Hello! can some one please suggest me how to prepare for IELTS? Which book to refer.
Hi puys,
i'm a 22 yr old Mechanical Engg currently working with Toyota. I'm looking at an MBA some three/four years down future. I'm in this very huge dilemma of whether i should go for an MS lik in Germany and project my MS for a TOP - US B School. OR should i continue working to gather some work ex and proceed with my MBA dreams ?
Martian on Earth ur suggestions are most awaited.
I finished my engineering in mechanical stream a few months ago and am working for a consulting firm currently . I am interested in getting into finance domain especially in investment banking/private equity/hedge funds.
:
Oromis,
If you can get a break in the Ibanking industry before you MBA, that'll be the best option. If not, you could get a second shot after completing your MBA.
I wouldn't recommend a double international degree. Simply having too many degrees to add credibility is not a good idea.
- Sameer
MBA Crystal Ball
Hi sameer, i am loking for MBA in asian countries like China,singapore
now my concern is if i would like to apply for HKUST,CEIBS for full time MBA ,then after pursuing MBA from these B-schools i would like to know career prospects in india as in past MBBS from china was considerd invalid so will same case be repeated with MBA degree from China.
If coming back to India is your topmost priority, the safest strategy is to aim for strong global programs and get into the industry and role that you are targetting. The RoI for your MBA investment will look far more attractive.
HKUST, NUS, NTU, CEIBS are all good brands.
- Sameer
MBA Crystal Ball
Firstly don't worry about the second MBA part. Schools in the US are aware of how Indians end up doing an MBA without experience. The message in your application has to be about "re-tooling" - about how you now know more to want an MBA to better equip yourself. However this story/message has to be pretty cogent since mostly MBAs don't teach "new" stuff.
Secondly your post-MBA goals of consulting - since you are in marketing (brand management), wouldn't it make sense for you to stick to your core competence? Just a thought.
Arun - CrackVerbal
Hi Arun,
Thanks for the reply and sorry for the super late clarification!
While I dont mind Branding the issue is I would prefer to move to consulting as it has more variety & frankly more money :)
Also, in the US Branding is something where international students face a challenge, please correct me if am wrong.
Thanks!
Great effort 'Ask A Consultant!' team!!!!
I took the GMAT last week. Landed a 750 Score (51Q/40V) and 5.5AWA.
Here's a dekko at my profile so far:
Currics:
1. X Marks:92%
2. XII Marks:90%
3. CGPA:7.86/10. Electrical Engineering from Thapar University.
4. Campus Placement in Punj Lloyd Oil and Gas Malaysia. Worked on a pipeline project there for 16 months. My department there was Cathodic Protection. Had to quit the company because they did not give me leave to pursue a Certification Program in the same field. Anyways, I quit the company and went to US and received the Certification.
5. In the meantime that I receive the results of the Certification and land a job post-Certification, I took up a job in a startup. The startup deals in Renewable Energy Solutions and Energy Efficient Products. I have a techno-commercial role in the company.
It has been 5 months since I joined this company. I am now receiving offers from the Oil and Gas sector, but have not taken up any of them because I am mentally set for an MBA now.
Just to summarize my work ex, till date it is 22 months and by the time the MBA program begins, it will be well over 29 months.
My extra currics in college were good, I suppose. I was the Creative Head and THe Editor-in-Chief for the College newsetter for two years running (amongst the few in our college to achieve this!!). I also participated and directed various short and long movies that were showcased in the college. The movies were purely entertainment oriented or some basic social messages.
Now I am aiming to get an admit in one of the M7 colleges. Since the first round deadline for all of these is October, i have a good 2-months' time to prepare a good application. I am based in Delhi and am looking for a Consultant who can help me prepare my applications.
Also, without a scholarship it would be next to impossible for me to pay for the tuition in any of these colleges. So obviously, the consultant has to help me in that too.
