Ask MBA Admit - Dr. Shel Watts : Ask Admissions Consultants - Page 12

Hello everyone!

I have received emails at my website asking that I begin to post blogs here again. Sorry for the absence! We tend to correspond with many candidates via the profile evaluations they submit on our website... We have also been posting blogs in other locations on GMAT Club. I will submit some of those blogs here also. I will focus on posting a blend of EMBA and FT blogs...

We're wishing everyone the best in the admissions process!

Take care,
Dr. Shel
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As I am sure you have noticed, the clock is ticking and the 2019-2020 Wharton full-time program's Round 2 admissions deadline is coming up quickly. You are not alone if you procrastinated finishing your Wharton essays, reasoning that during your winter break you would have dedicated time for truly focusing on them. Now that you have finished some of your holiday celebrations, you may have found yourself sitting down before your Wharton essays and going into a panic, feeling the essays are far from an outstanding quality.

You are not alone; many candidates have been in those shoes. They have been able to turn things around, even with days to go before the deadline.

For most candidates, Wharton Essay 2 is the question that has them most concerned. Have I chosen the right topic? Is this simply supposed to be personal-topic essay since the topic is not supposed to be represented elsewhere in the application? Is my tone okay? These are among the questions candidates ask.

Essay 2 reads: "Describe an impactful experience or accomplishment that is not reflected elsewhere in your application. How will you use what you learned through that experience to contribute to the Wharton community? (400 words)"

One piece of advice: remember that your topic choice should help advance you to admission. In most cases, if you introduce a personal story it should focus-in ultimately on values and strengths you developed that have borne fruit in your life and will help you contribute at Wharton, not simply tell us about your upbringing.

We have also found that the topic you write about can be on the resume, but just not elaborated on at great length. So, if you were sent for a month to a foreign country with your company and it is noted on the resume with sparse details, that is still a topic you can use in Essay 2. In Essay 2, you would be elaborating on details you have not presented elsewhere, which satisfies the question.

Just remember, whatever topic you choose should convey information that advances you to admission: you want the admissions committee to read your essays and become convinced you would be a great candidate to interview. You do not want them to finish your essays and then have to scour the rest of the application trying to convince themselves there is sufficient reason to interview you.

The essays are very important! Use them excellently.
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6 Weeks to Wharton EMBA Final Deadline (Feb 5): How to Prepare

The second and last of Wharton's deadlines for the 2019-2020 EMBA admissions cycle is on February 5, 2020 – only six weeks away. You have plenty to do to prepare for a successful admissions outcome. Since many candidates will try to use their winter break from work to prepare their applications, we are providing below key steps to take in the six weeks you have before the deadline.

Special Timing Considerations Due to the Winter Break Period
(end-December through early January):

During the end of December and early January, many recommendation writers are unavailable. Additionally, Wharton will be closed for much of that time and unavailable to offer class visits and interviews. Since you may be limited during the winter break period in your ability to contact your recommenders and engage with Wharton, you should push other elements of your application preparation forward, so that when the winter break period ends, you are not left “cramming” all of the work into the four-week period before the Round 2 deadline. By making good progress with your essays and standardized test preparation, after the winter break period you will be able to focus on other elements, like your interview and campus visit. After the winter break, you can also re-take your Executive Assessment or GMAT test, if needed, and work with your recommendation writers to ensure they get your recommendations drafted and submitted on time. To pace yourself well, you can consider timing like this in your preparations:

During the Winter Break Period (end-December through early January):

Draft Winning Essays. Wharton is one of the hardest EMBA programs to access, so you need to present an outstanding application. Among the most important application components are your essays and recommendations. You should allot ample time to brainstorm and compose outstanding essays. The essays represent your marketing package, so use them excellently!

Revise Your Resume – Make it a Winning Application Resume. Through its website, Wharton asks you to send in your resume and offers to give you feedback, based on your resume, about whether you will be a good Wharton EMBA candidate. Don’t just send any resume in to the Admissions Committee for feedback. Remember, if you send your resume in for feedback, you are making a first impression – and first impressions last! Make sure to revise and strengthen your resume so that it is outstanding and presents you in the best light, demonstrating strengths in the ways Wharton most values, so that you get off to a great start.

