Ask Jeremy @ MBAMission.com - What it takes to get to the best global business school

MBA
803
Thanks for your reply.
I think i will be more interested in executive MBA.


Thank you for replying. Given your work experience, GMAT and overall profile I think you'll be a strong candidate for an executive MBA program. Best of luck.

Sincerely,
Jessica Shklar Senior Consultant
MBA Mission

646-485-8844

Website: www.mbamission.com
Blog: www.mbamission.com/blog
804

Dear Jeremy,

A brief synopsis of my educational background to start with. I have completed my Masters in Business Economics (with dual specialization in Marketing and Econometrics) from the University of Delhi with a good score. Prior to that, I pursued Economics(Honors) from the same University,again with an above average score.

As a part of the course requirement,I interned with the leading Consumer goods company in India in their marketing function and was acknowledged for my contribution.

I am currently working in the Sales function with a telecommunication company in India and I intend to write GMAT this year and bank it for another year so that my number of years of work totals to 2 or at the maximum 3.

Regarding Extra-curriculars, I play two musical instruments and have performed in various competitions and concerts.I am a voice-impersonation artist , have represented my institute/school in the game of cricket at various levels. I am also an avid quizzer and have a penchant for writing.

So given my interests ,good academic scores and a 2-3 year experience in Sales and wanting to build on that by specializing in Marketing in a B-school ,what kind of a score should I aim at?

I plan to apply to B-schools like NUS,ISB etc. What other options wrt B-schools should I look at? I am keen on not just another high ranked B-school but one with a 'cutting edge' marketing curriculum.

I would welcome any other advice related to my profile that you would like to offer.

I appreciate your taking the time and replying to all our queries .

Regards,
Absak

805

Hi Jeremy,

First of all, thanks for your time and wonderful replies. I am an MBA aspirant and have a few queries. Here, go my details

10th : 73%
12th : 65%
B.Sc : 67%
MCA : 8.05 CGPA on a scale of 10

GMAT : Yet to be taken, Late July
Age : 26 completed

Experience: Will complete 2 years this July(Had my internship in the same organization for 6 months and was absorbed after that). By the time I shall join, it will be 3+

Organization: America Based fortune 100

Role : S/W Engr ... Hopefully will be promoted to Sr. Soft Eng after july

Leadership and community services:
1. a) Was Class Representative
b) Was Hostel Sercretary during MCA
2. Was Placement coordinator for Bangalore based companies
3. Was Basketball and Cricket Team captain in MCA
4. Participated and Lead a team of 5 in national Symposiums organised by reputated colleges during MCA.
5. Was head of Personal Relations and Organizer of the Technical Symposium organised by us(my college)
6. a) Took Initiative, formed and lead a team of 6 guys for Mock Interviews and Placements of my immidiate Juniors when I became Alumnus.
b) Reapeating the same also this year also.
7. Was a member of judiciary panel for star of the event(one participant from each college and the best one to be choosen through a stress interview session)
8. Associated with a Delhi based NGO and formed a team and initiated its work in Bangalore and now leading a team of 15 guys here which is appriciated by everyone.
9. Partcipate in community services organized by my organization.
10. Regular blood donor. Need based as well as in camps(But dont have certificate for all)
11. Joined an International US based NGO and doing good work there.
12. Organising events within teams of 20+ and have awards for that mentioning leadership initiative.

Awards/Recognition/Certificates:

1. Several awards related to work from my Company(say 3)
2. Six Sigma plus certified.
3. Blood Donationation certificates
4. Won first prize in couple of events like Marketing and Dumb Charades during college in other college's symposiums.
5. Volunteer certificate for organising events in college.
6. Appreciation letter from Placement Offier for taking full care of comanies from Bangalore.
7. Participated in Anuual function in my Organization and won first prize in Quiz.

Recommendation Letters:
Have 3 strong Recommendation letters from Superviser, Manager and Lecturer from college(MCA).


My Queries:

1. I have 6 years of education after 12th(B.Sc.(CS) + MCA). Could it be considerd as a positive or to compensate less experience?

2. Do not have a strong academic background, so how will it effect my application?

3. Suppose, if I get a score of 740 or above then what are my chances in top 20 B-Schools if I target MIT, Chicago, Columbia, Yale, Duke, Tuck, Ross, Boston, ISB Hyd? I see my carrer in Sales and Marketing/ General Management.

4. Can you please suggest other reputated schools where my chances are bright?

5. What more can I do to substantiate my profile?

6. For GPA which degree will be considered, I mean my B.Sc or MCA, I scored pretty good in MCA and was in top 5, so could it be ?