THIS IS NOT REALLY A QUERY, JUST A BEACON TO CALL FOR GUIDANCE AND/OR HELP TO ACHIEVE WHAT I WANT. HOPE TO LISTEN FROM A CONCULTANT SOON ON THIS FORUM.
hello,
M looking forward to do MBA from James cook,singapore however not sure how the prospects would be after an australian degree in singapore which is not even accredited by AACSB or AMBA.Please tell me is the degree been recognised and is it good to study in James cook university,singapore???
Please share your views ...
I have done Diploma in Mechanical Engineering and then bachelor degree in Science with 48 % while working.
:
Pagar sir,
Responded to your email. Skipping it here.
- Sameer
Author - Beyond The MBA Hype
Hi puys,
i'm a 22 yr old Mechanical Engg currently working with Toyota. I'm looking at an MBA some three/four years down future. I'm in this very huge dilemma of whether i should go for an MS lik in Germany and project my MS for a TOP - US B School. OR should i continue working to gather some work ex and proceed with my MBA dreams ?
Martian on Earth ur suggestions are most awaited.
GnR,
I'd go with option 2. Why? Coz academic degrees are not a substitute for real world experience.
Btw, I'd like to know why you chose Germany for the MS. Not saying it's good or bad, just that it's an unusual choice. Most MS bounty hunters head to the US.
- Sameer
Author | Beyond The MBA Hype
Hi Guys,
I recently took GMAT and managed to score 740 (Q51,V40)/AWA 6.0. I am aiming for top 10-15 B schools in U.S.
My question is about career goal.
Since I have always been technically inclined I have opted for roles which have been more or less technically oriented because I have a long term aspiration of starting up a business venture in the software field. In this context, is it safe for me to mention my long term goal of entrepreneurship, even though my immediate short term goal would be to work in the consulting field?
Does the adcom expect an aspiring entrepreneur to have already made sufficient investment, in terms of effort, in that direction? I do have the aspiration to start up a software venture in India in the longer run but I havent done anything in this direction yet. Will this turn out to be conflicting?
Thanks in advance
I am a Mechanical Engineer from BITS Pilani. My percentages in 10th and 12 th standard are 90% plus. My GPA would be abour 8/10. Extra ciricular activities would be ok-ok. I dont have any work experience for i am in my final year. But i am interning at a BIG-4 Audit company for 6 months. What i want to know is a very basic question: What are the chances of a person with my kind of a profile getting into an MBA abroad, from say, top 10 colleges in the US, assuming that my gmat score and essays turn out to be good. Thanks.
GnR,
I'd go with option 2. Why? Coz academic degrees are not a substitute for real world experience.
Btw, I'd like to know why you chose Germany for the MS. Not saying it's good or bad, just that it's an unusual choice. Most MS bounty hunters head to the US.
- Sameer
Author | Beyond The MBA Hype
Choice of germany is based on the following
> My german language knowledge
> MECHANICAL is better in Germany
> Cost Factor
And coming to the point how many years of service in the manufacturing industry will give me a substantial edge over the large pool of applicants ?
Last but not the least thank you Sameer Bhai for ur valid opinion
Hi,
I am Nithin. i am here to get guidance on the institutes that I can apply based on my profile and credentials. I am looking at a career in technology related fields preferably consulting assignments that can leverage my experience. I have shortlisted ISB, INSEAD, MIT Sloan and Kellogs.
Please let me know feedback on the above schools and any other B School that I can consider based on my profile
Details:
GMAT score: 760 (Quant:50, Verbal:44)
AWA:6/6,TOEFL:112/120
Graduation: B.Tech ( E&C;) - 75% (Distinction holder)
Plus 2 - 76.4%
Tenth - 91.67%
Total Work Experience: 98 months (8 years+) in IT services firms - with IBM for the last 4 and a half years
International experience: 21 months ( In USA - with 3 different clients and roles at various points in career)
Nature of work : Software solutioning (more into architecting, designing etc apart from team management and client management)
Extra curriculars: Decent (College chairman during engineering, School leader, Band Major in school, Mentor and leader for communities at IBM, Volunteer at Blue Cross of India, Lead dancer in college, NCC cadet etc)
Thank you. Look forward to hearing from you.
pratyushkukreja SaysMy department there was Cathodic Protection.