Prepare for Your Executive Assessment (EA) Exam or GMAT Test. Most candidates prefer to take the EA rather than the GMAT, since it takes significantly less time to prepare for the EA. Wharton prefers to see an EA score around 158 or higher, with a quant score of at least 12. (They have set this EA bar much higher than two years ago, when they indicated a score of 150 was fine.) A GMAT score of 680 or higher is usually fine. (A GMAT score between 630-670 can sometimes be sufficient, depending on the strength of the candidate's work history and academic achievements. But, in general, 680 or higher is safer.)

Strengthen Your Record. Preparing for admissions can include building up your record academically or in the extracurricular arena, if you have weak credentials in either. Make sure to gain a solid understanding of whether you have notable weak spots in your profile and how to best address them before you submit your application. Yes, it is possible to strengthen your profile with only six weeks to go before the deadline.

In January 2020, During the Four Weeks Before the R2 Deadline:

Reach Out to Recommendation Writers. You should reach out as early as possible to your recommendation writers and ensure they compose outstanding recommendations in time for the deadline. Take the time to consider who will be the best writers for you. Who can write a glowing recommendation that conveys deep details about your strengths as a businessperson and leader? Once you decide, you should reach out to the writers, secure their commitment to write for you, and guide them about what a great recommendation letter looks like. If your recommendation writers are available during the winter break period, all the better.

Prepare for Your Formal Interview and Class Visit. The Wharton admissions process includes a formal interview, and Wharton likes for candidates to do this interview before they submit their applications. The interview is very important: candidates can get eliminated from consideration after the interview if things go poorly. We typically advise candidates not to schedule the formal Wharton interview until after we have worked to revise their resumes and compose at least the first essay (about career goals and “why Wharton”), so they understand the positioning they should take in the interview. We also want candidates to be aware of what to say and not say in the Wharton interview. Certain things, if said during the interview, can motivate the Admissions Committee to reject you. Prepare well for your interview!

Engage with the School. Your admissions journey should also include attending information sessions or webinars and reaching out to current students and alumni members. You should demonstrate interest in the program beyond merely reading the program website.
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HBS Essay: “I’m Stuck!!!” Don’t Panic… Some Advice

As I am sure you have noticed, the clock is tick tick ticking and the final HBS admissions deadline for 2019-2020 is zooming up. You are not alone if you procrastinated finishing your HBS essay, reasoning that during your winter break you would have quality time to truly focus on it. Now that you have finished some of your holiday celebrations, you may have found yourself sitting down before your essay and, as you read what might feel like a very unpolished, very unstructured essay, your panic may have begun to set in.

You are not alone. Many candidates have been in those shoes and turned things around, even with days to go before the deadline. What advice can help guide you to improve your essay drastically in the days you have left before the HBS Round 2 deadline?

Our longer blog (link below) reflects the number one piece of advice. It addresses the main mistake many candidates make when addressing Harvard’s open-ended question that reads, “As we review your application, what more would you like us to know as we consider your candidacy for the Harvard Business School MBA Program? No word limit.”

What is that number one mistake? Rambling!

Rambling can take many forms, such as aimlessness, wordiness, content flow that does not make sense, topics that are poorly blended together – usually a combination of all the above! This is the sort of rambling that leaves the reader uttering, “Huh?” Unfortunately, if you leave the admissions reader with the sense that you did not put adequate time into composing the essay, that will not bode well for your admissions success.

What is our advice about how to strengthen a less-than-ideal essay this close to the deadline? There are two key steps.

