Thank you for your inquiry. I apologize for missing your post and appreciate your making me aware of it and your subsequent patience. 1. Work visas: I keep in touch with a lot of my clients and this has never really been a problem. Generally, the firms that recruit on campus are big enough that they have HR people dedicated to these functions. If they want you, most firms will do the legwork. This is my anecdotal experience only. 2. You seem to have a solid foundation grades, GMAT, international work experience, publications, community experience. I am unsure of your professional progress have you been promoted? Do you manage a staff? Are your responsibilities significant? Even without this information, Stanford seems to be unlikely and Chicago seems like a stretch in an ultracompetitive year. Still, Darden and Oxford should be within range if you can tell a compelling professional story. It is very difficult to gauge whether you will be competitive with respect to scholarships Sincerely, Jeremy Shinewald MBA Mission www.mbamission.com 646-485-8844 Skype: MBAMission
Jeremy,
Thanks for being kind and helpful. I just wanted to attract your attention to my post #624 at page number 63, in case it got overlooked. Thanks again; appreciate your help a lot.
Thank you for your inquiry. Clearly, you have accomplished a great deal in the technical realm. Still, I am missing the achievements that will enable you to standout from your peers. You have strong grades and a good GMAT score, strong professional progress and recommendations, but what makes you different? Do you have any personal or community achievements that set you apart? Sincerely, Jeremy Shinewald MBA Mission www.mbamission.com 646-485-8844 Skype: MBAMission
Hi Jeremy,
My profile is as follows: GPA: 7.5/10 BTech Computer Science & Engg - IIT Kharagpur 2005 Work Ex as of today 3.2 yrs at 2 large telcos - Verizon and Bharti Airtel.
Started out as a system developer and became a system analyst in under one year. Was working on a project that gave $20m savings to Verizon. Got a good offer as an Asst Manager at Bharti airtel in 2007, which was a direct entry into management especially managing a partner team(s). Current Role: Enterprise Architect - managing partners like IBM, Oracle etc My current role is very close to a technology consultant where we raise red flags, advisories and share best industry practices. Also, involved in the planning and strategy of the company and to help the company invest in the right way over the next 5 years.
GMAT score: 710 (49Q, 36V), AWA 5.0
Recommendations: CIO & Chief Architect, Vice President - whom I work directly for.
My short term goal - get into management consulting Long Term goal - Become part of the leadership team in a large company.
What are my chances of getting into: Columbia, Chicago GSB, INSEAD, Yale & Kellog?
Thank you for your inquiry. I will answer your questions one by one 1. How much value does military experience command in top US schools? Also which of the top ones are "military friendly"? What is the scope of an applicant with military background among the competitive Indian applicant pool? Military experience is very highly regarded at U.S. business schools. There is so much that is implied in being a soldier leadership, selflessness, internal motivation etc all of which are traits that corporate America and thus b-schools appreciate. Darden and HBS are known to be particularly friendly to military candidates. 2. I dont have any brand/blue chip to talk about. My brand name would be Indian Army Hope it will be of value? Pls advise. I think that this brand will be of tremendous value. It makes you quite different from your many countrymen who are applying as well.
3. I hold a three year bachelors degree in physics. Which of the top 10 accept a three year degree? You should inquire with the schools directly so that you have the most up to date information. 4. Will my lack of international exposure be a hindrance? No. There is no international prerequisite. Many candidates get in without international experience. You will just need to reveal the distinctiveness of your own story. 5. Financing the MBA. Loan options? This situation is in flux because of the credit crisis. Currently, schools are scrambling to ensure that all international students will have access to loans without co-signers. This situation will evolve in the next few months 6. As of now, i have my mind on Stanford and tuck. What would be the other options? Post MBA, I want to get into consulting. There is a world of options for you. Chicago has fantastic resources for consultants, as do Darden and Harvard which boasts the case method, as does Kellogg.There are a lot of great schools out there that offer access to consulting firms and have the educational resources necessary to train consultants. 7. Is it possible to transition into consulting with the kind of background i have? I am not a corporate recruiter, but the short answer should be yes. I know of many military candidates who have gone on to consulting positions. 8. Is TOEFL waived if the medium of instruction for UG degree had been english? At virtually all schools, that is the case. Still, I would check with each individually as you apply, just to be sure.