Interesting, never heard of that term before. You might want to try your luck with that line next time you are in a bar. J/k.
Be careful how you use such stories in your application. What you categorise as a cool, brave move could rub the Adcoms and in fact recruiters the wrong way, if they view it as a rebel-with/without-a-cause story.
Had to quit the company because they did not give me leave to pursue a Certification Program in the same field. Anyways, I quit the company and went to US and received the Certification.
You have some strong stories to talk about and you are creative (any youtube links that we could see?). So don't mess it up in a bid to earn some bravado points.
5. In the meantime that I receive the results of the Certification and land a job post-Certification, I took up a job in a startup. The startup deals in Renewable Energy Solutions and Energy Efficient Products. I have a techno-commercial role in the company.Since the first round deadline for all of these is October, i have a good 2-months' time to prepare a good application.Sirji, just be careful about the time/planning part. Time can run out sooner than you think as essays are only one part of the story. The logistics can suck up time. Folks (many weren't lucky last year) have started working with us since April.I am based in Delhi and am looking for a Consultant who can help me prepare my applications. Also, without a scholarship it would be next to impossible for me to pay for the tuition in any of these colleges. So obviously, the consultant has to help me in that too.Geographic proximity is irrelevant for top tier bschool consulting. Check out the international model followed by Accepted.com, Stacy blackman, Clear Admit etc (all three founders inteviewed on our blog, btw). They'll never meet you in person and they work with clients across the globe.
If you are aiming for the top schools, consultants can only act as a mentors and try to improve your odds. If anybody mentions anything that remotely sounds like 'guarantee', 'confirmed', 'pakki baat hai sirji'...run in the opposite direction.
Good luck with your consultant hunt, buddy.
- Sameer
The kounu-gaarantee-nahi consultant
Hi
I request the experts to evaluate my profile.
GMAT - 680 (v32,q50) (19th July 2011). Planning to re-appear in September
B.E. (Chemical Engg.) Honours) , College -CRSCE Murthal(a govt college) Uni- MDU Rothak -77.90 %
XII CBSE, 69.00%
X CBSE, 89.80%
Work Experience-
I am working in Deloitte Consulting from August 2008 till date(1st Job)
I am working in Strategy and Operations Domain but related to Carbon Advisory and Sustainability Services (climate change related advisory services. )
Projects include CDM (Clean Development Mechanism-Kyoto Porotocol), GHG Accounting and CSR reporting and other environment related projects. All clients are good - IOCL,ONGC, GAIL, BEE etc.
Got two promotions in one calendar year for good work ( Analyst >> Senior Analyst>> Consultant)
Extra Curricular-
Project Lead-Team Impact- Deloitte
Managing committee member of a school in slums for 50 under privileged children of migrant laborers. Associated with the inception stage of school.
Organized various activities in school, collected funds and ensured successful running of school.
Volunteer - Art of Living (NGO)
Associated with an NGO Art of living for 2 years and involved in lot of social service activities.
Organizer of various course of art of living,
Core Member , Technova-08, Inter college technical Fest -(DCRUST Murthal)
Ensured flawless execution of various events
Spearheaded the infrastructure, hospitality and managing teams.
Raised Sponsorship for the fest
Placement Coordinator,-DCRUST Murthal
Ensured flawless execution of placement process involving 300+ students and over 20 firms
Team Member- We Connect,- Deloitte
Organizer of various cultural programs in Deloitte
Harvard Business School Publishing - Certification
Three online Certifications from Harvard Business School for completion of E-learning Program
Stepping up to Management
Management Essentials,
Leadership Essentials
Post MBA- Consulting, Operations, Supply Chain.