First, make a self-constructed prompt to guide you as you write. Make sure you are composing an essay that answers that prompt. This is the advice from our longer blog:

When an essay topic is as open-ended as Harvard’s this year, some candidates make the mistake of constructing an essay that wanders in too many directions, rambles in parts and is not coherent. One way to help ensure you write a strong essay is to determine your own essay prompt. Thinking about what that prompt is can help you create a theme that permeates the whole essay. You may end up mentioning a mixture of professional, academic and extracurricular successes, and that is fine. But they should not be clumped together in a scattered sort of way. Flesh out what your theme is. For instance, a successful essay might present topics that reflect the theme, “This is what has influenced me to be who I am today.” Alternatively, a successful essay might reflect themes such as, “These are the things that motivate my future goals,” or “This is who I intend to be in 10 years,” or “This is my personal story and why my passion for my profession is so deep.” The possibilities go on. With such a potentially long essay, make sure your essay holds together well.

Second, get objective feedback about your essay and use that to refine the essay. You may have numerous friends who were admitted into the very best schools like Harvard and Stanford, and perhaps they can give some useful feedback. You can also reach out to an experienced consultant who has worked with thousands of applicants to get guidance about your essay. Some companies offer a service in which they will read your essay and provide a feedback session or a round of editing for a reasonable fee.

Here is the link to our longer blog that addresses how to approach the HBS essay:
https://gmatclub.com/forum/hbs-single-e ... 98196.html

Good luck as you write!
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Columbia EMBA NY-Saturdays Deadline 5 Weeks Away: How to Prepare

Columbia Business School’s NY-Saturdays EMBA program has its final submission deadline for the 2019-2020 admissions cycle on February 8, 2020 – approximately five weeks away. Columbia operates with rolling admission, which means that it reviews applications as they are submitted. So, you should try to avoid waiting until the final week to submit. You should try to submit your application as soon as possible. The sooner you apply, the more seats will still be available for the incoming class. Below, we provide some tips about how to pace yourself to be ready to submit as soon as possible.

Special Timing Considerations Due to the Winter Break Period
(end-December through early January):

During the end of December and early January, many recommendation writers are unavailable. Additionally, Columbia will be closed for much of that time and unavailable to offer class visits and interviews. Since you may be limited during the winter break period in your ability to contact your recommenders and engage with Columbia, you should push other elements of your application preparation forward, so that when the winter break period ends, you are not left scrambling to do everything in hopes of submitting before the final deadline.

To pace yourself well, you can consider timing like this in your preparations:

During the Winter Break Period (end-December through early January):

Draft Your Essays. Columbia has three required essay questions. Most candidates consider essays 1 and 3 the most difficult. For Essay 1, give yourself time to think through what you will present as your short-term and long-term goals, and be able to articulate why you need the CBS EMBA to achieve your goals. For Essay 3, think carefully about a leader you want to highlight, because who you choose will tell the admissions committee a lot about you and your values. Allot ample time to brainstorm and compose outstanding essays. The essays represent your marketing package, so use them excellently!

Turn Your Resume Into a Winning Application Resume. When reading your application, many admissions officers will begin with your resume. It offers, after all, a very convenient snapshot of your candidacy. With your resume, you are making a first impression – and first impressions last! Remember, an EMBA application resume and a job resume are two different things, so tailor your resume so it serves you well in the admissions process. It should showcase your strengths in the areas Columbia most cares about with regard to admission.

Prepare for Your Executive Assessment (EA) Exam or GMAT Test. Most candidates prefer to take the EA rather than the GMAT, since it takes significantly less time to prepare for the EA. You should take your EA or GMAT test before submitting to Columbia, leaving time ideally to take the test a second time in the event that your first score is not what you’d like. For a discussion about the ideal EA and GMAT score for Columbia’s EMBA program, you can read our recent article about this topic.

Strengthen Your Record. Preparing for admissions can include building up your record academically or in the extracurricular arena, if you have weak credentials in either. Make sure to gain a solid understanding of whether you have notable weak spots in your profile and how to best address them before you submit your application. Yes, it is possible to strengthen your profile with only five weeks to go before the deadline.