7. I have dropped a year after 12th in which I was preparing for competetion and I could not make it. Could it be a negative , if yes then how come I compensate it or turn to a positive?

8. Never been abroad for international business. But have good exposure of dealing with customer through mails and telecons. How about this negative?

I know I have written a long post and shooted many queries(I wanted to give complete backround of my profile) but I hope you wont minding answering them.

806

Hi Jeremy

Thanks for answering the numerous queries you get.

My Profile :

1. MBA - Finance ( University of Pune)
2. Work Ex : 5 yrs +
3. Profile- Business Development in Insurance and Mutual Fund Industry
4. Team Manager for 7
5. Acads : Poor ( Avg Percentage thru Schooling & College is 55 %)
6. Extra Curricular : Good.
7. GMAT : 650

I am looking to apply to the following schools for the yr starting 2011.Will have 7 yrs work ex till than Can you please evaluate my chances /

1. Insead
2. IE
3. Nyanyang
4. Cass Business School
5. HKUST
6. ISB, Hyderabad

Cheers

Vivek

807

Hi Jeremy,

I am have done my PGDM and also Masters in Labors Laws and Labor Welfare. Presently I am working in a MNC as Asst. Manager - HR and will be completing 3 years of Service at the end of July.

I am planning to take GMAT in the end of August 2009.

I have scored average in academics in Xth and XIIth. I did my graduation with Psychology Hons.

I have been in top 5 in my college both during the Graduation and post graduation. I have also been a part of Students Council while doing PGDM. Apart from studies I have arranged National Seminar meets for my college. Worked in the team which organized National BANCON Meet (while working in a public sector Bank of India). I have also other sports related interests and I am a regular Half Marathon runner.

I want to do EMBA but in a college where I can enhance my knowledge in HR. So, I am looking for a college where the is more towards HR.

I would also request you to guide me where I can improve upon my profile.

Thanks & Regards.

808
Hi target2010,
Thanks n sorry for borrowing ur format :D


Hi Jeremy/Jessica,

First of all, thanks for your time and wonderful replies. I am an MBA aspirant and have a few queries. Here, go my details

10th : 85.4%
12th : 92.3%
B-Tech :87.2%

GMAT : Yet to be taken,
Age : 23

Experience: Will complete 2 years this June

Organization: Infosys Technologies
Role : S/W Engr and acting technical lead


Leadership and community services:
1.
a) Was Class Representative during engg for 4 years
b) School Captain
c) Was Sercretary Of Mechanical Engineering Association
2. Trained in BOXING,KARATE
3. Participated and Lead a team of 5 in national Symposiums organised by reputated colleges during Engg.
4. Was head of Personal Relations and Organizer of the Technical Symposium organised by us(my college)
5. Member of ECO club,dealing with environmental based problems.
6. Is a member of Canteen Committee at work place
7. Partcipate in community services organized by my organization.
8. Regular blood donor. Need based as well as in camps(But dont have certificate for all)
9. Joined an NGO and doing good work there.


Awards/Recognition/Certificates:

1. Several awards related to work from my Company.
2. Blood Donationation certificates
3. Won many prizes, certificates from IITs in ROBOTICS competitions conducted at national and international level.
4. Volunteer certificate for organising events in college.
5. Paper Published in International Journal.
6. Diploma in SPANISH. planning for the same in FRENCH


Recommendation Letters:
Have 3 strong Recommendation letters from Superviser, Manager and Lecturer from college(MCA).


My Queries:
1.Could you please let me know the the B Schools out of GLOBAL TOP 30 schools which provide 100% Loan?
2. Suppose, if I get a score of 740 or above then what are my chances in top 20 B-Schools if I target MIT, Chicago, Columbia, Yale, Duke, Tuck, Ross, Boston,? I see my carrer in Sales and Marketing/ Finance.
3. Can you please suggest other reputated schools where my chances are bright?
4. What more can I do to substantiate my profile?
5. Having a work-ex of just 2 years, shall i wait for 1-2 years n get a 3-4 year exp to get into TOP 20 Schools ?
809

No probs .. U r welcome ... But m waiting for Jeremy's reply :)

Hi target2010,
Thanks n sorry for borrowing ur format :D


Hi Jeremy,

First of all, thanks for your time and wonderful replies. I am an MBA aspirant and have a few queries. Here, go my details

10th : 85.4%
12th : 92.3%
B-Tech :87.2%

GMAT : Yet to be taken,
Age : 23

Experience: Will complete 2 years this June

Organization: Infosys Technologies
Role : S/W Engr and acting technical lead


Leadership and community services:
1.
a) Was Class Representative during engg for 4 years
b) School Captain
c) Was Sercretary Of Mechanical Engineering Association
2. Trained in BOXING,KARATE
3. Participated and Lead a team of 5 in national Symposiums organised by reputated colleges during Engg.
4. Was head of Personal Relations and Organizer of the Technical Symposium organised by us(my college)
5. Member of ECO club,dealing with environmental based problems.
6. Is a member of Canteen Committee at work place
7. Partcipate in community services organized by my organization.
8. Regular blood donor. Need based as well as in camps(But dont have certificate for all)
9. Joined an NGO and doing good work there.


