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Hi,

I am an Indian national presently based in the US with the following three full time MBA offers:

1) UC Davis - 30% scholarship (potentially looking at an upgrade; I have put in a request)
2) Queen's University Smith School of Business - Based on my scholarship interview call, I am expecting upwards of 50% scholarship
3) HEC Paris - Expecting 30-35% scholarship

My main post-MBA career goals are in consulting, finance and tech (in that order). I have 5 years of pre-MBA sales and marketing experience in technology.
Post-MBA location wise, I am primarily looking at Canada and European countries where not speaking the language fluently will not be a problem (if there are any such).

Keeping all of the above in mind, could you suggest which school I should choose?

Thanks,
Deep

Hi pgpsm01010,

Thank you for your post, and congratulations on your acceptances. All three are great universities. Since you are seeking to live in Canada and Europe, then I would eliminate UC Davis. If you are ok with accepting a lesser scholarship, then I would go with HEC Paris (it is such a globally recognized institution and program, that having a degree from there will serve you well even if you choose to go beyond Canada or Europe). If financing your degree trumps the other elements, then the answer is obvious.

I hope this helps.

Congratulations again, and good luck!




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Right, thanks a lot! Just have one question - with a HEC Paris degree, is it possible to find a job in Canada post graduation?

Hi pgpsm01010,

You can definitely get a job in Canada with an MBA from HEC Paris, especially in Quebec /Montreal. Smith will have name recognition in Canada overall, but HEC will have greater recognition globally, which is what you want from an MBA.


Good luck!





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Thanks a lot for helping me out, I much appreciate it!

I had somewhat wrong perceptions of the US work permit situation, which have since been cleared up. In this scenario, how is UC Davis (especially compared to the other schools I have)? I am presently based in the US, and have ambitions in tech post MBA.

Hi pgpsm01010,

UC Davis will open door in the U.S. Tech sector; as you see from the attached file, the HEC graduates are concentrated in Europe and mostly work in consulting firms. Therefore, if the tech sector is what you are aiming post-MBA, take a deeper look at UC Davis.

Good luck!




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Thanks! My scholarship at UC Davis has been increased to almost half of tuition (half of it in first year, renewable in second year upon good standing). I come from 5 years experience in tech industry, and am very seriously looking at tech post-MBA as well. My concern is the immigration situation. I wonder if you would know (and I know no major actual changes have been made in the H1B visa) if tech companies have stopped hiring international people out of US b-schools?

I am thinking of the HEC-NYU Stern / Yale MAM double degree. I haven't got admission into either of the two (I can only start the process while at HEC), but which among these two paths would be better would you say? Again, tech in the US (epicenter of world tech) is a very viable option for me, followed by consulting.

I cannot believe the kind of decisions I am having to make, and thanks a lot for your time!

By which among these two paths, I mean UC Davis or HEC-NYU /Yale (no yet admitted) double degree

Profile
Age: 24
Gender: F
Ethnicity: Asian (Pakistani)
GRE: 160 V, 167 Q, 5.5 Writing
Work Experience: At time of application, 3 years at a top U.S. retailer, working both in core merchandising and now in negotiation strategy.
Extracurricular: Mentor 3 different mentees as part of D & I program, volunteer weekly
Undergrad: University of Michigan - Political Science Major and Applied Stats Minor (3.7 GPA)
Intended Post-MBA Role: Social Impact related, likely public sector or public sector facing

Are there any top 20 schools with whom I'd be a strong candidate? Thoughts on where I'm most likely to get financial aid?

Hi zamin1234,

Thank you for your post and for sharing your profile. I think you have a strong background (great GPA and extracurricular). I would like to learn more about your MBA and Post MBA goals. Having a thought-out answer for both will be key to gaining admission to a top university. If you are willing to retake the GRE, I recommend you do so --try and improve your verbal. Most universities have scholarship options available, the amount offered depends a lot on your profile - the more schools you apply to the greater your chance of receiving scholarships. There are also outside scholarships offered for people who wish to pursue careers in the public sector.