Sincerely, Jeremy Shinewald MBA Mission www.mbamission.com 646-485-8844 Skype: MBAMission
Hi jeremy.
Thanks for the initiative and your efforts. I am sure they are very helpful.
I am an Army officer with three years of service. I will be completing my mandatory five years in 2010 and I am planning to hang my uniform after that. I intend to pursue an MBA from any of the top B school in the US. I have got combat experience by means of leading men under fire since i have spent most of my time in an active counter insurgency area. I am responsible for military operations in an area of around 50 square km and command about 100 men. I do not have any international exposure, but served in the remotest of places in India. GMAT is yet to be taken, but pretty confident of a decent score. (say around 700) Academics not so good but have managed first class. (70%) About the accomplishments on the professional front and community service, a decoration for gallantry is on the cards + done well in Military course with good gradings to speak about + active involvement in Military civic action programs.
Although i have done some research on google, hands on experience is more reassuring. Pls answer my queries on the following.
1. How much value does military experience command in top US schools? Also which of the top ones are "military friendly"? What is the scope of an applicant with military background among the competitive Indian applicant pool? 2. I dont have any brand/blue chip to talk about. My brand name would be Indian Army Hope it will be of value? Pls advise. 3. I hold a three year bachelors degree in physics. Which of the top 10 accept a three year degree? 4. Will my lack of international exposure be a hindrance? 5. Financing the MBA. Loan options? 6. As of now, i have my mind on Stanford and tuck. What would be the other options? Post MBA, I want to get into consulting. 7. Is it possible to transition into consulting with the kind of background i have? 8. Is TOEFL waived if the medium of instruction for UG degree had been english?
Any tip to translate my background into an effective application essay will be very helpful.
Thank you for your inquiry and your patience. Sorry for missing your post and thank you for bringing it to my attention. Considering the tier of schools that you are targeting, I dont think that the GMAT will be that much of an issue (Smith, Krannert, Irvine and Carey). At Darden and Tepper, it will be, especially if you come from the IT field. A higher score will help you but it wont be the silver bullet so to speak. Nonetheless, I do think that you have some safe choices, as highlighted above. Sincerely, Jeremy Shinewald MBA Mission www.mbamission.com 646-485-8844 Skype: MBAMission
Jeremy,
I guess you missed my query(post 639 on page 64). Quoting it below... Please respond to it when you find time.
Thank you for your inquiry. I apologize, but I will need more information on your work progress, community involvement, personal accomplishments and more before I can offer any advice. I just dont have enough to go on Sincerely, Jeremy Shinewald MBA Mission www.mbamission.com 646-485-8844 Skype: MBAMission
Hi Jeremy,
Before penning down my broad list of queries,I'd like to say that I appreciate your initiative in starting such a good thread to answer the queries of the prospective MBAs like me.
Coming to the my question(or questions!!), the following is a brief profile of mine: Work Exp - 2+ years in a reputed MNC GMAT(2nd attempt) - 710(V40, Q49, AWA 5.5) Xth - 82.2(CBSE) XIIth - 96.9 B.Tech - 7.66 (NIT) Extracurriculars - 8/10 ( Self-rated :oha:) My fields of interests are Operations, Marketing and Finance(In that order)
Considering this profile, could you please suggest the B-schools I could apply keeping my chances of getting in as realistic as possible. I have shortlisted the following as of now: 1) HBS 2) Stanford 3) Yale 4) Tuck 5) Wharton(??)
I'm really not able to proceed any further as I'm not able to finalize my list. Also, I would like you to consider that I definitely need some kind of funding for my MBA coz I have not saved much Please help me out here Thanks in advance.
Thanks for replying. I will furnish the following details which will provide the information you asked for:
Work Progress: I've got promoted to a level at which my seniors(some of whom are 2 years senior to me) are right now within a span of 18 months.
