Profile Review|R2 Dinged|R3 vs R1 : Ask mbaMission

Hi!

I had applied in R2 earlier this year and got dinged without interviews by Wharton, Duke, and Yale. I had submitted my application on a very tight schedule but was still hoping to at least be invited to interview. Now I'm weighing whether to apply to some more schools in R3 or wait for R1. I'll be turning 32 this year so the clock is ticking! On the other hand, being an international applicant, I feel like R3 might be another waste of effort plus make me a re-applicant for next year. My post-MBA goal is to pivot to management consulting and work in the US. Your expert advice will be very helpful. My questions are:

1. R3 vs R1?
2. Take on European schools? I've been looking into HEC Paris (Sep '23) and INSEAD (Jan '24).

My profile is as follows:

Gender: Male
Age: 32 years
Location: Canada (I'm Indian origin and have been living in Canada for the past 8 years with Canadian citizenship)
GMAT score: 750 (Q48 V44)
Education:
Bachelor of Civil Engineering: 7.9/10 (2013, India)
Master of Engineering: 89.8% (2016, Canada)
Work experience: ~8 years (1 India, 7 Canada)

Licensed professional engineer, working in the engineering consulting sector with ~8 years of WE. 3+ years WE as a Project Manager in the Greater Toronto Area managing end to end projects including proposals, budgeting, client coordination, execution, invoicing and reporting. Previously, ~2 yr experience on potash mining projects in Canadian Prairies.

Extra curriculars:
During Undergrad: University Fest organisation and funds procurement (Discipline Team Head), Volunteering for organizing the annual blood donation camp, elected Class Representative for consecutive 3 years and member of the Student Union
During Postgrad: University Ambassador, introduced a program for international students to provide career counselling under Enactus
Currently: Member of social committee and responsible for organizing annual gala

Please provide your insights and any other suggestions!

Hello jeonacivil, and thanks for your post.
You have a solid profile – your stats are strong with a high GMAT and solid GPA’s, especially in your Master’s. And your work experience sounds impressive too, though you haven’t gone into too much detail, especially in terms of your accomplishments. However, as you know, the schools to which you applied are very competitive, especially for an overrepresented demographic. In Round 3, there are very few spots, so I would suggest that it is not worth applying in this round unless your profile is significantly above that school’s average. For example, these would be schools where the average GMAT score is below a 700.
Instead, and I know you mentioned the clock is ticking, but I would wait until Round 1 to apply to other top schools. You would have a better chance because it is the first round, and also importantly, you would give yourself time to improve your application. The fact that you were not invited to interview possibly illustrates that you have room for improvement in your application, perhaps in your resume and your essays, as well as your recommendation letters. You could also boost your extracurriculars. And you could spend the time before the Round 1 deadlines in engaging with the schools, to show them that each one is your top choice.
Good luck to you!