If you would like to continue this conversation, please feel free to reach out and schedule a free consultation (contact details in signature).

Good luck!



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Hi,
I am Shilpi Bansal.
I have pursued my B.Tech degree from National Institute of Technology (Raipur, Chhattisgarh), job experience of 3 years as a process control analyst at JSW Steel Ltd (Vijayanagar works, Karnataka). I quit my job in sep 2019 and looking forward for MBA in Fall intake 2019 (Planned to take GMAT in July 2018). My first preference is European B-School and then other B schools because I am married and my husband works in France. I need an assistance for shortlisting B-school programs based on my work exprience and job prospectives and admission guidlines to those B-Schools.
My email Id: shilpibansal1402@gmail.com and I can share my CV for you to get a better insight of my profile.
Any assistence is welcomed. Thankyou.

Hi shilpibansal,

Thank you for reaching out and sharing your profile. We are happy to help with your business school plans. We emailed you, so please check your inbox for communication from us. If you do not see an email, please check your spam folder as well, as sometimes our communication ends up there.

Look forward to connecting.




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Since GSB doesn't require any work experience, is applying to Stanford without any Work Experience worth a shot? Given that by the time I join (Fall 2019) I will have 1 year of work experience.
Please answer considering that I will be putting in a lot of effort and money in creating my application. My profile is as follow
Under Grad: Business Majors (GPA 3.4)
GMAT : 760
Internships and WE: 3 Internships and 2.5 years of relevant part time work experience.
Extracurricular: A lot of extra curricular activities. Varying from public speaking to organizing college events. Also represented institute on two international events/conferences.

Hi beepweepteep,

Thank you for your post and for sharing your profile. Although work experience is not required, the average work experience for Stanford's incoming class is 4 years. I would require a lot more information about your background to give a more accurate assessment of your candidacy. But keep in mind that Stanford seeks "the most promising students in terms of intellectual vitality, demonstrated leadership potential, and personal qualities and contributions." If one area of your profile is less developed, i.e. work experience, then you must compensate in other areas of your profile. You have a great GMAT score, but your undergraduate GPA is less than average (3.74). I am happy to schedule a call to provide a better assessment. If you are interested, please reach out to coordinate (contact details in signature).

Good luck!



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Hi
I am Rakshit,
Profile
Age: 29
Gender: M
Ethnicity: Asian (Indian)
GMAT: 730, Q50 V38 IR8 AWA4
Education: B.Tech Civil Engg IIT Roorkee 2006-10 (GPA 7.51/10) and M.B.A Marketing & Operations M.D.I Gurgaon 2012-14 (GPA 6.96/10)
Work Experience: Total 6 years of experience.

Post B.Tech: 2 years of construction project management experience in Oil & Gas sector with a public sector undertaking (GAIL India Ltd.) 2012-14
Post M.B.A: 4 year with PepsiCo so far in Future Leadership Program as follows (2014-Current):

*2 years of sales & distribution experience as Area Head for the business driving large teams & responsible for delivering topline for the territory.
*2 years of experience in handing eCommerce channel for PepsiCo, responsible for driving account relationships with online Groceries in India (Amazon, Flipkart * other eGroceries) & delivering P&L objective metrics for the organization.

Working in the eCommerce role exposed me to the way digital is shaping businesses in every function. Met Indira Nooyi in India & her words of guidance to us was: Run eCommerce channel in PepsiCo like a Tech Company not like a CPG Org. Realized hands on that eComm is not just a platform for purchase but a medium now to transform GoToMarket channels (Online B2B, B2C, HoReCa) , Marketing strategies (Amazon Media Services), Communication modes (Amazon search competing with Google now) & a whole new experience to connect with consumers.

