Ask a Consultant! - GMAT/GRE Only

MBA
1919
@rajeev44 said:
Hi ,Can anyone please shed some light on the points that needs to be considered when drafting a LOR for applications?I mean I just want to know what all needs to be covered in the LOR,the points ,format and all..I am planning to request my boss for an LOR...so need to know the points ...Thanks,
Most MBA programs have their own guidelines for recommendations- they ask the recommendors a set of 5-6 questions, which are specific to every b-school.

Typically in the "apply yourself" form, you would be asked to give the names and email addresses of 2-3 recommendors and then the b-school reaches out directly to these people for their reports.

Are you targeting a program with process that is different compared to this?

Namita, MBA Decoder

1920
@sayhi2nuts said:
Hello,Can somebody help me in deciding whether I stand a chance in any of the global top 25 or even top 50 MBA programs?

Depends on a lot of factors: (a). if you are able to demonstrate the relevance of your work experience to your future career goals and the need from an MBA from the b-school where you are applying; (b). Your GMAT score/ GPA; (c). your overall personality development, including extra curricular activities (more later).
@sayhi2nuts said:
Indian, female, married, 30 years.

This does not sound like a threat
@sayhi2nuts said:
BE (Computer Tech): 64%I am quite assured of a decent GMAT score..say 680-710.
You should aim to score higher than 700, as the top 20 (US) b-schools have their average class GMATs running upward of 700, and it is always an advantage to have higher than class-average GMAT scores


Extra curriculars: Sad - start working upon this now. Take up activities/hobbies that you like and devote some time to them- not to just put it there in the application, but out of genuine interest. Adcoms like to see multi-dimensional personalities.
@sayhi2nuts said:
Extra curriculars: Sad My dilemma arises because I am planning to quit the job in the next couple of months and start a small, content-based, ecommerce company (which may not pick up by the time I apply to Unis). So, will this sabattical help or ruin the chances of my MBA dream?

Depends on how this venture fits into your future career goals. If they are around this e-commerce company, then your case that 'you want to pick up the business skills to run this venture' will stand solidified. On the other hand, you may need to address what will happen to this company when you are at b-school (unless you have a business partner, who will fill in for you).

However, if you are quitting your job and starting your own company, then I don't see this as a sabbatical and if you position it as such, then you may not sound very convincing and may ruin your chances of the MBA dream.

Namita, MBA Decoder


1921
@mercury1411 said:
hi,I need answer to just one questionI had given my final year exam of BE in june-2007 and cleared all my papers. However one subject of 3rd year was a backlog and i cleared it in dec-2007 and so on my degree certificate its written 2008 passing and have passed my final year in 2007. I was working from june-2007 to june 2008. so will i be able to write 2007 as my graduation and also will my experience of that one year will be counted.Please reply guys, damn worried due to this.Thank you.
The best people to answer you correctly will be the admissions teams of the b-schools you are planning to apply to.

A lot of b-schools consider the working duration after graduation as full time work experience only, while some others consider work during college as work experience also. Since this is a technical issue, its better to be on the right side by talking to the right people. :)

Namita, MBA Decoder

1922
@mba-help Thanks for the reply Namita. I wasn't aware that b schools follow the procedure of directly connecting with the ppl providing recommendations for the applicant. I am mainly targetting NUS and ISB.
1923

Hi,

This year I applied for one year MBA at IIMC, B and XLRI. Got interview call from all but dinged all.My particulars are
BE in Mechanical Engineering with 7.5 years of work ex in PSU Oil and Gas company
Xth 82 %
XII 75%
BE 63%
GMAT 680 (Q50, V 33, IR 7, AWA 4.5)

I want to know how can I improve my profile (areas) for applying next year and also B Schools outside India which fits my profile ?

I feel I dinged in interview in major way. But all the interviews seemed quite normal to me.I read a lot about my industry, company , current affairs etc. I even prepared for maths (IIMC). I answered those questions well. But I think "why MBA", "what after MBA" etc, these questions were not answered satisfactorily. IIMB faculty clearly asked me where will you go after MBA, which companies, what role, are they hiring ?

Is my unique industry unwelcome in Indian B Schools ?

My low graduation percentage may have lowered my merit rankings (nothing can be done about it now, however according to my university standards its quite Ok, if not great). I can retake GMAT and maybe improve my score by another 40-50 points since I took my GMAT earlier than expected level of prep since some due dates were approaching.But I know guys with 680 getting into IIMA, C and with 620 in XLRI. ( I was quite hopeful for XLRI, but the XLRI faculty grilled me on ROI in interview - fees + opportunity cost).