As Soon As Possible Following the Winter Break:

Reach Out to Recommendation Writers. You should reach out as early as possible to your recommendation writers and ensure they compose outstanding recommendations in time for the deadline. Take the time to consider who will be the best writers for you. Who can write a glowing recommendation that conveys deep details about your strengths as a businessperson and leader? Once you decide, you should reach out to the writers, secure their commitment to write for you, and guide them about what a great recommendation letter looks like. If your recommendation writers are available during the winter break period, all the better.

Visit Columbia. Columbia usually holds its formal admissions interviews after you submit your application. The interview is an invitation-only interview, and not all candidates receive an invitation to interview. Ideally, you should not wait until you are invited to interview to visit the school. If you visit Columbia before then, you send a signal to the school that you are so interested in the program that you feel it is worth the time and effort to visit before the interview. If you cannot visit beforehand, however, you should take steps to show you made other efforts to get to know about the school and its curriculum, culture, and offerings. You should demonstrate interest in the program beyond merely reading the program website.
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Hello and Happy New Year!

If you could spare the time to evaluate my profile, it would be greatly appreciated! Any and all feedback and comments are welcome.

Age:
23 (Plan to apply in 3-4 years)

Ethnicity:
Korean-American

Academics:
Top 10 U.S. University (not known for engineering)
GPA: 3.61 (Majored in Mechanical Engineering and Minored in Finance)

GMAT:
740 (49Q, 41V)
(2nd attempt; thinking about retaking the GMAT again to achieve a score of 760+ due to my demographic)

Experience:
Engineer
100% in the aerospace industry (including internships)

Current Job:
Engineer at Fortune 100 Aerospace Engineering Firm

Intended Post-MBA Career:
1.) Management consulting (MBB), using my experiences in the engineering industry (both small and large firms) to help clients with problems unique to the intersection of business and engineering.
Or
2.) Program Manager at current company, using my engineering background, industry experience, and business education from an MBA.

MBA Schools:
Reach: HBS, Stanford, Wharton, MIT, Booth, Columbia
Target: Kellogg, Haas, Ross, Stern

Thanks in advance.

Hi,
I would love to hear your opinion on my brief profile.

Targeting INSEAD Jan intake R1, Kellogg 1yr MBA R2 and MBB consulting after that.

GMAT score: 730 (Q50, V40, IR 7)

Demography: 32 years, Male Indian

Undergraduation: Computer Science Engineer from NIT-Trichy (Ranked consistently in Top 10 engineering institutes in India)
CGPA: 8.62/10 (First class with Distinction)

Postgraduation: MBA (2 year full time flagship PGP course) from IIM-Ahmedabad (Harvard MBA-equivalent & consistently ranked #1 MBA in India)
CGPA: 2.777/3

Work experience (in brief):
Current total work experience of 8.5 years:
• Last 4.5 years of work experience in technology (SaaS-based software) sales roles (business development & account management) in mid & leadership levels across 2 emerging companies (each with an annual revenue of ~20 million USD). Led teams sized 12 account managers in one of the organizations where I got promoted twice.
• 1.5 years in Product Marketing in a Fortune 500 software MNC. Awarded the best new joiner of the year across 40 B-school recruits. Won the best marketing campaign award by US-based HQ office, organized across 13 geographies. Won Quarterly Spot award – conceived & executed marketing strategies to sell Cloud at 140 universities
• 2-month summer internship during my MBA in Strategy & BD at a Fortune 500 company
• 2.5 years in technology consulting (pre-MBA) in a niche boutique consulting firm where I worked closely with US-based tech law firms & US-based Fortune 500 tech companies. Got promoted once. Helped a client receive settlement of USD 20 million in damages against seven Fortune 500 retail banks
• Will be joining a Fortune 500 technology company in a Sales role next month
• All above work locations in India