I'm the youngest in my team to be lead a whole module on my own in a high-risk/high-intensity project,which is the first of it's kind in our team.
I've been nominated for the prestigious 'Employee of the month' award in my first year into the company itself,which is commended as well. I've worked for and completed the implementation of some 7 projects which is considered a big achievement in my team( my recommender would edify this..) Personal Accomplishments: I've attained a prestigious merit scholarship offered by a national level bank all through my school till my graduation.
I've secured a rank of 441 in the state level entrance exam for graduation(i don't know if this will count..but the exam is written by some 10 lakh students)
My 96.9 % in XII is inside the top 10th mark state-wide.
And...apart from these, I've represented my school in various state-level science fares, debates, quizzes and cultural programs. I used to direct and write screenplay for dramas at school level and reached state-level competitions in the same...
In my graduation, I was the chief organizer for two national level technical-cum- cultural events. I captained my discipline's volleyball team in the intra-murals and I captain the volleyball team in the current organization I'm working in... Community Involvement: All through my schooling and college, I've been part of a non-profit organization which is maintained by my church and I've done considerable work for various ministries as part of my church... While at school, I formed a team with some teachers and students and conducted an awareness program about the war which India was in at that time, we advocated for the nation's cause and collected donations and sent it to the army-relief fund... Apart from that, I was part of some rallies which championed for the cause of some local problems..
The above is the whole set of things I have.....Pardon me for the long long list...although I'm not gonna blabber all this in my applications, I wanted to give you complete information....and hence, the long post....
Depending on the above, could you give me a vague idea regarding the colleges at which I could target?
Since I've already missed the first round deadlines of many of the colleges, will it be a good idea to apply in the second round? Or should I wait for an year and then apply for the first round itself?
Also, Harvard and Stanford are my dream schools...I've already missed the first round deadlines of them, so will it be a nice idea to better my GMAT score( 750+) and then apply for the second round or should I wait till the next year?
Thanks in advance.....
Thank you for your inquiry. I apologize, but I will need more information on your work progress, community involvement, personal accomplishments and more before I can offer any advice. I just don't have enough to go on Sincerely, Jeremy Shinewald MBA Mission www.mbamission.com 646-485-8844 Skype: MBAMission
Earlier this year, Philip Delves Broughton, an HBS graduate (06) and former New York and Paris Bureau Chief for the Daily Telegraph (London), caused a stir when he released a book detailing his experiences at HBS. In Ahead of the Curve Delves Broughton revealed both positive and negative sides of his experience at HBS, but drew attention because so many considered this to be a broad representative experience. Recently, we interviewed Delves Broughton to better understand his intentions and motivations as well as others reactions to his book.
The first part of our two part series follows below. We will publish the second part tomorrow.
Sincerely, Jeremy Shinewald MBA Mission 646-485-8844
MBA Mission: You wrote a great deal at the beginning of your book about how powerful the Harvard Business School (HBS) network is, and now youve written a book that has clearly drawn the ire of many an HBS grad. Have you noticed a decrease in invitations to cocktail parties? Delves Broughton: No, no, Ive never worried about that. Ive just got my fundraising letter, as usual, so that hasnt stopped. No, I havent heard from anyone who is hostile- but Ive had a lot of positive reaction, because this is the truth of itTheres often this gap between what the institution says about itself and what it does and the way it behaves, along with the kind of attention and some of the ambitions of some of the human beings inside them
My book isnt an anti-business book, its how do we make this work for us as people? How do we get away from the kind of rah-rah chest bumping/chest-beating kind of act were seeing so much in business? I think its alienating for a lot of people, even people who do well
MBA Mission: Did you feel like your experience was shared by many or by few in your class?
Delves Broughton: You know its my experience, it isnt anyone elses, but I think a lot of people see pieces of themselves in it. Not everyone is me thats fairly obvious. But I think a lot of people see that pressure to conform, it can be oppressive. A lot of people refer to the notion of Im very lucky, I know this is a great thing to be doing, but yet theres something that makes me uneasy about all this.
