Request for profile evaluation : Ask mbaMission

· Indian, Male, 34 years

· Bachelors in Commerce from 2nd Best College in India for Commerce with average GPA, dropped a year to pursue entrepreneurial venture.

· Pursued Chartered Accountancy India in Final Level, last appeared for exam in the year 2012

· GMAT or GRE or EA score: I was supposed to take in Dec'22 but was diagnosed with Stage 2 Thyroid Papillary Carcinoma

· Work experience:

Family Business - New delhi/Kolkata, India (2006 to 2014): I started working in 72 year old Family business of Pan India Trading of Secondary Fibers & other Raw Materials for Paper Mills. From making courier runs, getting lunches and eventually joining C-Suites in 2011.

Singapore (2015 to 2020): I moved with my wife to Singapore in 2015. 3 months in Internal Audit Team of Papa John's Pizza Master franchisee and post that I started working for Sudima International as Accounting Manager for roughly 2 years. Then I was lucky enough to get an opportunity to work at Indorama Corporation which is a USD 7 Billion Conglomerate. Manufacturers of Textile, Petrochemicals, Fertilizers etc Assistant Manager in Corporate Finance Team for 3.5 years.

Family Caregiver from 2021 to Currently. Looking after my unwell parent and Family Business (Kolkata, India).

· Extracurricular activities - Elected Class Representative 2006-2007, Member of National Service Scheme went on Camps to Villages to teach kids under Project Prayas. Associated with Various Charities.

· Post-MBA goals: Pursuing opportunities in Strategy and Company Law. Entrepreneurial venture in Healthcare Sector in India.

· Target schools: Columbia, CJBS, Copenhagen Business School, NUS, NTU, SMU, Imperial London

· Recently separated after 10 years of Marriage, have a 4 year old daughter. My intention is to go back to school and upskill to restart my life.

· I am currently suffering from Stage 2 Thyroid Cancer, my treatment will go in to June 2023. Do Schools offer tuition fee assistance to Cancer patients?

Thank you

Hello Aditya, and thanks for your post.

You didn’t mention which specific type of MBA program you are interested in, though I assume you are targeting full-time programs. However, have you considered a part-time program? They tend to be more for slightly older applicants, as opposed to full-time programs where the average age is closer to 27. You could look into other types of programs too, including one-year programs which also skew older. No matter what program you choose, the application process is truly holistic, and committees will look at your stats (GPA and GMAT/GRE), work experience, and extracurriculars.

You will definitely need to show your quant skills, so a solid test score is important. If you don’t achieve your target score, you may still want to illustrate to the schools that you have the academic ability to succeed in the classroom. You could showcase your quant ability in your resume, your recommenders could do the same in their recommendations, or you could even take a supplemental course such as stats or calculus.

It is hard to gauge your work experience without knowing your accomplishments and impact you have made there. You will also have to mention what you have been doing for your family business over the last couple years. It’s important that you show your impact there. Ideally this will be supported by strong recommendation letters (perhaps from a client, since family members can’t write you one). It will also be important to explain why you want your MBA, and to also illustrate the skills you already have which are transferable to your goals. Be sure your story makes sense, and is realistic and specific.
Regarding extracurriculars, make sure to really emphasize your leadership roles you have taken on, and ideally mention some which are more recent than college.

In general, I suggest apply to several schools, including reach, target and safety. And unfortunately, I do not believe schools offer tuition assistance to someone with a specific condition, but depending on the school, they offer either needs-based or merit-based scholarships.

Good luck!