International exposure details:
• During my work experience at the niche boutique consulting firm, I worked with US-based tech law firms & US-based Fortune 500 tech companies to deliver ROI on tech intellectual property & perform due diligence. Worked in the US for about 3 months in 2011. Travelled to meet & work closely with clients in 6 cities across east coast and west coast in the US.
• During my MBA at IIM-Ahmedabad, as a part of the student exchange program, I did one term (3 months) at France Business School in 2013. Did a backpacking tour to 14 countries in Europe during the exchange program.
• During my product marketing role with the Fortune 500 software MNC, I worked closely with teams across geographies to orchestrate global marketing campaigns. Travelled to the USA for marketing training workshop & events.
• Personal immersion trips with family (not sure if these count): A 2-week holiday trip across multiple cities in Japan in 2016, a 2-week holiday trip across Thailand in 2017 and a 10-day holiday trip to Dubai in 2019
• Currently learning Spanish and targeting to clear the SIELE global exam A1 within the next 2 months

Extracurriculars:
• Trained in Indian Classical vocal music for 15 years. Performed across venues during school & college days, with concert reviews in leading newspapers. Winner of multiple awards in school & college
• Performed in English plays, attended by 300-people & reviewed in leading newspapers
• Cleared Mensa worldwide test – Top 2%. Member of Mensa international
• Active NSS volunteer, organized community service camps and tree-planting schemes at college

Other academic achievements:
CAT 2011 (Common Admission Test - India)
Taken on Oct 2011: 99.65 Percentile
Number of test takers - 189,000

AIEEE 2005 (All India Engineering Entrance Exam)
Taken on May 2005: 98.81 Percentile
Number of test takers - 800,000

Do you think I stand a chance of INSEAD interview & admit, or am I being too ambitious (given my lack of direct international work ex & above average 8.5 years current work ex)?

Can you also please suggest other B-schools as well (both Europe & US), given my profile & aspirations of MBB consulting?

Open to doing a brief pre-MBA internship or stint in a consulting/strategy/EA to CXO role once I get an MBA admit, to increase my chances of a shortlist with MBB consulting.

Given a choice, I would prefer a 1-year MBA (since I’ve already done a 2-year MBA), but open to a 2-year MBA if the internship helps pivot from sales into consulting/strategy.

Looking forward to hearing your feedback,

Thanks much!

Dear Dr. Watts,

I wanted some guidance on how to proceed in with my MBA journey. Below is a brief about me which will help you evaluate my profile.

Age: 25
Gender: Female
Country: India
I graduated from IP college, India in 2017 with 78% (Top 5 percentile of the class)
After my undergrad I joined PNB MetLife India insurance company and have been working here from last three years as a pricing actuary.
I have cleared 12 actuarial exams from the institute and faculty of actuaries and just short of
3 exams from becoming a fellow actuary. I aim to complete that in the next one year.

I have started preparing for GMAT and I’m aiming for atleast 740.

I wanted to know if my profile is strong enough for top 10 MBA colleges and if not what else can I do to improve it. I also wanted to know if being a fellow actuary would make any difference to my candidacy.

Any help would be highly appreciated. Thanks!

Hi Shelly,

I’d like to know which of these Universities would be reach, target or safety options and what would be my chances of an scholarship:
LBS, UK
Insead, FR
Judge, UK
Said, UK
Warwick, UK
Erasmus, NE

My profile:
- Male, 29 years old
- Nationality: Argentinian and Spanish (inherited from Spanish grandparents).
- Languages: Spanish, English & Portuguese
- GMAT: 750
- Work experience: 7 years in Consulting and Beauty Industry (Accenture and TheBodyShop) as Digital Product Manager where I had as many as 10 direct reports.
- Studies: Bachelor in Marketing (GPA: 2.7) & Associate Degree in Computer Programming (GPA: 2.7)

Thank you!

Posted from my mobile device

Profile Evaluation for MBA 2022 Intake-
GMAT: 760
Duolingo: 145
Undergrad: 9.7 CGPA in Bachelor of Commerce(WES-> US Equivalent Undergrad).
University: Lovely Professional University, Punjab
12th Grade: 92%
Work Experience: 2.5 yrs as Finance Associate in Largest Infrastructure Company of India- Promoted Twice in the period currently leading a team and managing finance of Two National Projects in India under the direct control of PM Office.
3 MOnths as a Process analyst intern in Telecom Company.
EC's - Hosted many events in Undergrad, District level Hockey Player won prizes in Undergrad, Been a part of Charitable organization for the past 5 years.
Certifications: CFA Level 1, CPMP and Online MOOC's over Analytics and Data Science.
Post-MBA goals - Want to transit in Product Management in FMCG.
Hope for the Comments.
Also, Please let me know if pursuing MBA in India or in Abroad is correct for my profile.
which schools can I apply for?