I have send scores to following colleges:
1) ISB
2) NTU
3) Smeal- Penn State
4) Texas Mays
5) University of Iowa - Henry B. Tippie College of Business
My main concern is funding. I cannot spend more than 20 -25 lacs unless I get into a good college which offers loans without co-signer.
I think it's difficult to get into ISB,NTU, NSU with score???(any chances) But these are my target colleges as they are less expensive as compared to US colleges.
Can I have scholarship with this score in Texas Mays or other decent colleges in US?
I am planning to appear for GMAT in September and targeting 720+.
I didn't send scores to Broad, CMU, USC Marshall etc as I think with some scholarship also (which is difficult to get) I may have to spend more than 30 lacs.
I am confused . Am i under estimating my profile or colleges like texas Mays are also beyond my reach in terms of profile.
I am not sure how to select colleges.
Any advice???
Thanks & Regards
I request the experts to evaluate my profile.
GMAT - 680 (v32,q50) (19th July 2011). Planning to re-appear in September
B.E. (Chemical Engg.) Honours) , College -CRSCE Murthal(a govt college) Uni- MDU Rothak -77.90 %
XII CBSE, 69.00%
X CBSE, 89.80%
Work Experience-
I am working in Deloitte Consulting from August 2008 till date(1st Job)
I am working in Strategy and Operations Domain but related to Carbon Advisory and Sustainability Services (climate change related advisory services. )
Projects include CDM (Clean Development Mechanism-Kyoto Porotocol), GHG Accounting and CSR reporting and other environment related projects. All clients are good - IOCL,ONGC, GAIL, BEE etc.
Got two promotions in one calendar year for good work ( Analyst >> Senior Analyst>> Consultant)
Extra Curricular-
Project Lead-Team Impact- Deloitte
Managing committee member of a school in slums for 50 under privileged children of migrant laborers. Associated with the inception stage of school.
Organized various activities in school, collected funds and ensured successful running of school.
Volunteer - Art of Living (NGO)
Associated with an NGO Art of living for 2 years and involved in lot of social service activities.
Organizer of various course of art of living,
Core Member , Technova-08, Inter college technical Fest -(DCRUST Murthal)
Ensured flawless execution of various events
Spearheaded the infrastructure, hospitality and managing teams.
Raised Sponsorship for the fest
Placement Coordinator,-DCRUST Murthal
Ensured flawless execution of placement process involving 300+ students and over 20 firms
Team Member- We Connect,- Deloitte
Organizer of various cultural programs in Deloitte
Harvard Business School Publishing - Certification
Three online Certifications from Harvard Business School for completion of E-learning Program
Stepping up to Management
Management Essentials,
Leadership Essentials
Post MBA- Consulting, Operations, Supply Chain.
I have send scores to following colleges:
1) ISB
2) NTU
3) Smeal- Penn State
4) Texas Mays
5) University of Iowa - Henry B. Tippie College of Business
My main concern is funding. I cannot spend more than 20 -25 lacs unless I get into a good college which offers loans without co-signer.
I think it's difficult to get into ISB,NTU, NSU with score???(any chances) But these are my target colleges as they are less expensive as compared to US colleges.
Can I have scholarship with this score in Texas Mays or other decent colleges in US?
I am planning to appear for GMAT in September and targeting 720+.
I didn't send scores to Broad, CMU, USC Marshall etc as I think with some scholarship also (which is difficult to get) I may have to spend more than 30 lacs.
I am confused . Am i under estimating my profile or colleges like texas Mays are also beyond my reach in terms of profile.
I am not sure how to select colleges.
Any advice???
Thanks & Regards
Hello friends...need a piece of advice from u guys.....first.... plz hav a look at my profile....
10th............year 1998............72.66% State Board(U.P.)
12th............year 2000............71.80% State Board(U.P.)
then a 3 year gap for engg entrance preparations:banghead:
B.Tech(Electrical and Electronics Engg.)......2003-07.....Uttar Pradesh Technical University.....66.8%
Average Extra Curriclr.........
again a 2 year gap for CAT and PSUs preparations....
