Ask Accepted.com : Ask Admissions Consultants - Page 4

Hi Linda,

I would greatly appreciate if you could look at my profile below and provide your comments/suggestions.

Indian, male , 27 years old and applying for matriculating class of 2017 . My profile is as follows -

Academics - GMAT 750 (Q 49 V 42) B.Tech in Electrical Engineering from a NIT in India - 8 out of 10 GPA , graduated 1st class with distinction

Work Experience - 5 years of experience in operation and retail analytics, presently senior analyst in operation analytics at one of the world's largest mutual fund and financial services institution. Have got 3 promotions and the last one in the shortest duration to be eligible for promotion. Have lead a team of 4 in my previous job .Have won numerous awards and partner appreciation awards at both places.

My work primarily deals with US retirement industry and I directly report to a VP in USA and my daily work includes insights through data analysis and statistical modeling, and helping 41 managers across India and USA for resource planning of their 450 associates. For this I have traveled to USA two times for two weeks each to work closely with my partners. Also have mentored new hires.

Extra-curriculars - Have acted and co-directed short films in college and won awards for it. Was instrumental in setting up IEEE Chapter for my college and increase member base from scratch to 50 in 2 years. Member of the corporate social service club in both my companies. Love traveling and playing soccer and table tennis

Languages - English , Bengali, Hindi, Chinese (Basic)

Goals - Although I intend to switch to IB post MBA (ideally in one of the BBs and move on to PE later), I do not have any background in finance. Hence, I have kept Consulting as a backup option as it appears as a logical next step in terms of career progression. For this reason, I have narrowed down on schools which have decent placements in both the functions - Ross, Tuck, Duke, Booth for R1 and Darden, NUS for R2.

Let me know of your opinion on my choice of schools and any other suggestion you might have. Thanks for your time.

mjk8tm wrote:Hello, I am a white, 25 year old male from New York:

1) I am an Infantry Officer in the US Army. Graduate of Ranger School. Served one year as a Platoon Leader responsible for 35 Soldiers and now serve as the Executive Officer (2nd in command) for a 100-man company. Rated in the top 10% of all Infantry Lieutenants. Will be promoted to Captain after finishing up my 4th year in the Army in May of 2017.
2) 690 (86th percentile); Q 44 (54th percentile); V 40 (91st percentile); IR 8 (92nd percentile); AWA awaiting score
3) University of Virginia; Major in Economics, Minor in Religious Studies; 3.18 GPA (but 2.7 Economics GPA); Graduated in 2013
4) President of Theta Chi Fraternity (awarded Greek Man of the Year); President of the Army ROTC Cadet Association; Student Basketball Manager for the UVA Mens Basketball team.
5) None; Army badges include Ranger, Airborne, Air Assault and Expert Infantryman Badge.
6) Northwestern, Yale, Duke, UVA, Michigan, Cornell, UCLA, Texas, Indiana, Georgetown, USC, Vanderbilt
7) R1 2016-17 (begin school fall of 2017)
8) Interested in Entrepreneurial studies and using my organizational/leadership knowledge to start my own business. Also interested in government consulting.

I just took my first GMAT today and got that score. I am concerned about my low quant score (coupled with my low grades in quantitative-like classes at UVA). Would you recommend retaking the test to shoot for a better Quant score to get into the schools I listed?

Thanks in advance!

Miles

Miles,

First of all, thank you for your service.

Miles I share your concern. Your experience is strong. Excellent leadership and true responsibility. But I'm afraid that your quant score and low grades in econ are going to cause serious concern about your ability to keep up in a demanding MBA program. For more extensive advice on addressing the low GPA and not letting it be an insurmountable hurdle on your path to the MBA and your desired career, please see accepted.com/137.

To address your main question, I strongly encourage you to retake the GMAT and raise your quant score if you want to have a serious chance of acceptance at any of your target schools, especially Northwestern, Yale, Duke, UVA, Michigan, Cornell, and UCLA . Even the others are currently stretch programs. If necessary postpone your application to R2 and get a tutor to help you with the GMAT if you previously prepped with a course. If you did self-study, then take a course. but do something different to improve the outcome.

Remember the first job of any application is to show that you can simply handle the work. I'm sorry to be discouraging, but I fear that your current stats won't give any of your target programs that confidence.
_________________

panbhl wrote:Hello

I am looking forward to apply in international MBA programs for fall 2017 session. Could you please give me insight which programs I should choose for a career in management consulting post MBA.
My Profile:
Nationality/Gender/Age - Indian/M/27
GMAT- 720 (50,38)
Academic qualification - BTech, IIT Roorkee
CGPA - 8.43/10
10th- 88%
12th- 88%

Work experience:
A total of 6.5 years experience in manufacturing an engineering sector.
Currently working as Senior Engineer in engineering department of the one of India's largest manufacturing company. This is a public sector company as well.
~6.5 years experience in thermal power plants set up, plants operations, manufacturing of various components and selection of their materials.
- Consultant to Design group for material selection
- Responsible for quality control of incoming material.
- Vendor development and material inspection.
- Review various metallurgical processes like steel making, forging, casting, weld repair, heat treatment.
- Part of material management team.
~ Done number of projects as a leader as well as member to enhance productivity or to save money for the company.
~Done a course on project management

International Exposure:
Did internship in Germany for 3 month during BTech
Worked with people from diverse nationalities and ethnic backgrounds.