Dear all,
Please help me gauge my chances of selection at ISB 2023 round of admissions.

Personal profile: Dr. Nishant Joshi, 22 years, male, Indian

Academic background:

10th from CBSE, India: 10 CGPA
12th from Rajasthan State board in PCB: 94.6%Selected through National Level entrance test NEET-UG SCORE- 595/720
MBBS from RNT Medical college, Udaipur: from 2017 to 2022
MBBS average Percentage 65%
GMAT: scheduled in August 2023

Professional background:
Internship : 12 months Mar. 2022 to Mar. 2023 in MB Government hospital ,Udaipur
Total Work experience: 0 months (Planning to join it post GMAT exam, currently looking for early entry options)

Extra- Curricular
*Participated in intercollege debate competition twice and won certificate of appreciation.
*Won medals at college level essay writing, debate competition.
*Participated at college level sports event with 4 gold and 3 silver and 3 bronze medals.
*Founding members of the college literary club, leading a team of junior doctors every year since 2017 to participate in reading and writing activities in the club.
*Founding member and organizer of the annual doctor’s meet of our district.
*Volunteer for annual blood donation event at college since 2018
*Helped manage funds for the student welfare committee.

MBA Plan - MBA in general management with add on concentration in healthcare management

Future plan post MBA: Want to work in healthcare firm at consulting/strategy role to utilize my already available experience in the field and gain valuable insights to build a start-up to provide easy access to healthcare services for patients who belong to poor backgrounds.

TARGET SCHOOL – ISB also open to suggestions about other schools that might fit my profile.

What should be my target score?
What further can be done to be a better fit to the school?

Hey all,

My name is Rishav, and I am an MBA aspirant from INDIA. I would love to know the expert's opinion about my admission chances in the top 25 US colleges. Kindly read on to know about my academic and professional journey till now.

Academic background:
Class X - 10 CGPA
Class XII - 88.4%
B.Tech (Mechanical Engineering) from Manipal Institute of Technology (2014-2018) - 8.57 CGPA
Notable achievement during college - Was part of a student project team which got selected among 25 teams from colleges worldwide to participate in USA and the team achieved 7th rank in the finals.
GMAT scores -
1st attempt - 650 (Q46 V34 IR7 AWA4)
2nd attempt - (Cancelled due to poor score)
3rd Attempt - 690 (Q49 V34 IR3 AWA4)

Professional background:
Total Experience - 54 Months (June 2018 to Dec 2022) (Since Jan 2023, I have been on study break, preparing for my 3rd attempt)
I spent 15 months in my 1st company i.e. Bennett Coleman & Company Ltd (The Times Group). It is India's largest newspaper company. I was part of maintenance team initially and then was shifted to the Corporate team.
I spent the next 12 month in my 2nd company i.e. Blackbuck (a unicorn startup in logistics industry) as a Business Analyst. I worked closely with the business team and supported the team on the analytics front.
I spent the remaining months in my 3rd company i.e. Zoomcar (a well known startup in car rental industry) as a Product Analyst and later, got promoted to Senior Product Analyst. I worked closely with the Product team. For a brief period, I even functioned as a temporary Product Manager of Payments.

In short, my experience majorly has been in manufacturing domain (newspaper printing), analytics domain (dashboards, insights, sql, excel) and product management domain

On a side note, I along with 3 friends, started a small eatery as a startup during covid. However, due to mounting losses, we had to close it.

MBA Plan - MBA in general management

Future plan post MBA: I want to make a switch to consulting domain. I am fascinated with the knowledge consultants possess as they get to work with various clients from different industries.

Target Schools - Top 25 colleges, which have high %age placement in consulting domain, in the US

Thank you so much in advance