CAT 2006..........86.09 percentile
CAT 2007..........82.66 percentile
CAT 2008..........85.09 percentile
(Quants 99.19 percentile
....VA....doomed)
XAT 2008..........94.57 percentile
FMS 2008..........96.24 percentile
FMS 2009..........97.04 percentile
No significant calls....hence no significant converts...
Selected in SBI as PO in 2008-09...left it..
Joined one of the Navratna PSUs as engineer in Executive Cadre...in July 2009:cheers:.....presently posted in Lucknow...
Total work experience... 25 months till 15th Aug 2011...
Present CTC is 12 Lpa....with in hand amount being 60k p/m +residential lease+conveyance+unlimited Medical Facilities..etc etc
Satisfied on the financial front +Posting+brand value+other facilities etc etc:D
But not satisfied with the work cuture and quality of work....:nono:
I want to appear for CAT 2011 as well as GMAT (near future)...I would like to ask "the more enlightened fellows"...
Considering my prfle (not so good Acads)...and present CTC....which Indian and International Institutes would be suitable for me....I mean it would be a tough decision for me to leave such a job..So the ROI has to be kept in mind...( Let's assume that I am turned into a MAVEN 
overnight in cracking the B-School Entrances ;))
Plz do reply puys....This is my first post after a gap of two and a half years on PG....:p
Hello,
Im in the midst of a decision of weather or not applying for B School.
Advice regarding weather i stand a realistic chance of getting trough will be greatly appreciated.
I am only interested in applying to the following schools. I know its extremely ambitious.
Upenn: Wharton, Stanford, MIT, Harvard, Columbia, Yale, Tuck
I have lot of student leadership experience which I am listing. Do you think they will consider it as experience?
My Profile
Academic
Master of Science (M.S.) in Pharmaceutical Sciences(2010 present)
Northeastern University, Boston, MA (GPA 3.77)
Graduate Student(2009 2010)
Massachusetts College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences (MCPHS), Boston,
(GPA was 2.7)
Graduate Researcher and Teaching Assistant (Sep. 2009 Apr. 2010) at the same time(part time work) will repeat in experience section
( did not like the school and research so transferred to current university) so kind of screwed up I guess
Bachelor of Pharmacy (B. Pharm) (2005 2009) (61.5%)
Bombay College of Pharmacy, University of Mumbai, Mumbai, India
Experience
Intern at World Health Organization (June 2011 onwards (have contract till Dec, so when applying will be applying as WHO staff member)
Full time work but unpaid(also full time student) 1st four months during summer vacation
Special Program for Research and Training in Tropical Diseases (TDR),
World Health Organization (WHO), Geneva, Switzerland
(working on fundraising, creation of new partnerships)
example of kind of stuff I am working on - Proposal for creation of a International Dengue Coalition in partnership with One of the American Presidential Foundations
Research Intern, Langer Lab, MIT (Boston USA) (Jan 2011- May 2011)
(full time work)(also full time student)
Worked on making and testing of scaffolds for stem cells
Also on Anti cancer therapies
Member, Expert Working Group, Multi-professional Patient Safety Curriculum Guide(Aug. 2010 present), World Health Organization (WHO),
- Part of board of reviewers representing all international student health federations. Reviewing a 250 page book and making suggestions for it.