Extra –Curricular activities/Achievements:
Published a research paper in an International journal of high impact factor
Won various awards in paper presentation contest during BTech
Received DAAD scholarship to pursue internship in Germany
Organized various events during college festivals.

Post MBA plans:
Work in management/strategy consulting


Kindly evaluate my profile and let me know which schools Should I target. I have shortlisted some colleges like Emory, Hass, Darden, Anderson, Tuck. Pls tell me what are the chances in these colleges and some practical colleges as well. I will also be applying for indian clgs like ISB and IIMs.



Look forward to hearing back
Thanks
Panbhl

Thanks for your post. You have a competitive profile for most of your target programs. Haas is a stretch, but the others are reasonable. Also consider Ross, Duke, Cornell Johnson, UT Austin, Vanderbilt, and Kelley.

Best,
Linda
_________________

Sinchan wrote:Hi Linda,

I would greatly appreciate if you could look at my profile below and provide your comments/suggestions.

Indian, male , 27 years old and applying for matriculating class of 2017 . My profile is as follows -

Academics - GMAT 750 (Q 49 V 42) B.Tech in Electrical Engineering from a NIT in India - 8 out of 10 GPA , graduated 1st class with distinction

Work Experience - 5 years of experience in operation and retail analytics, presently senior analyst in operation analytics at one of the world's largest mutual fund and financial services institution. Have got 3 promotions and the last one in the shortest duration to be eligible for promotion. Have lead a team of 4 in my previous job .Have won numerous awards and partner appreciation awards at both places.

My work primarily deals with US retirement industry and I directly report to a VP in USA and my daily work includes insights through data analysis and statistical modeling, and helping 41 managers across India and USA for resource planning of their 450 associates. For this I have traveled to USA two times for two weeks each to work closely with my partners. Also have mentored new hires.

Extra-curriculars - Have acted and co-directed short films in college and won awards for it. Was instrumental in setting up IEEE Chapter for my college and increase member base from scratch to 50 in 2 years. Member of the corporate social service club in both my companies. Love traveling and playing soccer and table tennis

Languages - English , Bengali, Hindi, Chinese (Basic)

Goals - Although I intend to switch to IB post MBA (ideally in one of the BBs and move on to PE later), I do not have any background in finance. Hence, I have kept Consulting as a backup option as it appears as a logical next step in terms of career progression. For this reason, I have narrowed down on schools which have decent placements in both the functions - Ross, Tuck, Duke, Booth for R1 and Darden, NUS for R2.

Let me know of your opinion on my choice of schools and any other suggestion you might have. Thanks for your time.

You have chosen your schools well, but perhaps a tad conservatively. Also consider NYU Stern, Yale, and MIT Sloan. These are more in the stretch category, but I think you have a chance at all three and each one would position you well to transition into IB or to advance in consulting/analytics.

Best,
_________________

Hi Linda,

Thank you in advance for taking the time to evaluate my profile, I appreciate it a lot.

Gender: Male
Age: 28
National origin: Middle Eastern (Iraqi). I have a pretty interesting story about my family escaping Baghdad when I was very young during the Gulf War and difficulty assimilating to American culture.

1) I'm a California barred attorney and have been working mostly contract attorney jobs for the past 2 years (several contracts). I will have 3 years full-time WE by the time I matriculate.
2) GMAT: 710 (Q:47, V:40, IR:7, AWA:6) overall percentile is 91%
3) BA degree from UC-Berkeley in political science in 2010 with a 2.8 GPA. JD degree from Thomas Jefferson School of law in 2013 and graduated cum laude (top 25%)
-low undergrad GPA is primarily due to terrible grades my first year. I have a big-time upward trend, with a 3.5 GPA in my last 40 units (120 total units). Also, my duties as a division-one baseball player made it hard to stay on top of coursework.
4) Played Division-one baseball for 3 years at UC-Berkeley. Time commitment was vast, with a lot of traveling and community work. Member of Muslim Student Association in law school.
5) CA state bar member; CFA level 1 Candidate (taking the Dec. exam)
6) McCombs, Darden, Ross, Anderson, Sloan, Fuqua, Tepper, Johnson
7) R1 for 2017 fall intake (possibly R2 for some programs)
8) Work in investment management, particularly in fixed income investment. Ultimate goal is to be a portfolio manager

Thank you so much!

Hello,

Thank you for taking out your time to respond to this. It is wonderful of you to help out candidates on an individual basis. I hope your

I am an Indian female, 26 year old.

1.
Work experience - 4+ years in advertising as a creative (2012- current). 1 year in supply chain (2011-2012)

Currently, I work in Dentsu India, a creative agency that is a part of the global advertising network - Dentsu Aegis Network. As a creative supervisor, I manage a 4-member team to create brand strategy, lead creative processes and deliver advertising campaigns for clients - ranging from Japanese mammoths such as Canon and Honda, to India's telecom giant Airtel and one of India's fastest growing F&B chains. My work has gained national visibility and media time, substantiated by revenue increase and client appreciation.

Apart from being a key stakeholder for my accounts, I am closely involved in new business pitches and direct creative excellence initiatives within the agency. I have had a good growth curve in advertising, rising to become a creative supervisor from a trainee writer in 4 years, which is faster than usual.

Before advertising, I spent a year post my undergraduate studies in the supply chain function of a well known Anglo-Dutch FMCG. I left supply chain to pursue advertising, as I felt compelled by certain experiences that a career path centred on brand building and marketing was a good fit for my skills, personality and interests.


