manage the Approval of quotes referred for rates, deviations beyond sales authority.
• Training of branch sales team of 10-15 people on various products.
• Visiting locations for improvement in both Bottom-line and Top line . Providing guidance to team member’s particularly new location with participation of Branch Heads.
• Portfolio analysis and reporting to seniors suggesting current portfolio movement and corrective actions. Analyzing renewals with their claim history and providing rates, excess and corrective actions accordingly to sales team. Analyzed and suggested for improvement required for more efficiency and effectiveness.
• Prepared reports like TAT reports, MIS on large accounts, Post loss endorsements,
• Endorsements in policies- material and non material change in policy document of retail or corporate customers.
• PROFESSIONAL ACHIEVEMENTS- Within a year of joining underwriting department I have been granted underwriting authority which was later enhanced to a good level. I presently hold underwriting authority for products Fire, Marine, Engineering policies. Awarded SBIG Value based Annual Award under Transparency Category in 2015. Awarded ‘Best Performer’ in Underwriting in Dec-15. An appreciation certificate received from corporate office sales team for good performance and for achieving target in 2011.
• Professional Trainings:
1. Marine Underwriting.
2. Claims Handling under Marine
3. Fraudulent claims
4. Engineering policies

• GMAT- my initial score was not good. I am planning to take re- exam by 1st week of jan.
• Currently figuring out which B- schools to apply for 2017 batch.

Hello Team,
I am planning on applying to study MBA. Please evaluate my profile based on the following:
• Nationality – Indian
• Age- 27
• Education- Bachelor’s in Commerce (Accounting and Computers) - 3 Years Course, Percentile- 72%: While in School, I was a School Prefect. I did my post-graduation diploma (PGDM) – Specialization in General Insurance – 65%.
• Participated in various dance competition and skits.
• Internship- Worked as an Intern in one of the leading insurance company as part of my post-graduation program. Worked with operation team and learnt policy issuance procedures
• Also visited TPA with sales team and learnt the procedures.
• Profession- Through campus placement, I got placed in one of the leading insurance company in India in 2010 and has been working since then. I worked in multiple departments – Sales, Underwriting, operation and claims departments.
• In 2012, through IJP, I got placed in underwriting and handled various regions of North India
• Manage the Approval of quotes referred for rates, deviations beyond sales authority.
• Training of branch sales team of 10-15 people on various products.
• Visiting locations for improvement in both Bottom-line and Top line . Providing guidance to team member’s particularly new location with participation of Branch Heads.
• Portfolio analysis and reporting to seniors suggesting current portfolio movement and corrective actions. Analyzing renewals with their claim history and providing rates, excess and corrective actions accordingly to sales team. Analyzed and suggested for improvement required for more efficiency and effectiveness.
• Prepared reports like TAT reports, MIS on large accounts, Post loss endorsements,
• Endorsements in policies- material and non material change in policy document of retail or corporate customers.
• PROFESSIONAL ACHIEVEMENTS- Within a year of joining underwriting department I have been granted underwriting authority which was later enhanced to a good level. I presently hold underwriting authority for products Fire, Marine, Engineering policies. Awarded SBIG Value based Annual Award under Transparency Category in 2015. Awarded ‘Best Performer’ in Underwriting in Dec-15. An appreciation certificate received from corporate office sales team for good performance and for achieving target in 2011.
• Professional Trainings:
1. Marine Underwriting.
2. Claims Handling under Marine
3. Fraudulent claims
4. Engineering policies

• GMAT- my initial score was not good. I am planning to take re- exam by 1st week of jan.
• Currently figuring out which B- schools to apply for 2017 batch.

Hi - thanks for providing this information! It sounds like you have some good work experience. What are your post-MBA goals? This information will help me understand your path more. Also, are you currently involved in any extracurricular activities?

HI,
Target Stream:- Branding and product management.
are you currently involved in any extracurricular activities?- No.

Thanks for the additional context! In order to more fully evaluate your profile, I'd need to know your GMAT score as well as your target schools. A couple of important things to mention here though: 1.) Extracurricular activities can definitely help a profile stand out and show the AdCom that you'll be involved on campus. If you were involved in any significant activities in college (you'd mentioned dancing and skits) definitely mention them on your resume 2.) Since brand/product management would definitely be a switch for you, you'd need to explain convincingly in your essays what personal/professional experiences have inspired this switch, what transferrable skills you have, and how the MBA program will help you achieve other skills/experiences you need in order to make the transition.

Hope that helps!

Hello mbaMission,

I am Dhanvini K S from India. I took my GMAT last month and scored a 640 (Q48, V30) . Pretty disappointed with my score as I was aiming something above 700. I am aiming for the top 10 schools in the US and I want to get admitted for 2017. I am short of time now, but I am planning to take my GMAT again. Below is a brief of my profile:

1. Work experience - 3+ years in construction domain. Working as an Assistant Manager for an in house consultant of India's second largest real estate developers. Managed to get a double promotion and also an opportunity to manage a team of 12 engineers.
2. Entrepreneurial experience - Working with my father in a family run Agri business for the past 3 years
3. Education - BE Civil Engineering with a GPA of 3.9
4. Lot of volunteering experience in college and currently teaching Maths and Sceine for 8th and 9th grade girls living in an orphanage in Bangalore

Short Term goal - Get into a reputed Management Consulting Firm
Long Term Goal - Start my own company which mainly focuses on providing sustainable lining conditions for the villagers in rural India and also uberize Indian agriculture

I would really appreciate it if you could evaluate my profile and tell me if I stand a chance to get into the Top colleges. Also, I am planning to apply for the 3rd round of application. Will it be a huge risk to take?

Awaiting the evaluation.
Thakn you in advance!