Ive been really surprised at who gets back to me, and its not just all the liberal arts majors who like this book. Ive had emails from Asian women immigrants who end up in business school, who in many ways are classic success stories. They read it and they say, You know what this is resonating with me because parts of pursuing success as defined by Harvard Business School make me feel very uncomfortableYouve got to have a sympathy or empathy towards it.
MBA Mission: Have you had any positive reaction from within HBS? Delves Broughton: Ive had emails from a lot of people in my classes. Ive had email from people at the school, and you know people say the same things. They use the term brutally honest. Im not brutally honest, I just try to be honest, but I think it seems brutal because a lot of people arent very honest about this whole business school, the institution. People are kind of afraid to say, Im not going to tell the truth or talk about an experience like it isnt 100% positive. Of course, the truth is very few experiences are, so why should all business school be 100% positive? My books accentuates that its about 75-80% positive and about 5% not so positive
I think that an institution like Harvard Business School. . .essentiality the problem is that people either expect you to be 100% cheerleading for it, saying this place walks on water, or you have to be one of these people who likes kicking it. Its very hard for people to see you as neither, and thats what I am..
MBA Mission: Is HBS secure as an institution?
Delves Broughton: I think all business schools are insecure about one key question: can business actually be taught? Its not like law or medicine where you need to go to school to succeed. So what is it theyre teaching? Do they have a place on a university campus? The other strange thing about HBS is that it often acts more like a corporation, fiercely protective of its image as if guarding a stock price, and less like an educational establishment, open to criticism and inquiry. Which is probably a sign of some kind of insecurity.
MBA Mission: You spend a lot of time discussing work life balance versus the intense demands of corporate America. Is balance an HBS problem or is this a problem of the world as it is today? Would balance issues not occur in any business school?
Delves Broughton: To an extent, yeah, and I hope that my book has kind of a broader resonance. Im trying to describe through my experience. I know these problems exist for a lot of people, youre right. Heres the thing. Its that I think writing about Harvard Business School is so interesting because here you have 900 people who essentially have all the choices in the world.These people in theory could pick and chose the life they want. In many ways they accept the fact that their personal lives are kind of going to have to go to hell Why do the feel like that? I think that more people should stand up and say that they demand more out of their professional and personal lives. I sort of wish institutions like HBS were more aggressive about this.
Thank you for your inquiry. I am a little perplexed by your profile. You are running a successful firm that is getting national attention and you want to go back to school to become a consultant? What are your plans for your firm? Generally, entrepreneurs love the entrepreneurial life and will do anything to maintain it. This is not to say that an MBA cant be helpful to them, but most dont write about wanting to join the world of consulting. I see this as being an obstacle, unless it is really logically explained. What is your angle here? Further, despite the comments of others, we are just not seeing the numbers for Indian candidates with MBAs. Having consulted with three top-ten schools, we have one that can't allow students with MBAs into their program, one that does it every few years and another that hasn't done it in years. I don't have the whole story on this but it seems unlikely to me that HBS, Stanford or Kellogg will be options, though I hope that you can prove me wrong. I do think that if these schools were to make an exception, they would do it for a formidable entreprenur. Sincerely, Jeremy Shinewald MBA Mission www.mbamission.com 646-485-8844 Skype: MBAMission
Hi Jeremy Wih reference to my earlier post, as things turned out I ended up applying to just Wharton for Round 1 and have received an interview invitation from them scheduled for the 19th of November. Was just wondering if you would have some tips with regards to interviews in general or Wharton interviews in particular. Incidentally I have scheduled a Hub interview with an Adcom member at New Delhi, India Thanks Sarfraz
dear jeremy I really appreciate your initiative and here I am asking you few of my doubts:
1. we hv a family business in agro chemicals but I did electrical engineering 73% . After this i was in buiness for 6-8 months just getting the feel of it. My long term goal is to start IT vertical for my family business. so i joined MNC as progrmmer analyst and completed 2 years experience as on date. I hv led a small team for 4/5 people for a project for six months, but currently in production support. I want to do MBA to sharpen my managerial skills with emphasis on corporate strategy . but short term goal is to have major international experience for 4/5 years before starting IT vertical.
