A humble request for Profile Evaluation - Pakistani - 35 - Male : Ask Personal MBA Coach

· Demographics: 35 y/o male from Pakistan

· Education: Forman Christian College University (one of the top universities of the country), majored in economics and sociology. GPA: 2.7
( Problem: I have a low GPA )

· GMAT score: 710

· Work experience: ( 9 - 10 Years )
Founder and Enrepreneur
I was the the founder of the Country's first Intelligent Ad Delivery System for DOOH (Digital out of home advertising) company. Dynamic Ads based on facial recognition - had a google analytics based interface for digtial outdoor media - Was selected for the MIT global entrepeneurship bootcamp in 2017 based on this startup - company was also incubated at top incubators of the country.
Founder and CEO of Urban Deli, A Bread and Bread Essentials Company. Started with my brother and brother in law and fast forward, now it is a medium sized company having 50 - 60 employees.
Prior to that, was working in the media / PR Industry.

Achievements:
A. I was among the only two Pakistanis who were selected for the MIT global entrepreneurship bootcamp in 2017.
B. Thought Leader In The Industry. Several of my articles have been published in Pakistan's top news papers and advertising publications about Entrepreneurship and Digital Marketing. For reference, please see following links: ( Cannot Post Links Because I am a new member ).
pakistantoday. pk/author/tayyab-tariq-narula/
dawn. /authors/3620/tayyab-tariq
dawn. /authors/7743/tayyab-tariq
C. Was a student leader in my university - Was the first person to initiate the student government and its constitution in consultation with university administration. ( Back then in Pakistan , there was a ban on student unions in the country due to dicatorship against which we worked aggressively for our fundamental democratic rights.) - Althought nothing related to business but just shows leadership potential in other areas of life.
D. Did several fundraising efforts for victims of internally displaced persons due to taliban insurgency, floods in 2010 and so on - Community Efforts.
E. President of Sociology Society and Winner Of University Wide Urdu Essay Competition

· Extracurricular activities: Finance Secretary of an NGO which focuses on ensuring education for street children in Pakistan. Member of Rotary Club, Lahore.

Why I want to have an MBA / Want to Change my Career despite being an entrepreneur / CEO of my family owned company ?

A. I have always been curious about learning. I want to have an MBA to learn more about business and entrpreneurship. Learn best practices in business from the best business schools as well as the potentially best peer and teacher network. Want to gain exposure. I have always been interested in Tech sector / Consulting as I love to work with innovations or solve business problems.

B. Want to settle down in North America / Europe and be strongly linked with technology / consulting sector. Want to contribute meaningfully in the new digital world. The economic conditions of Pakistan provide a bleak picture in near future as well as long term.

· Post-MBA goals: Work within consulting in the US/EU regions. Plan B: To Plan in the financial industry as an invesment or in venture capital.

· Target schools: Europe: INSEAD / HEC / LBS / IESE / University Of Erasmus, Rotterdam Business School
USA: Tuck, Fuqua, Wharton, Stanford, MIT, Ross, Kellog, Cornell, Stern, Harvard

· Additional info: I am also planning to take the mba math course from mbamath. Along with that, I might start the micromasters in finance offered by MIT at Edx.

Would appreciate your insights on:
1. Given my low GPA and my age factor (35 ), would Europe be a better destination for me for having an MBA or would USA be a better destination ? I have heard that European Business Schools are more forgiving for the age factor compared to the US Business Schools.
2. Would a one year MBA better for me or would a two year mba better for me ?
2. My chances at the target schools mentioned above. Do I have more chances at European Business Schools compared to US Business Schools ?
3. What can I do to further improve my odds at the aforementioned schools ?
4. Which schools suit my profile more (in terms of greater chances of getting in) ?

Thankyou!

Hello tayyab2022

Thank you for your post. Were there any extenuating circumstances that may have affected your academic performance in college? If so, it would be a good idea to write an optional essay to give admission committees some context – Personal MBA Coach has previously shared tips on how approach optional essays, make sure to check them out.