2.
GMAT - 760
VA - 42 (96%ile)
QA - 50 (87%ile)
IR - 4 (40%ile)
AWA - Awaited

3.
National Institute of Technology, Warangal - a reputed engineering college in India.
CGPA - 7.32/10 in Chemical Engineering, Co' 2011
12th - 88.6%
10th - 82.2%

4.
I have been a passionate quizzer for many years now. In college and school, I participated in quizzing competitions and won many of them. I was an active member of the Quiz Club of my undergraduate college, served as Executive Member, Joint Secretary Additional Secretary, and was particularly invested in promoting quizzing among girls. As a executive now, I regularly participate in competitive national level corporate quizzes, and have a few podium finishes as runner-ups.

I have a few advertising awards in my kitty, including a Young Cannes shortlist.

I have been a volunteer with Young Indians, Delhi Chapter, a nonprofit platform under CII (Confederation of Indian Industry) that engages Indian youth in nation-building. I help Young Indians in the capacity of a pro-bono marketing consultant, assisting them in branding activities and digital marketing.

5.
None.

6.
Dream - INSEAD, Columbia, Haas, Tuck
Realistic (I hope) - Anderson, ISB, Rotman, HEC Paris
Not applying to Kellogg, Fuqua, Ross - rejects from last year (applied with a GMAT score of 710)

7)
Round 1
2016-2017

8)
Marketing/Brand Management role in a Fortune500. Moving from advertising to marketing makes logical sense, however I am aware that as an international candidate, I may not be the first choice for a marketing hire among many companies. Boutique marketing and brand consultancies are on my radar.


Thank you so much for taking your time to read this. Brevity is not my strongest point. I look forward to your feedback.

Regards

Hi Linda,

Here's my profile.

1) Brief description of your full-time work experience: I'm a 27 year old Canadian. I've worked in telecommunications and logistics in sales and marketing formally.
2) Your GMAT: 700 (90th percentile); V: 40 (90th percentile); Q: 47 (73 percentile); 6 AWA (90th percentile); IR 7 (81st percentile)
3) College info: I attended a top 5 university in Canada: the University of Western Ontario. I majored in business at a top 3 undergrad business program (Ivey Business School). My average was 83/100 (no GPA scale).
4) Significant college and post-college extra-curricular activities or community service, especially leadership experience: This is the biggest thing for me. I have some gaps in my resume where I went out and pursued these activities. I've lived in an ashram for 6 months, and took time off to do theatre work where I performed in front of international audiences of over 3000 people. While my professional work experience doesn't show any interest in digital health, this is the industry I am really drawn to. I'm doing part-time/volunteer work with NY Times Best Selling authors and doctors, and have taken time off to interview hundreds of doctors to help me figure out my niche. I'm also advising startups in this space pro bono to help them figure out their sales and marketing strategy. Technically, my strict number of professional work experience is 3 years, but I am not sure how to reconcile for this diversity of experience.
5) Other certifications: N/A
6) Your target programs: Cornell, Columbia, Darden (and should I go for NYU or Yale?)
7) When you plan to apply? R1 2016-17.
8) Your post-MBA goal: Working in digital health/food and wellness startup.

It is important for me to be in the North East part of the US. My fiance is from this area and we are hoping to settle in this area. That is why I am looking only at the North East part of the US.

Would love to hear your thoughts.

Thanks!

Hi Linda,

At the outset, thanks a lot for giving detailed reviews to so many of us here (have been following your posts for sometime now)

Here is a brief profile, list of target colleges, and some questions specific to Accepted counselling below:

GMAT : 710 Q49/V38
BE Information Technology. Among Top 10 Department Ranks. Graduated with Honors and Distinction from Delhi College of Engineering, University of Delhi.
GPA: 3.9

PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE
Overall Work-ex: 7 years

Adhya Crafts (A Social Enterprise comprising a NGO and a Design Studio) Oct 2012- Till Date
Founder, CEO
•Adhya Crafts is a social enterprise that works with over 100+ rural Indian artisans to preserve traditional art-forms by designing (and manufacturing) utility products which imbibe Indian heritage arts
o Founded a social enterprise – with two firms a NGO and a Design Studio (Private Limited Firm) – that works on the principle of creating social value in tandem with economic value
o Spearheaded the establishment of a factory that produces employees 20 full-time resources and manufacturing capacity of 10,00 SKUs (across 275 product types) each month
o Created an accessible luxury brand with a social message, Crafél, targeted towards urban elite to market products manufactured by Adhya Crafts
o Led in opening first store of Crafél at DLF Mall of India (India’s largest mall) – a revenue stream that is estimated to increase revenue by 150%
o Instituted a two-step recruitment process to hire effective sales representative

Pioneers Regd. Oct 2012 – Till Date
International Business Development Advisor
• Pioneers (Regd.), my family business, is India’s leading and oldest supplier of academic regalia to universities and colleges across India
• Led market expansion into international markets and expanded footprints to Dubai, Muscat, and Seychelles
o Implemented a bar code scanning system that enabled ~45% loss in reduction of robes
o Launched a digital marketing campaign –spanning various social media platforms and listing websites – that lead to creation of 15% new accounts during FY 2013–14
o Executed technological integrations – such as cloud-based content management system and order tracking, surveillance systems at manufacturing units, client feedback system