2. I am quite well appreciated in my present organisation . 3. But is this enough experience to apply for B school in U.S. Or should i gain more experience 4.For corporate strategy which schools are reuputed. Is there any way I can find out. In FT , it gives top 10 International B schools 5. I am also involved in an organisation which is famous for moulding people-peronality development-as a social service i am doing. 6. i hv 93% in 12th and 73% electrical engg. hope to hear your views hope to get back from you
job profile:Working as a Manager in Haryana Power Generation Corporation(PSU) a thermal Power project Company. Work ex of 4.5 years GMAT score:660(47,34),83 percentile B.tech percentage 72.8% while the topper of the Univ.(KUK) scored 78.8% marks in Electronics and communication. Currently handling a team of 20.
how do u see my chances of getting a call from SBS.
Hi Jeremy First of all thank you for your insights. I am sure all the puys are benefiting immensely from them. My name is Aditya (Adi for all my friends). I am planning to apply to US B schools for fall 2009. To run you through my profile Class X : 85 % Class XII : 80% (95% PCM) Graduation : 64% (BE Computers, Sardar Patel College, Mumbai) GMAT : 720/5.0 Work Experience I have 3 years of professional experience as a software consultant (3 years and 8 months by the time I join college next year). Currently I am a Project Leader for a team of 10. Career Highlights
I led the transition of my previous project from Mumbai to Kolkata and built a new team of 12 at Kolkata.
My team was recognized by the CEO for its Innovative approach towards problem solving. I also received the 'Best Performer' award.
In my final year of Engineering I developed a game for Reliance Infocomm that was launched all over India. Within a week of launch there were 2, 00,000 hits on the server for the game which translated to 14k USD for Reliance.
Extracurricular Activities
I have been a Greenpeace activist for the last three years. Spearheaded a campaign at local level for protecting the environment.
Back in Engineering days I was the co-coordinator for Quizzes and Seminars for my college. I organize quizzes at my workplace as well.
I have won several awards at intercollegiate level mainly in the field of fine arts.
Hobbies
I am a guitarist at heart
I am an avid trekker and a marathon runner.
Post-MBA I aspire to pursue a career in the field of Consultancy .Based on my profile could you suggest a few B schools I should target. I am considering applying to Ross, Cornell, Darden and NUS. I wonder if my choice of schools is appropriate. Thanks Adi
I am Mayank Singla, Software Engineer by profession with over 1.5 years of experience. I have done my B.Tech in IT in 2007 with 75% approx. Completed my 10+2 in 2003 with 82%.
I'll be giving GMAT this December. I am planning to apply in Round 2 deadlines for Fall 09.
It is kind of funny that I am planning to do MBA but, I am not sure in which field and from which school. Can you please help me out.
Hi Jeremy. I'd like to know: 1. Is it alright/advisable to send supplemetary material with the application such as additional references (for a college project/internship), class ranking certificate from college etc? Does it help? Also is is necessary to send proof of the achievements/awards etc that are cited in the essays with the application? 2. Incase of 2 recommendation letters, is it okay to send 1 academic recommendation and 1 professional or both professional are preferred?Are academic recommendations viewed positively? 3. I'd like to know how Simon is for marketing .Ive heard about its reputation for Finance. (I have also got an application fee waiver from them as a "Priority Candidate" or something) 4. My profile is: 22, Female GMAT: 710 Acads: Good (92.33% class 10, 10th out of 1200 students in class 11,Stood first in 2 semesters as a management studies undergraduate) Extra currics: Very good (led a team of 150 people as Head of college festival, member of college clubs, organizers award and scholarship from college, Director of College Dramatics Troupe,11 levels of certification in Communication and Speech from Trinity College, London, many extra curric achievements in skool-House Captain, National Model United Nations etc etc etc) Work ex: 2 n a half years(by next September) (currently working in the family business in Merchandising and business development for Europe, diverse job profile handling everything from production to sales) Community service (spent a summer studying non profit organizations touring Indian villages for my thesis on rural education, teach poor children Communication and Drama) 5. can you name some skools in US and Europe where there are chances with 2.5 years work ex (By Sept 09) (Thatz my main concern) and that too for marketing with my profile? 6. Where does Simon stand compared to other skools ?. What are realistic chances of skools like Emory, Darden, Duke, Cornell with my profile ? 7.Is it true adcoms encourage female applicants? 8. Is it realistic to apply to US skools now after 2 rounds are already over? What are the chances in this round? (After early action and round 1)
Hi Jeremy, I'm thinking of applying to the big 3 - harvard, stanford and wharton, all for round 2. Could you please take a look at my profile and possibly suggest other schools if you feel these are absolute long-shots. Thanks.