Academic:
1. Cohesive Leader Award, PepsiCo
2. Highest Growth Area Head, PepsiCo
3. Selected for ILEAP, Leadership Academy of PepsiCo Globally
4. Best Summer Project, MBA
5. Runners Up, PepsiCo Indra Nooyi Case Study, MBA
6. Runners Up, Deloitte National Case Study, MBA

Extra Curricular:
1. Placement Committee Member, MBA
2. Member, Summer Mentorship Program - Coaching students on summer internships interviews & skill sets
3. Organizer Sports News Letter - IIT Roorkee
4. Dance & Dramatics On Stage events

Post MBA Goals:
Short Term: Working in Strategy/Channel Development/Marketing roles in eCommerce/Tech sector, leveraging past experience in consumer goods & online channel along with driving businesses through digital integration learning at MBA

Long Term: General Manager roles in retail sector demonstrating leadership across multiple geographies & leveraging digital capabilities in driving business P&Ls and growths.

Queries:
I have following queries regarding the application:
1. Which schools should i target with the profile & score.
2. What are the possibilities one can explore in eCommerce space in terms of roles - Do people pursue Strategy/GoToMarket roles in tech ?
3. I wanted to write Product Manager roles in eComm but dont have a coding experience per se. How critical is that & would that impact the application ?
4. Is Indian GPA at IIT Roorkee 7.51/10 decent enough when converted to 4 scale GPA ?
5. To answer why another MBA, i really feel that my MBA 4 years back helped me gain experience in driving businesses traditionally. But in the span of 4 years, i saw quite massive drifts in the way digital is shaping businesses these days. And that's what i wish to seek ahead in my learning pursuit. (Crude form currently).

Hi rakshitsharma1989,

Thank you for your post and for sharing your profile. I have included my responses to your questions below in blue:

1. Which schools should i target with the profile & score. The school selection process is indeed a process, and one must consider a number of different factors when selecting the right program. Here is some help on drafting a list of target universities: https://siaadmissions.com/sia-blog/six- ... -b-schools.
2. What are the possibilities one can explore in eCommerce space in terms of roles - Do people pursue Strategy/GoToMarket roles in tech ? People work towards a variety of different approaches to eCommerce. The question shouldn't be about what others do; rather, you should ask what do you want to do in the space.
3. I wanted to write Product Manager roles in eComm but dont have a coding experience per se. How critical is that & would that impact the application ? The Product Manager role varies from company to company. If you are seeking a Project Manager role within an organization that does require coding experience, then I recommend you learn to code. Your coding skills, however, should not impact your MBA application.
4. Is Indian GPA at IIT Roorkee 7.51/10 decent enough when converted to 4 scale GPA ? This depends on a lot of factors, including the institutions you are targetting, and the strength of your application as a whole.

As you prepare your application, spend some additional time fleshing out why you need a second MBA (could a specialized degree make more sense, instead?) and why now.

Happy to discuss your candidacy further. If interested, please reach out to schedule a call (contact details in signature).

Good luck!


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Hi,
I'm in quite the dilemma and wondering if you guys can help me make a decision I won't regret. I am a black (African) female looking at M7 schools. I have a 3.4 GPA from a liberal arts college (top 20). I majored in Economics and minored in Mathematics. I recently took the GMAT and scored 730. My work experience has been in wealth management in top wealth management firm and now working with my family business back home in an African Country. I recently applied to HBX Core to strengthen my profile. Now 'm rethinking my decision to partake in the program. I would rather use the funds to take a trip to each of the schools I want to apply to to help me make a more informed decision as to where to finally go to. With this background I have given you, do you think I should forgo the HBX core program or do you think I will benefit a great deal from taking it?

Hi Sk06011994,

Thank you for your post and for sharing your profile. Can you tell me a bit more about your work experience, especially as it pertains to your leadership? What about your community involvement, do you have any experience there?

While it is great to visit the schools you are applying to; many universities have information sessions, webinars, etc. designed for prospective students who are applying from afar. I would require additional information about your background to give a recommendation. However, I can say that an HBX's Core program is structured to help prepare you for the MBA, which might add more value to your application than visiting campuses.

I am happy to schedule a call to discuss further if that is more convenient. If interested, please reach out and coordinate a free consultation (contact details in signature).


Good luck!


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