Grail Research (erstwhile member of Monitor Group) May 2010–Oct 2012
Associate (Senior Analyst)
• Received ‘Superior Performance Award for Responsibility and Commitment’ (SPARC) award for contribution towards changing certain HR Policies, Aug 2012
• Awarded the Outstanding Client Service award, for a project analyzing the socio-economic impact of security measures adopted during international sports
• Instrumental in establishing a Center of Excellence on ‘Cloud Computing’, 2012

Oracle India Pvt. Ltd, Bangalore Sept 2009–May 2010
Member Technical Staff
•Worked as a software developer in the Sustaining Engineering business unit for the Enterprise Manager (EM) product suite


VOLUNTARY WORK EXPERIENCE
Delhi Queer Pride, a social collective fighting for LGBT rights in India Dec 2013 – Till Date
• Member, Organizing Team Delhi Queer Pride Parade, the annual pride parade in Delhi
• Responsible for Social Media Marketing of Delhi Queer Pride group

Desires Unlimited, Theatre Production Society Feb 2012–Till Date
Production Manager
• Responsible to oversee the smooth functioning of various production related activities such as: publicity, public relations/business development, sponsorships, set implementation, costume/properties procurement, financial accounting, and customer experience management

Association of People with Disability (APD), NGO Nov 2009–May 2010
Volunteer
•involved in streamlining the training and placement department of Association of People with Disability (APD)
• Organized recruitment campaigns for 50 students in close coordination with the APAC Recruitment Head of Oracle India
•Set-up a sales counters in Oracle for APD.

Samarthanam, NGO Nov 2009–May 2010
Volunteer
• Volunteered to teach undergraduate visually impaired students


INTERNATIONAL PUBLICATION
‘A New Approach to Dynamic Network Routing Using Omicron Ant Colony Algorithm’ IEEE Xplore July 7, 2011

CERTIFICATIONS
• Completed ‘An Introduction to Marketing (Marketing 101)’ certification course by Wharton University of Pennsylvania, 2014
• Completed an International Diploma of Spanish - Elemental Level 2 (Diploma Internacional de Español), FIDESCU and Pontifical University of Salamanca

EXTRACURRICULAR ACTIVITIES
• Selected to represent India in the International Summit at Taiwan organized by Asia-Pacific Student Entrepreneurship Society (ASES)
• Selected from Delhi to present a paper on the ‘Role of Communication Technology and Media in Wastewater Management’ in the Youth Conference on ‘Water Management: wastewater recycling’- A Special Event at Delhi Sustainable Development Summit (D.S.D.S.)
• Event Director, SPAVe – The National Level symposium under the aegis of IEEE-DCE
• Member IEEE, Computer Society of India(CSI), Asia Pacific Student Entrepreneurship Society(ASES) by Stanford University

-----------

Target Colleges: INSEAD, LBS, Judge, IMD, IESE, Cornell One Year, Said

My Questions:
a) Do I need to retake GMAT for these colleges? (I can expect improvement but I won't be able to give GMAT before Nov end or Dec mid)
b) Is it possible to target Judge School for R2 with the help of Accepted? If yes, can you please PM me with further details.

Thanks a lot for your time

nandapankaj wrote:Hi Linda,

At the outset, thanks a lot for giving detailed reviews to so many of us here (have been following your posts for sometime now)

Here is a brief profile, list of target colleges, and some questions specific to Accepted counselling below:

GMAT : 710 Q49/V38
BE Information Technology. Among Top 10 Department Ranks. Graduated with Honors and Distinction from Delhi College of Engineering, University of Delhi.
GPA: 3.9

PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE
Overall Work-ex: 7 years

Adhya Crafts (A Social Enterprise comprising a NGO and a Design Studio) Oct 2012- Till Date
Founder, CEO
•Adhya Crafts is a social enterprise that works with over 100+ rural Indian artisans to preserve traditional art-forms by designing (and manufacturing) utility products which imbibe Indian heritage arts
o Founded a social enterprise – with two firms a NGO and a Design Studio (Private Limited Firm) – that works on the principle of creating social value in tandem with economic value
o Spearheaded the establishment of a factory that produces employees 20 full-time resources and manufacturing capacity of 10,00 SKUs (across 275 product types) each month
o Created an accessible luxury brand with a social message, Crafél, targeted towards urban elite to market products manufactured by Adhya Crafts
o Led in opening first store of Crafél at DLF Mall of India (India’s largest mall) – a revenue stream that is estimated to increase revenue by 150%
o Instituted a two-step recruitment process to hire effective sales representative

Pioneers Regd. Oct 2012 – Till Date
International Business Development Advisor
• Pioneers (Regd.), my family business, is India’s leading and oldest supplier of academic regalia to universities and colleges across India
• Led market expansion into international markets and expanded footprints to Dubai, Muscat, and Seychelles
o Implemented a bar code scanning system that enabled ~45% loss in reduction of robes
o Launched a digital marketing campaign –spanning various social media platforms and listing websites – that lead to creation of 15% new accounts during FY 2013–14
o Executed technological integrations – such as cloud-based content management system and order tracking, surveillance systems at manufacturing units, client feedback system