Nationality: Indian, Male. (due Irish citizenship shortly) Age: 25 GMAT: 720 High School: International Baccalaureate Diploma, Hanoi, Vietnam. Undergrad (Electronic Engineering): First year at National University of Singapore, then transferred to Trinity College Dublin, Ireland. Overall mark: 73.2%
Work Experience: Mixed Signal Design Engineer at a prominent semiconductor firm in Ireland for the past 2 years. (3 years by Fall 2009). Internships: - Selected for the Siemens International Internship Programme for the Summer of 2005. (4 months at Siemens Medical, Pennsylvania). - Selected for a Research Internship at Bell Labs, Lucent Technologies European HQ in Dublin. (Summer 2006)
Languages: (Fluency on a scale of 1-5): Hindi(5), English(5), French(3), Japanese(3), Mandarin(3),Vietnamese(2), German(2), Irish (1).
International Exposure: Grew up in seven countries, few years each.
Extra-Curricular activities: a. Post-College 1. Captain of the company tennis team: - Led the team to win the 2008 Inter-Firm Tennis Championships in which 30 companies from Mid-West Ireland participated. - Coached/Trained the 13 member team over the past 1.5 years. - Winner of several Singles and Doubles Tennis titles (south Ireland level). 2. Writing: Several short stories (recurrent theme of raising awareness on Alzheimer's Disease) featured/published by a few web magazines. 3. IT Training Volunteer, Alzheimer's Society of Ireland: MS Excel training for staff of the Alzheimer's Society of Ireland. Replacing/Upgrading computers. 4. Community Service Volunteer, National Council for the Blind of Ireland: Spending time with people with sight loss - basic computer training, taking them for walks, shopping.
b. College 1. Chief Editor of the Residential Hall Magazine. Led a team of 4 sub-editors, 600 copies were printed and distributed. 2. Captain of the Residential hall Tennis team. Led the 10 member team to win the Silver Medal in the Inter-Hall Games for the first time in 24 years. 3. Vice-Captain of the Hall Table Tennis team. 4. Represented University in Inter-Varsity tournaments in tennis and table-tennis (all 4 years).
c. High School (Vietnam) 1. Winner of the Singles and Doubles Badminton titles at the Mekong River International Schools Sports Exchange (MRISA) in which several international schools from Laos, Cambodia, Indonesia and Vietnam participated. 2. Elected Secretary of the Student Council. Initiated several fund-raising events: blood donation camps, movie nights, international food evenings, auctions all towards flood relief in the Mekong Delta. 3. Volunteered at a local orphanage as part of the IB course for 1.5 years. Taught primary school children english and math.
Post-MBA Goals: Straying into the Not-for-Profit sector: To understand and improve the supply-chain management of organisations like UNWFP (world food programme) and UNDP, as well as other UN divisions.
Could you suggest other schools I could consider given my profile and goals as well as my chances for the big three.
Ankit, I need more information! What does involved at home mean? Tell me more about your career have you been promoted? I need color more than stats! Happy to help when I have a broader picture! Sincerely, Jeremy Shinewald MBA Mission www.mbamission.com 646-485-8844 Skype: MBAMission
Hi Jeremy,
Thanks for your response..