I dont know reason behind my rejection at all these institute.Please help me to find ?

Now I am trying to broaden my horizon and planning to apply to some phoren B schools too.

I want to major in operations and Supply Chain Management.

McCommbs , Michigan State university are some of the options and I am actively searching for others.I want to balance brand with ROI.Please suggest some other schools which fits my profile.

This year I am also planning to apply for IIMA and ISB (I could have applied for ISB but decided against it due to its high fees and cumbersome application process)

Any further suggestion to improve my application is welcome.
1924
@rajeev44 said:
@mba-help Thanks for the reply Namita. I wasn't aware that b schools follow the procedure of directly connecting with the ppl providing recommendations for the applicant. I am mainly targetting NUS and ISB.

The process I have listed is what these two b-schools follow. So you don't have to guess and invent questions which you think might interest the adcoms. :)

1925
@vsinghmangalore
If you not applying for ISB because of fee structure, then foreign b schools are even costlier with few opportunities on scholarship front..for ops management I feel Krannert school of management, purdue univ and mccombs (esp for energy/oil and gas) are amongst the best..you can even consider MIT sloan, Tepper school of business carnegie mellon univ amongst others..In UK too there are some good b schools for ops management like Cranfield school of management..but fees is a big questions mark for me..they are exorbitant..but ROI is equally good..pursue the course, go for a job there for 1-2 yrs and then return back should be the mantra..

P.S these are based on my self research..if you get some info from seasoned veterans and consultants should be very good..I am seeking the same as well :P
1926
@nilanjan999

I think on scholarship front, there is some opportunity in foriegn B schools. I know of some guys who have got 100% tuition fee waiver from Michigan State University (good for SCM), 100% scholarship + $$$$$ from Arizona State university. Plus they do have value for money (ability to make career/function shift, more wide acceptance/visibility/networking opportunity) MIT would be very tough I belive. Can consider Texas Mays, Rice and Austin.

Plus there is no harm in trying.
1927
@mba-help
i have a 3.5 yrs workex in Power industry. preparing for joining IIM PGP programme this year.Can u guide me something towards Consulting roles in Operation and what is the profile and companies those hire people with such kind of experience.
Help is highly apprecoiated
1928
@mba-help its basically Fuel management profile which i am doing rightnow
1929
I have an offer from Nyenrode and Amsterdam University for the 1 yr MBA program. Tuition fees is coming the same with Amsterdam slightly expensive (2000 Euro more)
Can someone help me to make a decision. My profile is 12 yrs in shipping and post MBA i want to go in for Management Consultancy or Operations and Logistic. Would like to work in Europe for a few Years before returning to India. My ambition is to start my own company. And so I feel that Nyenrode will be better.
But Admission Consultants that I talked to says that Amsterdam is better as the University is have a very good reputation. My point is that the University is good but it runs many courses in a wide variety of field. overall there are 30,000 students enrolled and I will be a part of them. While Nyenrode is more focused on Business education and having almost the same reputation. There the student will be say 200-300 in any given year in all the programs it run.

Then it have got strong network in the industry which will help in the placement. If I am not able to change my field I would still have the option of continuing in shipping sector and Nyenrode contact can help me secure a interview atleast. Amsterdam may not be that helpful in placement in the shipping sector and I don't have idea on their help in starting a business.

But if I go as per the opinion of the admission consultants, they are favoring Amsterdam.
Can anyone help me to come to a conclusion.
1930

Hi I have gmat score of 650 and 4.3 years of It exp . Could you please suggest some colleges where I could apply . I applied in GWU and had my interview (But heard now its very costly) , applied to smeal(ding with interview ) ,applied to sauder(ding w.o interview) . I am thinking to apply for Alberta . Could you please suggest is it worth spending so much money if i get admission offer from gwu and hows the prospect in alberta and Is there any other colg where I could apply now. thanks

1931

Hi Mba-help/Namita,


Could I request you to take a look at my questions below?

I have pretty bad undergrad (50 odd % average and several repeats) thanks to a life threatening accident which also saw me take a career break of some 3 odd years while i recovered. Thereafter, I went on to do and scored well in MS in management @ a top US university (3.7/4 GPA). My 10th and 12 th are around 85% and 71% respectively. In terms of WE, I will have 7 years total & be 34 years of age when I apply for a 1 year program and 35 when i graduate. My WE is all in the same firm in the IT sector, and ranges from around 4.5 years as an analyst and manager (I did typical MBA roles - business issue analysis, industry tracking & was promoted to a program manager leading a team of several consultants). Not the typical IT kind of role, as I was more into figuring out business issues of our clients and customers, tying that together with market intelligence and working on business plans so that my company's senior managers could figure out which way the market was moving and respond. Then 2 years of product management, where i will be handling a product across its entire development to launch to sustaining, working with different business functions to get the job done. All these roles are typical MBA ones but i did them as i had done a MS in management which was partly focused on business strategy (less finance and marketing though). I have won several awards, been a consistent performer (even got the highest rating) and so forth.