Grail Research (erstwhile member of Monitor Group) May 2010–Oct 2012
Associate (Senior Analyst)
• Received ‘Superior Performance Award for Responsibility and Commitment’ (SPARC) award for contribution towards changing certain HR Policies, Aug 2012
• Awarded the Outstanding Client Service award, for a project analyzing the socio-economic impact of security measures adopted during international sports
• Instrumental in establishing a Center of Excellence on ‘Cloud Computing’, 2012

Oracle India Pvt. Ltd, Bangalore Sept 2009–May 2010
Member Technical Staff
•Worked as a software developer in the Sustaining Engineering business unit for the Enterprise Manager (EM) product suite


VOLUNTARY WORK EXPERIENCE
Delhi Queer Pride, a social collective fighting for LGBT rights in India Dec 2013 – Till Date
• Member, Organizing Team Delhi Queer Pride Parade, the annual pride parade in Delhi
• Responsible for Social Media Marketing of Delhi Queer Pride group

Desires Unlimited, Theatre Production Society Feb 2012–Till Date
Production Manager
• Responsible to oversee the smooth functioning of various production related activities such as: publicity, public relations/business development, sponsorships, set implementation, costume/properties procurement, financial accounting, and customer experience management

Association of People with Disability (APD), NGO Nov 2009–May 2010
Volunteer
•involved in streamlining the training and placement department of Association of People with Disability (APD)
• Organized recruitment campaigns for 50 students in close coordination with the APAC Recruitment Head of Oracle India
•Set-up a sales counters in Oracle for APD.

Samarthanam, NGO Nov 2009–May 2010
Volunteer
• Volunteered to teach undergraduate visually impaired students


INTERNATIONAL PUBLICATION
‘A New Approach to Dynamic Network Routing Using Omicron Ant Colony Algorithm’ IEEE Xplore July 7, 2011

CERTIFICATIONS
• Completed ‘An Introduction to Marketing (Marketing 101)’ certification course by Wharton University of Pennsylvania, 2014
• Completed an International Diploma of Spanish - Elemental Level 2 (Diploma Internacional de Español), FIDESCU and Pontifical University of Salamanca

EXTRACURRICULAR ACTIVITIES
• Selected to represent India in the International Summit at Taiwan organized by Asia-Pacific Student Entrepreneurship Society (ASES)
• Selected from Delhi to present a paper on the ‘Role of Communication Technology and Media in Wastewater Management’ in the Youth Conference on ‘Water Management: wastewater recycling’- A Special Event at Delhi Sustainable Development Summit (D.S.D.S.)
• Event Director, SPAVe – The National Level symposium under the aegis of IEEE-DCE
• Member IEEE, Computer Society of India(CSI), Asia Pacific Student Entrepreneurship Society(ASES) by Stanford University

-----------

Target Colleges: INSEAD, LBS, Judge, IMD, IESE, Cornell One Year, Said

My Questions:
a) Do I need to retake GMAT for these colleges? (I can expect improvement but I won't be able to give GMAT before Nov end or Dec mid)
b) Is it possible to target Judge School for R2 with the help of Accepted? If yes, can you please PM me with further details.

Thanks a lot for your time

Hi Nanda,

Thanks for your post. to answer your questions:

a) A higher GMAT would probably help you particularly at INSEAD, LBS and Cornell, and it certainly wouldn't hurt at the other programs on your list. I'm not sure that it's a necessity, but it certainly won't hurt.
b) yes. We'd be delighted to help you. I'll PM you.

Linda
_________________

Hi Linda,

Thanks for doing this!
I am a 26 year old Indian male with an Engineering degree from one of the IITs. I am looking to apply in R2 2016-17 and by April 2017 i will have a work experience of 4.5 years.

1) I am working as an Engineer for a large oil and gas services company since the last 4 years. I have worked in around 10 countries across all 6 habitable continents for the same company. Lots to talk about leadership, teamwork and diversity as part of my job.
2) I have been highly involved in the Health, Safety and Environment program in my job including an appointed leader title.
3) GMAT score - 730 ( 96 percentile ) : Q49 (77 percentile) : V40 (91 percentile)
4) Engineering graduate from one of the IITs with CGPA 7.74/10.
5) I have been part of my high school and university sports teams. I was also a part of my junior state sports team when I was in school.
6) Post MBA i want to work as a management consultant with focus on the energy sector.

My target programs are full time MBAs at Wharton, Sloan and Booth. HBS and GSB are my dream schools where i am very tempted to apply as well. What would be my chances at these programs being from this over represented group ?
Should i resit for the GMAT ( especially disappointed with the quant score - all my GMAT prep scores were 50-51) ?

Thanks again!
Regards

Hi there,

Could you please review my profile and provide your insights and opinions regarding chances of mine to be admitted to the schools listed below. Thanks in advance for your valuable insights.

Harvard Business School
Stanford Graduate School of Business
MIT Sloan School of Management
Haas School of Business

I'm 30 years old executive from Azerbaijan, Baku. I believe the name of my country might tell nothing since it used to be part of the Soviet Union and located far away from USA to which I would like to take my journey. Moreover, it is just small:) Yet I believe it might enhance my profile because there have been few applications for top MBA programmes from my motherland.