When I said involved at home, I meant that I was involved in teaching orphan students in India... After coming to US I was more involved in work so could not get in any social activity..
Also I was campus recruited by this MNC in the yr 2004, I had joined as a trainee and within 2 years I was promoted to Technical Leader and sent to US as a Subject Matter Expert (SME) for my project. In 2007, I changed my company and started working as a consultant for various companies..
Let me know if you need any more information. Once again, thanks for your response
I aint dumb..I am Academically challenged...Bad joke to start off
Pls Evaluate
23/Male/Commerce grad with 3 yrs of Functional IT Exp
X - 57% XII - 61%:1eye: Even flunked in the First Year.... BCOM - 55% MCOM - 48 %:snipersm:
ITIL - Basic:angel: COPC certified SIX SIGMA
Work Ex-- 1.8 yrs - Accenture...Tech Support 7 Months - CAPITA...IT Analyst 1 Yr - IBM, Client:Barclays Bank...Incident Officer..Present
EC:a lot of certificates for Sports, Performing Arts, Medals @ Corporate Sports Meet, Certifcates for Exceeding given parameters from Client, Monetary reward worth US$4000
Mentored Teams, Handled a team of 12 guys, Was part of a project pertaining to process excellence,Trained on effective feedbacks, Strategic Planning, SWOT analysis etc
Studying for GMAT for past 2 years...Confidence level quite high wrt to GMAT...Can c nothing but GMAT on mind..Planning to give the test !!!!!
I do under stand that i still have time...but dont wanna loose anything as have lost heavily with acads
Hi Jeremy Thank you for your insights. Its been really helpful. I just wanted some feedback on my profile and some specific queries answered. To run you through my profile Class X : 85 % Class XII : 85% (95% PCM) Graduation : B.E (Information Sciences and Technology) - 85% - College Topper - University 6th Rank CAT - 99.23%ile Post-Grad - Post Graduate Diploma in Industrial Management - equivalent to an MBA in India - 8.0/10 Awarded Best Management Student in India by Bombay Mangement Association GMAT : 750/6.0 Work Experience 2.5 years of professional experience with Unilever. -Interned in Brand Management with Unilever for 6 months. Ended up with a job offer. Joined Unilever as a Business Leadership Trainee - Sales and Marketing. Did rotations across Sales, Brands, Rural, Supply Chain over the course of a year. Led a team of 32 and sales worth 5 million USD in 6 months in Sales. Worked in Brand Building for another 6 months with a beauty soap brand called Lux. Post a year, got bored of doing sales & marketing and shifted to the technology vertical within Unilever. Am currently designated as Systems Manager and work as a Business Partner for Distribution Planning and Logistics. The work is to essentially act as the key, strategic, interface between Technology and specific business areas, namely Distribution Planning and Logistics, in order to proactively support and add value in the delivery of their business objectives. Work level is mid-management, leading roughly 12 graduates (officers and tech consultants) Extracurricular Activities
Presented papers in Italy and Las Vegas.
Represented India at the International Youth Leadership conference in Prague in 2006.
Best Management Student in India- Awareded by Bombay Management Association
Won every possible competition within B-Schools and Undergrad Colleges in India (over 50).
Part of International High IQ Society called Mensa.
Was Individual Champion-Athletics-Karnataka State a long time back during school days.
I'd appreciate some feedback on the following.
- I was gunning for the top 10 B-Schools globally. Is that too ambitious given my profile and work-ex? - I did a radical shift within Unilever after spending 15 months in Sales and Marketing into IT. Is that a strength or a weakness.. I've ended up spending time in Sales, Brands, Supply Chain and Technology - largely because I wanted to move into consulting as an CPG Industry Specialist rather than a functional expert. How do i turn this into my advantage? - In spite of presenting papers/conferences abroad, my profile lacks international work experience. Will that be an hinderance, if yes, to what extent? - Any other loopholes within the profile and/or any suggestions to improve my chances. - Finally, how do I avoid getting into the India-IT trap?