Furthermore, it may be a good idea to work a bit more on your GMAT score – this way, you can demonstrate that your GPA is not an accurate representation of your academic ability. For tips on how to maximize your GMAT score, read out latest blog.

Europe would be good to look at given your age and also one year MBA programs. I would think of some full-time EMBA programs too. As far as the schools you listed, it would be helpful to see a full resume before evaluating but I would advise you to focus a little more outside of the M7 than the M7 itself at this stage.

Regards,

Personal MBA Coach

tayyab2022 wrote:· Demographics: 35 y/o male from Pakistan

· Education: Forman Christian College University (one of the top universities of the country), majored in economics and sociology. GPA: 2.7
( Problem: I have a low GPA )

· GMAT score: 710

· Work experience: ( 9 - 10 Years )
Founder and Enrepreneur
I was the the founder of the Country's first Intelligent Ad Delivery System for DOOH (Digital out of home advertising) company. Dynamic Ads based on facial recognition - had a google analytics based interface for digtial outdoor media - Was selected for the MIT global entrepeneurship bootcamp in 2017 based on this startup - company was also incubated at top incubators of the country.
Founder and CEO of Urban Deli, A Bread and Bread Essentials Company. Started with my brother and brother in law and fast forward, now it is a medium sized company having 50 - 60 employees.
Prior to that, was working in the media / PR Industry.

Achievements:
A. I was among the only two Pakistanis who were selected for the MIT global entrepreneurship bootcamp in 2017.
B. Thought Leader In The Industry. Several of my articles have been published in Pakistan's top news papers and advertising publications about Entrepreneurship and Digital Marketing. For reference, please see following links: ( Cannot Post Links Because I am a new member ).
pakistantoday. pk/author/tayyab-tariq-narula/
dawn. /authors/3620/tayyab-tariq
dawn. /authors/7743/tayyab-tariq
C. Was a student leader in my university - Was the first person to initiate the student government and its constitution in consultation with university administration. ( Back then in Pakistan , there was a ban on student unions in the country due to dicatorship against which we worked aggressively for our fundamental democratic rights.) - Althought nothing related to business but just shows leadership potential in other areas of life.
D. Did several fundraising efforts for victims of internally displaced persons due to taliban insurgency, floods in 2010 and so on - Community Efforts.
E. President of Sociology Society and Winner Of University Wide Urdu Essay Competition

· Extracurricular activities: Finance Secretary of an NGO which focuses on ensuring education for street children in Pakistan. Member of Rotary Club, Lahore.

Why I want to have an MBA / Want to Change my Career despite being an entrepreneur / CEO of my family owned company ?

A. I have always been curious about learning. I want to have an MBA to learn more about business and entrpreneurship. Learn best practices in business from the best business schools as well as the potentially best peer and teacher network. Want to gain exposure. I have always been interested in Tech sector / Consulting as I love to work with innovations or solve business problems.

B. Want to settle down in North America / Europe and be strongly linked with technology / consulting sector. Want to contribute meaningfully in the new digital world. The economic conditions of Pakistan provide a bleak picture in near future as well as long term.

· Post-MBA goals: Work within consulting in the US/EU regions. Plan B: To Plan in the financial industry as an invesment or in venture capital.

· Target schools: Europe: INSEAD / HEC / LBS / IESE / University Of Erasmus, Rotterdam Business School
USA: Tuck, Fuqua, Wharton, Stanford, MIT, Ross, Kellog, Cornell, Stern, Harvard

· Additional info: I am also planning to take the mba math course from mbamath. Along with that, I might start the micromasters in finance offered by MIT at Edx.

Would appreciate your insights on:
1. Given my low GPA and my age factor (35 ), would Europe be a better destination for me for having an MBA or would USA be a better destination ? I have heard that European Business Schools are more forgiving for the age factor compared to the US Business Schools.
2. Would a one year MBA better for me or would a two year mba better for me ?
2. My chances at the target schools mentioned above. Do I have more chances at European Business Schools compared to US Business Schools ?
3. What can I do to further improve my odds at the aforementioned schools ?
4. Which schools suit my profile more (in terms of greater chances of getting in) ?

Thankyou!

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