As for my work experience, currently I'm Director of Development Company and, at the same time, Chief Strategy Officer of the parent company which has activities in following spheres: real estate development, publishing house, and largest printing company in Caucasus. Previously I had been working in telecom for almost 10 years and was CEO of the biggest Pay TV in Azerbaijan in terms of footprint of its broadcasting network prior to joining Baku European Games Operations Committee (BEGOC) which was established with a sole purpose of organization of the first ever European Games. Before that, I managed the nation-wide project regarding deployment of digital terrestrial television network and simultaneously worked as Head of Business Development of the company in charge of this project, which then was the part of the biggest Telecom Group in Azerbaijan which had two mobile operators and other telecom and IT companies in the Group.
In parallel, I have had some start-up experience (I developed First Pay Radio Project in Azerbaijan (although it didn't become a full-fledged company) and consulted start-ups in the sphere of fin-tech, retail, media, and education).

On top of that, I fluently speak 4 languages: Azerbaijani (native), Russian, Turkish, and English.

Why do I want to get an MBA degree? In essence, unlike dozens MBA candidates (no offense intended to brilliant MBA candidates out there for whom I wish nothing but best), for me MBA is not as much about increase in salary or the honing of my management skills and the acquiring of knowledge, as about overall experience it provides. It is like a destination you want to travel and constant immersion in environment where you will be part of something significant whether it is people, projects, or new knowledge. As for my post-MBA plans, I want to pursue my journey in in some start-ups or venture capital firms or companies which is trying to have an impact on as much people as possible like Tesla, SpaceX, and the like.

Below are my scores:

IELTS score - 7.5
GMAT - 650/76%
Verbal - 38/85%
Quantitative 41/48%.

As for references, I can provide references from peoples ranging from the former minister (of the ministry I worked with on some projects) to current CEO of the Group I work in and Deputy CEO of one of the biggest banks in Azerbaijan.

I believe that my sub-par quantitative score (which is result, based on my CAT experience, of silly mistakes and bad time-management) may make admission committee raise eyebrows and may result in my application being rejected and, therefore, I would like to know how I can strengthen my overall profile.

Thanks once again in advance.

FaRiKo wrote:Hi there,

Could you please review my profile and provide your insights and opinions regarding chances of mine to be admitted to the schools listed below. Thanks in advance for your valuable insights.

Harvard Business School
Stanford Graduate School of Business
MIT Sloan School of Management
Haas School of Business

I'm 30 years old executive from Azerbaijan, Baku. I believe the name of my country might tell nothing since it used to be part of the Soviet Union and located far away from USA to which I would like to take my journey. Moreover, it is just small:) Yet I believe it might enhance my profile because there have been few applications for top MBA programmes from my motherland.

As for my work experience, currently I'm Director of Development Company and, at the same time, Chief Strategy Officer of the parent company which has activities in following spheres: real estate development, publishing house, and largest printing company in Caucasus. Previously I had been working in telecom for almost 10 years and was CEO of the biggest Pay TV in Azerbaijan in terms of footprint of its broadcasting network prior to joining Baku European Games Operations Committee (BEGOC) which was established with a sole purpose of organization of the first ever European Games. Before that, I managed the nation-wide project regarding deployment of digital terrestrial television network and simultaneously worked as Head of Business Development of the company in charge of this project, which then was the part of the biggest Telecom Group in Azerbaijan which had two mobile operators and other telecom and IT companies in the Group.
In parallel, I have had some start-up experience (I developed First Pay Radio Project in Azerbaijan (although it didn't become a full-fledged company) and consulted start-ups in the sphere of fin-tech, retail, media, and education).

On top of that, I fluently speak 4 languages: Azerbaijani (native), Russian, Turkish, and English.

Why do I want to get an MBA degree? In essence, unlike dozens MBA candidates (no offense intended to brilliant MBA candidates out there for whom I wish nothing but best), for me MBA is not as much about increase in salary or the honing of my management skills and the acquiring of knowledge, as about overall experience it provides. It is like a destination you want to travel and constant immersion in environment where you will be part of something significant whether it is people, projects, or new knowledge. As for my post-MBA plans, I want to pursue my journey in in some start-ups or venture capital firms or companies which is trying to have an impact on as much people as possible like Tesla, SpaceX, and the like.

Below are my scores:

IELTS score - 7.5
GMAT - 650/76%
Verbal - 38/85%
Quantitative 41/48%.

As for references, I can provide references from peoples ranging from the former minister (of the ministry I worked with on some projects) to current CEO of the Group I work in and Deputy CEO of one of the biggest banks in Azerbaijan.

I believe that my sub-par quantitative score (which is result, based on my CAT experience, of silly mistakes and bad time-management) may make admission committee raise eyebrows and may result in my application being rejected and, therefore, I would like to know how I can strengthen my overall profile.

Thanks once again in advance.

I have heard of Azerbaijan and believe we even have had clients from there, and I agree that coming from Azerbaijan is distinctive.

I also agree that your quant score will raise highbrows and cause concern. You didn't tell me anything about your undergraduate experience. Where did you go to school? How were your grades? How were your grades in quantitative subjects?

Also, if you think you can raise your quant score, are you willing to retake?

Regards,
Linda Abraham
_________________

TakingGMAT1 wrote:Hi Linda,

Thanks for doing this!
I am a 26 year old Indian male with an Engineering degree from one of the IITs. I am looking to apply in R2 2016-17 and by April 2017 i will have a work experience of 4.5 years.