Thank you for your inquiry. You should consider the quality of your experience and not the amount of time served. It is great that you are being given more responsibility and that you are managing others. Still, beware, the technical path is a very challenging one as there are so many applicants from this area. With respect to corporate strategy, you really cant go wrong with any top-15 school and probably beyond. Corporate strategy is not a single discipline, so you should be able to learn the skills necessary by going to any top-general management school. Sincerely, Jeremy Shinewald MBA Mission 646-485-8844 Website: www.mbamission.com Blog: www.mbamission.com/blog MBA Mission Insiders Guides: www.mbamission.com/store.php Free Consultation: www.mbamission.com/consult.php
dear jeremy I really appreciate your initiative and here I am asking you few of my doubts:
1. we hv a family business in agro chemicals but I did electrical engineering 73% . After this i was in buiness for 6-8 months just getting the feel of it. My long term goal is to start IT vertical for my family business. so i joined MNC as progrmmer analyst and completed 2 years experience as on date. I hv led a small team for 4/5 people for a project for six months, but currently in production support. I want to do MBA to sharpen my managerial skills with emphasis on corporate strategy . but short term goal is to have major international experience for 4/5 years before starting IT vertical.
2. I am quite well appreciated in my present organisation . 3. But is this enough experience to apply for B school in U.S. Or should i gain more experience 4.For corporate strategy which schools are reuputed. Is there any way I can find out. In FT , it gives top 10 International B schools 5. I am also involved in an organisation which is famous for moulding people-peronality development-as a social service i am doing. 6. i hv 93% in 12th and 73% electrical engg. hope to hear your views hope to get back from you
Can anyone send me names of some good MBA colleges in marketing. And Is marketing a good branch for MBA. Or can oyu suggest some other good bramch for doing MBA
You guys are really doing a great job. I am really impressed with the way your replies are.
Anyways, i would explain my profile and my target is mainly HBS for fall 2009. Also considering Cambridge judge and oxford said..
1. Class tenth - 89% 2. Class 12th - 96% 3. I hold two engineering degrees in two diverse fields: i. Bachelor of Technology - Chemical engineering ( Passed with first class and distinction ii. Bachelor of Technology - Information Technology ( Dual Degree ) - First class I have done these two degrees from a premier tech institute in India and i should say that the two courses are separate and not much common courses were present. Also, There was no compromise with the number of credits needed for graduations. ( i had attended 12 hours classes and over 6 and 1/2 days a week ) Really stressful and commending coursework indeed. 4. Extra currics - Volunteer in second year college events, committee member in rotary club during third year college, Secretary/President for the Faculty's technical/academic associations and convened quiet a few events. On top of all, i am the convenor for a national level technical symposium hosting a wide array of technical/cultural events in chemical engineering. 5. Languages - learnt basic level german and japanese so far 6. Work exp - 51 months in aug 2009 ( India IT) - as a senior associate in research team in SAP. ( previously joined as junior level associate and promoted before due) 7. Extra currics at work - Consistently working in non profit activities since i graduated from college as a volunteer. 8. GMAT - 670 (Quants - 49 and Verbal - 34 ) AWA 6.0 😞
My main drawback is my GMAT score and have decided not to take gmat anymore this year.
I hope i can make very good essays abt personal/professional life as there are quiet a few achievements i can talk about. Also my aim is to start an NGO educational trust in India.
I am really bothered about my gmat score and i am baffled about whether this will be a hindrance for my acceptance in harvard.
What do you think abt this profile? how well will it fare in the admission process in HBS? Please give me an idea about this.
(PS: I have applied for quiet a few business schools in 2008 and joined brandeis international business school with 85% aid. But unfortunately due to family issues(my dad passed away and i have to be with family) i have dropped my mba there and planning to give a shot just to harvard/cambridge/oxford this fall 2009 before i join brandeis again in fall 2009 with same 85% aid ).
Hope it will be of value? Pls advise.
US$4000