I am not sure if this can be considered experience
Member, Joint Working Group (JWG) on World Health Students Symposium(Aug. 2010 present)
part of team of 8 organizing multi professional health care students conference
Research Intern (May 2010 July 2010)
Aizant Drug Research Solutions Private Limited, Hyderabad, India
(full time summer industrial research internship)
Graduate Researcher and Teaching Assistant(Sep. 2009 Apr. 2010)
at the university i had 2.7 GPA
Chairperson of Pharmacy Education (Aug. 2009 Sep. 2010)
International Pharmaceutical Students Federation (IPSF) - part of executive board
(IPSF has 84 members - which are national associations of pharmacy students) (important among many other tasks
-Designed three year strategic plan for Pharmacy Education Portfolio
-Represented IPSF at International Pharmaceutical Federation (FIP)-WHO-UNESCO Education Taskforce
-Represented IPSF on FIP Council, Boards of Pharmacy Practice and Pharmaceutical Sciences)
It was almost like a part time job almost 20hrs a week of work, I am not sure if they will consider it as work experience
Founder President (Aug. 2007 July 2009)
Indian Pharmaceutical Students' Association (with help of national pharmaceutical association which is 60 years old)
Project Planning Assistant (July 2008 June 2009)
Satyarath Realtors Pvt. Ltd., Mumbai, India
Assisted with project planning, material sourcing, procurement and financial planning Venky Residency, Kakinada, India with a budget of $3 Million (it was part time work(15 crores)
also did two other internships in India in summers. 2 months long.
good skills in the wet lab - Can use many advanced scientific equipment like NMR, FT-IR etc.
Podium presentations in prestegious national and international conferences but more relevant to my work in student associations but no peer reviewed publications.
I am 23. I have given GRE and its 1390 (equivalent to 680 on GMAT according to ETS). My GRE score expires this year, so this will be last chance to apply if not will need to give GRE or GMAT again next year.
Martian on Earth awaiting your reply anxiously 😃 :)
Cheers,
Murthy
Hello,
i had once asked about Erasmus Mundus in this forum. I got the details about it but i was asked a question, what my career goal is. Now i am very confused. Basically, i want to pursue my career in the field of "intercultural management", specially "indo-german network", and so i thought Erasmus Mundus would provide me the best platform.
But now, because of the PIGS issue, the Euro crisis, i am having second thoughs to continue with that plan.
Could anyone here suggest and guide me, which MBA and from which institue would help me launch my career in intercultural managment.
would Masters in International Business be of any help???
A very good afternoon :D
I have my GMAT exam scheduled on 6th sept.. I am confused about which colleges to opt for when GMAT prompts us to select 5 colleges for GMAT score.
I am expecting a 730+ score. I have 1.5yrs. experience in Infosys Ltd. as a systems engineer. I have an average profile with decent academic record as per Mumbai University.
Can I expect to be placed in any of the top 20 b-schools? I will prefer European colleges over American colleges because of the difference in their course duration. Some of the colleges which I want to try for are:
1) LBS (though I know there are very slim chances) Rank -1
2) ISB, Hyderabad - Rank 13
3) IE Business School, Spain - Rank 8
4) iese, Spain - Rank 9
5) Insead, France - Rank 4
6) IMD, Switzerland - Rank 14
7) HEC Paris, France - Rank 18
Esade Business School, Spain - Rank 21
9) University of Cambridge, UK - Rank 26
10) University of Oxford, UK - Rank 27
Please help me select realistic options. Also help me if there are better B-schools which will be realistic for my profile.
Thanks in advance :D
Best Regards,
Dinesh
Can I expect to be placed in any of the top 20 b-schools? I will prefer European colleges over American colleges because of the difference in their course duration. Some of the colleges which I want to try for are:
1) LBS (though I know there are very slim chances) Rank -1
2) ISB, Hyderabad - Rank 13
3) IE Business School, Spain - Rank 8
4) iese, Spain - Rank 9
5) Insead, France - Rank 4
6) IMD, Switzerland - Rank 14
7) HEC Paris, France - Rank 18
9) University of Cambridge, UK - Rank 26
10) University of Oxford, UK - Rank 27
Please help me select realistic options. Also help me if there are better B-schools which will be realistic for my profile.
With 1.5yrs, you will struggle at nearly all, if not all, the schools. Schools like IMD, INSEAD, HEC, average over 4yrs of work-ex. As an IIM with 1.5 you will be way below the average and that alone will be enough.
You should consider getting more work-ex or considering a completely different b-school list.