1) I am working as an Engineer for a large oil and gas services company since the last 4 years. I have worked in around 10 countries across all 6 habitable continents for the same company. Lots to talk about leadership, teamwork and diversity as part of my job.
2) I have been highly involved in the Health, Safety and Environment program in my job including an appointed leader title.
3) GMAT score - 730 ( 96 percentile ) : Q49 (77 percentile) : V40 (91 percentile)
4) Engineering graduate from one of the IITs with CGPA 7.74/10.
5) I have been part of my high school and university sports teams. I was also a part of my junior state sports team when I was in school.
6) Post MBA i want to work as a management consultant with focus on the energy sector.

My target programs are full time MBAs at Wharton, Sloan and Booth. HBS and GSB are my dream schools where i am very tempted to apply as well. What would be my chances at these programs being from this over represented group ?
Should i resit for the GMAT ( especially disappointed with the quant score - all my GMAT prep scores were 50-51) ?

Thanks again!
Regards

Hi Taking GMAT1,

A higher GMAT score never hurt anyone, but I also think that scores of over 730 rarely will get someone in at the schools you are aiming for. Given that you are an engineer, I don't think you have to retake, but if you raise your score it can possibly increase your chances of scholarships and grants.

You have a competitive profile for your target schools if you can show leadership and fit with each program. I also suggest you consider Duke Fuqua, Ross, INSEAD, and Kellogg. You are from an over-represented group as you say and that creates challenges. Please see https://reports.accepted.com/against_the ... applicants for advice with how to deal with the challenges .

Best,
Linda
_________________

Hello Linda,

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

Hey! Was hoping for feedback regarding my profile as I’m planning to apply to ISB R2 2017.

Work ex: 1 year local small-scale startup, 2.5 years EY Internal audit,

GMAT score:730 (2nd attempt), Acads: Bachelor of Business Studies-68.5%, class XII commerce-85%,

Extra curriculars: love reading/ writing/ calligraphy. Others: female, no awards/ accolades/ extra curricular activities to boast of.

Given my 'plain jane' profile, what are my chances? Would be SO grateful if you could analyse my profile and guide me as to what i can do to bolster my application. Thanks in advance!

Hi Accepted.com

Could you please help me in evaluating my profile?

Indian male
GMAT Score 700 Q49V35 IR5, AWA 5

X th : 92.4% out of 100%
XIIth : 94.6% out of 100%
Undergraduated ( NIT Hamirpur) : 8.51 out of 10 on CGPA scale.

Work Experience : 3 years+ in sales & marketing analytics
1. Business Associate in Sales and Marketing firm
2. Leading a team of 4 and in dialogue with clients on a regular basis.

Not impressive extra-curriculars

Target Schools : Kelley, Purdue, Tepper, Kenan-Flagler, Johnson, UCLA Anderson and other 10-20 ranked schools.
--------------------------------------------------------------------

I have applied to Kelley and Purdue in R1 but I am not sure of if I'll get the interview call. I am now comptemplating of waiting for one more year to improve on my GMAT score and profile in terms of work-experience, and extra-curricular activities.

Is it worth waiting for one more year to try for my target schools or settling for a lower ranked school (if I get selected this time) would be just fine given that my primary focus is job opportunities after MBA??

Best
Naval

Dear Accepted,

Please help to evaluate my profile and my chances:


Profile:

Nationality: Chinese

Age: 28 (10 years in Hong Kong , 8 years UK, 5 years Singapore, 5 years China)

Undergraduate Studies: London School of Economics- History and International Relations, upper second class honors

GMAT: 700 (Q49, V35) - although this score does not accurately reflect my quant and verbal skills, I avoided maths and engaged in literature subjects as much as I can since high school

Work Experience:

1. 2009-2014: 5 years at a large physical commodity trading company in Singapore
- 2 years operations and logistics for China market
- 3 years managing FOB key accounts and East Asia market, daily production management and position hedging

2. 2014-2016: Arts and design centre in Beijing
a) Assistant project manager for a government initiated urban regeneration program in the old town of Beijing, facilitating between 9 large international architect firms and local government authorities
- 2014-15 large scale exhibition on concepts and theories for gentrification, exhibits coming from 9 top global architect firms
- 2015-16 physical transition and implementation from exhibited theories- complete makeover and regeneration of a road in the old town of Beijing, including new infrastructural facilities, new pavement and greening, new designer buildings, fixing old buildings, facade upgrade, etc.

b) part of a 5-person team that set up a fine dining restaurant in Beijing that was subsequently ranked top 3 by food&wine magazine, and vote best new restaurant by several prestigious magazines. Responsibilities included everything from setting up kitchen and front of house to the hiring and training of staff.

Hobbies and extra-curricular
- High degree of interest in F&B and culinary culture, spent 4 months between Singapore and Beijing travelling and taking cooking courses. Volunteered to participate in the restaurant project and was able to put my passion to good use.
- Part time English editor for local magazines in Beijing, freelance translator (also why I’m appalled by my GMAT verbal score)

Target schools: Standard, Harvard, CBS, HAAS

Goals after MBA-
- engage in entrepreneurial projects related to the consumer sector, but working with a global mindset
- foster international collaborations and opportunities between China and the world
- continue to engage in meaningful and intellectually engaging contemporary issues

Thank you for your time

navalgupta39 wrote:Hi Accepted.com

Could you please help me in evaluating my profile?

Indian male
GMAT Score 700 Q49V35 IR5, AWA 5

X th : 92.4% out of 100%
XIIth : 94.6% out of 100%
Undergraduated ( NIT Hamirpur) : 8.51 out of 10 on CGPA scale.

