Hi and thank you for your questions. I think you are correct in the sense that Philippines is not really over represented but at the same time I don’t think business schools suck out students from Philippines either so you’re probably more along average, which is good
In terms of your undergraduate reputation, it depends somewhat on the schools you’re applying to. If the schools you are targeting, haven’t had anyone applied from Your undergraduate institution, then it would also be rated as average and basically have no impact on your application. At the same time, I would suggest to counter it with an optional essay that perhaps could explain both your undergraduate and your professional experience from the Philippines perspective.
your undergraduate institution, then it would also be rated as average and basically have no impact on your application. At the same time, I would suggest to counter it with an optional essay that perhaps could explain both your undergraduate and your professional experience from the Philippines perspective.
You can likely weave your work experience and the fact that you’re working for a premier company and making top salary into your essays but you may have to do a separate optional essay to give an idea about your undergrad.
So to answer your question, I would say you are somewhere between middle and top in those choices. It’s somewhat depends on how you present it in your essays. One challenge many international applicants face is explaining the weight and importance of both their undergrad and work experience and local involvement. This is some thing you will face in applications and also in internship recruiting and also in job recruiting. You will have to explain your work experience where as someone who works for Coca-Cola or American Express does not need to do that.... again there are ways to put small notes on the resume (though I am not a resume expert) to indicate (ranked #1 university in Philippines with 23 applicants per seat).
Also, keep in mind that at least in the United States, international work experience is often discounted and not considered as valuable or as meaningful if recruiters don’t see recognizable brand names.
adg1992
Hi,
This is such a great tool and really appreciate that this was put together
Hoping someone could shed some light on a few questions:
1. Representation - I am from the Philippines, which is in SE Asia. However, I think adcoms receive significantly less Filipino applicants than Singaporean or maybe even Vietnamese applicants. The Philippines is also a developing country. I’m wondering if this makes any difference or if it’s more of the region than the country being considered, in that case I am of an over-represented group?
2. Undergrad Prestige in my Country: I graduated from the top university in the country (consistently ranked #1 in the Philippines by THE/QS) however I wouldn’t consider it a feeder to the big schools since most Filipinos opt to gain their degrees locally, where it is significantly cheaper.
3. Your Company: definitely a household brand locally as it is the leading brand in its industry but it is a local brand so it will not ring a bell to people outside of the country. Is it still safe to select household brand?
Many thanks in advance!
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