Now with my profile, do you honestly feel that my very bad engineering acads & the career break thereafter, can be compensated for and I can apply for a top MBA school? My desire to do a MBA is all about building out my larger knowledge base, there are several areas where I should know more.

Also, with my age-experience profile, do you think I can break into consulting or corporate strategy post a MBA? I really cannot consider spending huge amounts of money and then wondering whether I am too old/not the right fit/ to land a decent job post the effort. Since my first two roles included evaluating market intelligence, understanding business challenges and the third is all about taking decisions based the market movement, I am very interested in moving to either consulting or strategy.

The MBA dream is really strong in me, and I do wish to go ahead. Based on the age/WE factor I was predominantly looking at ISB, and perhaps the IIM PGP programs but I have heard their placements are harder as they compete against their 2 year programs.
Look forward to your advice.

1932

@mba-help

Hi,

I have just now received an admit from HKU MBA 2013 program with London Track. And I have to pay the deposit fee by March 11.

But I am also awaiting the interview results of Kelley, Smeal and S.P.Jain PGDM program. I am expecting the Kelley results by 10th March and I hope the results of other 2 schools will come by end of March. I believe I have done the interviews of all these 3 schools very well.

My expectations out of an MBA:

1. Interested Subjects/Specializations - Operations, Consulting, Marketing, Entrepreneurship

2. Good career prospects

3. The program should be strong and well recognized globally

4. Good global exposure would be a nice thing

Brief Profile:

GMAT : 700

TOEFL: 108

Work Exp: 3 Years (by July2013)

Good extra curriculars

Now I am in a dilemma of choosing the schools. I want to do a reputed program. Which school would be the best fit for me considering my expectations?.

1933
@cocoa312 said:
@mba-help i have a 3.5 yrs workex in Power industry. preparing for joining IIM PGP programme this year.Can u guide me something towards Consulting roles in Operation and what is the profile and companies those hire people with such kind of experience.Help is highly apprecoiated
Hi,

I think you should reach out directly to the students of the IIM programs you are targeting. The job role (fuel management) you are seeking is very specific and they would be able to guide you accurately.

Though consulting companies (Mckinsey, AT Kearney, Bain & co. etc.) visit the IIM campuses, you should do some more research on whether they recruit for the vertical/function you are interested in.

You should also consider ISB.

Namita, MBA Decoder
1934
Hi Akash,

I had answered your post here yesterday:

http://www.pagalguy.com/posts/4809422

Namita, MBA Decoder
1935

@jeshlive said:


Hi jeshlive,

I think we talked earlier in the day?

The biggest differentiator is the region - HK/ US/ India - all 3 economies represent different things. Which one is the best for your career aspirations?

What kind of companies would you like to work with post MBA? which b-school will get you easy access to those companies (and the roles)?

Try talking to students within these b-schools - as they can give you the insider's perspective to the recruitment scenario within their b-schools.

Do remember to come back here and share your decision with us.

All the Best,

Namita, MBA Decoder

1936
@mba-help Thanks for the reply. Yea, it was me who talked to you earlier. Thanks for your points. I will try these approches. And ofcourse, would share my decision, as soon as I arrive upon one.
1937

hi Sir/Madam,


I have admission offer from hult dubai and great lakes for 1 year mba.. however i am looking for more options abroad... can you please help me with some good schools where i can apply and stand a chance of getting selected for 1 year mba program. My gmat score is 600 with decent acedamics. I have 7 years of Experience in IT and currently working as a manager with US bank. Also if i have t o chose between Hult and great lakes chennai...which one should i prefer.

Thanks in advance
1938

Hi Namita,

Thanks a lot for the detailed answer. I have few more queries since I wrote last time:

I am planning to target 2015 batch, so I will be about 33 years old that time. Will it be wise to apply for 1 year MBA or 2 year program? I read on some other forums that it's better to go for 1 year program at this age and exp level. Personally I'd also prefer 1 year program because of shorter time spent and less cost. But I also read that it's not easy to change geography, industry, function and role after 1 year mba. Can you please advise? I want to either pusue a career in HR or study further (maybe a phd in related field) or start something on my own. In all these cases I want to change my geography (to US), function, industry and role. So need some help here. Which US programs are good to target keeping my goals in mind?