Work Experience : 3 years+ in sales & marketing analytics
1. Business Associate in Sales and Marketing firm
2. Leading a team of 4 and in dialogue with clients on a regular basis.

Not impressive extra-curriculars

Target Schools : Kelley, Purdue, Tepper, Kenan-Flagler, Johnson, UCLA Anderson and other 10-20 ranked schools.
--------------------------------------------------------------------

I have applied to Kelley and Purdue in R1 but I am not sure of if I'll get the interview call. I am now comptemplating of waiting for one more year to improve on my GMAT score and profile in terms of work-experience, and extra-curricular activities.

Is it worth waiting for one more year to try for my target schools or settling for a lower ranked school (if I get selected this time) would be just fine given that my primary focus is job opportunities after MBA??

Best
Naval

Naval,

Your profile is competitive at Kelley and Purdue, K-F, Johnson, and Anderson are probably stretch programs.

I really can't comment on the wisdom of waiting and retaking the GMAT. you obviously don't know for sure if you can raise your GMAT. If you are accepted at these programs and they support your goals, I doubt if it would make sense to give up a bird in hand for the hoped for better "bird," which requires a significant increase in your GMAT score.
_________________

01chengm wrote:Dear Accepted,

Please help to evaluate my profile and my chances:


Profile:

Nationality: Chinese

Age: 28 (10 years in Hong Kong , 8 years UK, 5 years Singapore, 5 years China)

Undergraduate Studies: London School of Economics- History and International Relations, upper second class honors

GMAT: 700 (Q49, V35) - although this score does not accurately reflect my quant and verbal skills, I avoided maths and engaged in literature subjects as much as I can since high school

Work Experience:

1. 2009-2014: 5 years at a large physical commodity trading company in Singapore
- 2 years operations and logistics for China market
- 3 years managing FOB key accounts and East Asia market, daily production management and position hedging

2. 2014-2016: Arts and design centre in Beijing
a) Assistant project manager for a government initiated urban regeneration program in the old town of Beijing, facilitating between 9 large international architect firms and local government authorities
- 2014-15 large scale exhibition on concepts and theories for gentrification, exhibits coming from 9 top global architect firms
- 2015-16 physical transition and implementation from exhibited theories- complete makeover and regeneration of a road in the old town of Beijing, including new infrastructural facilities, new pavement and greening, new designer buildings, fixing old buildings, facade upgrade, etc.

b) part of a 5-person team that set up a fine dining restaurant in Beijing that was subsequently ranked top 3 by food&wine magazine, and vote best new restaurant by several prestigious magazines. Responsibilities included everything from setting up kitchen and front of house to the hiring and training of staff.

Hobbies and extra-curricular
- High degree of interest in F&B and culinary culture, spent 4 months between Singapore and Beijing travelling and taking cooking courses. Volunteered to participate in the restaurant project and was able to put my passion to good use.
- Part time English editor for local magazines in Beijing, freelance translator (also why I’m appalled by my GMAT verbal score)

Target schools: Standard, Harvard, CBS, HAAS

Goals after MBA-
- engage in entrepreneurial projects related to the consumer sector, but working with a global mindset
- foster international collaborations and opportunities between China and the world
- continue to engage in meaningful and intellectually engaging contemporary issues

Thank you for your time

Do you think you can raise your verbal GMAT score? If you can, i suggest you do that ASAP. Your current score is a significant hurdle at your target schools.

Another option, focus now on the apps and take the GMAT as soon as possible after all apps are in and you can be confident of a higher score. Most of the schools will not consider the higher test score, but perhaps one or two will. And of course you will be well-situated for a reapplication effort if that score better reflects your ability.

If you would like help with your applications, please see https://www.accepted.com/mba/services .

Linda
_________________

Dear Accepted,

Can you please evaluate my profile,

27 year old Indian Male.

1. Work Experience :
5.5 years of international work experience, working in oil and gas service segment. I have worked in more than 15 countries during this time period.
Was part of a fast track program, that gives you experience to all the different domains of oil and gas field. Was promoted three times during this period.

GMAT/GRE score:
760 (99 percentile), Quant 51 ( 99 percentile) and Verbal 41 ( 94 percentile).

College info:.
Bachelor of Technology in Electrical Engineering from Indian Institute of Technology Roorkee, GPA ( 9.053/10 equivalent to GPA 4.0 on a scale of 4).

Significant college and post-college extra-curricular activities or community service, especially leadership experience.
President Literary magazine of IIT Roorkee, Organizing Secretary Hobbies club festival, Vice - Chairman, Electrical Engineering Students' Society. Winner of IIT Roorkee Heritage award year 2010.
Leader of loss prevention team a site specific organization to prevent and mitigate QHSE losses.
Helped build 200 houses for earthquake affected families in Nepal in 2015 ( I don't have any certificate for this).

Important certifications:
Lean Level 3 ( green belt)
Leading and Managing People
Quality, Heath Safety and Environment for Supervisors.


Target programs:
Top 5 universities, Harvard, Sloan, Wharton, Kellogg and Stanford.

Plan to apply: Here is the dilemma, Should i apply for round 2 this year or round 1 next year. I took the GMAT two days ago, i know the time is a bit on the shorter side, what would you recommend?


Post-MBA goal.
Moving from Oil and gas service segment to operations side of business or use my operational knowledge to move into more operation oriented businesses.


Regards,

Ankur