Awards/Recognition/Certificates:

1. Several awards related to work from my Company.
2. Blood Donationation certificates
3. Won many prizes, certificates from IITs in ROBOTICS competitions conducted at national and international level.
4. Volunteer certificate for organising events in college.
5. Paper Published in International Journal.
6. Diploma in SPANISH. planning for the same in FRENCH


Recommendation Letters:
Have 3 strong Recommendation letters from Superviser, Manager and Lecturer from college(MCA).


My Queries:
1.Could you please let me know the the B Schools out of GLOBAL TOP 30 schools which provide 100% Loan?
2. Suppose, if I get a score of 740 or above then what are my chances in top 20 B-Schools if I target MIT, Chicago, Columbia, Yale, Duke, Tuck, Ross, Boston,? I see my carrer in Sales and Marketing/ Finance.
3. Can you please suggest other reputated schools where my chances are bright?
4. What more can I do to substantiate my profile?
5. Having a work-ex of just 2 years, shall i wait for 1-2 years n get a 3-4 year exp to get into TOP 20 Schools ?
810
Dear Absak,

Thank you for your inquiry. You have a solid background that, because of your sales and marketing experience, differentiates you from many applicants with similar demographics. Your extracurriculars are also interesting, especially being a voice-impersonation artist. I dont see a lot in your profile about activities that involve other people either in a leadership or teamwork dimension; you seem to focus more on individual activities. Of course thats fine if thats where your interests lie, but in terms of strengthening your application you may want to consider taking on a leadership or team-oriented role in one of your current activities.

In terms of score, I cant give you a specific number to aim for, but certainly given your demographic and the competitiveness of the application process you should aim for the highest you can. While I encourage you to aim for at least a 700, I also want to urge you not to give up if you score slightly below that. You have an interesting background and shouldnt give up on your MBA dreams over a score of, for example, 680.

I'm not sure if you're looking in the U.S., but if you are, in terms of schools that focus on marketing, Northwestern (Kellogg) is consistently the top-ranked marketing-oriented school in the U.S. Other schools known for being strong in marketing are Wharton, Duke (Fuqua), Stanford, Harvard, University of Michigan (Ross) and the University of Chicago (Booth).

Here is a link to a section of our blog focusing on Long-term Planning that you may find helpful: mbaMission - Boutique MBA Admissions Consulting | Blog Long Term MBA Planning

Best of luck,

Sincerely,
Jessica Shklar
Senior Consultant
MBA Mission

646-485-8844

Website: www.mbamission.com
Blog: www.mbamission.com/blog


Dear Jeremy,

A brief synopsis of my educational background to start with. I have completed my Masters in Business Economics (with dual specialization in Marketing and Econometrics) from the University of Delhi with a good score. Prior to that, I pursued Economics(Honors) from the same University,again with an above average score.

As a part of the course requirement,I interned with the leading Consumer goods company in India in their marketing function and was acknowledged for my contribution.

I am currently working in the Sales function with a telecommunication company in India and I intend to write GMAT this year and bank it for another year so that my number of years of work totals to 2 or at the maximum 3.

Regarding Extra-curriculars, I play two musical instruments and have performed in various competitions and concerts.I am a voice-impersonation artist , have represented my institute/school in the game of cricket at various levels. I am also an avid quizzer and have a penchant for writing.

So given my interests ,good academic scores and a 2-3 year experience in Sales and wanting to build on that by specializing in Marketing in a B-school ,what kind of a score should I aim at?

I plan to apply to B-schools like NUS,ISB etc. What other options wrt B-schools should I look at? I am keen on not just another high ranked B-school but one with a 'cutting edge' marketing curriculum.

I would welcome any other advice related to my profile that you would like to offer.

I appreciate your taking the time and replying to all our queries .

Regards,
Absak
811
Thank you for your inquiry and kind words. Let me take your questions in order:

  1. I dont think the extra education will be a factor either way; its your grades and what you do with the knowledge from the education that matters.
  2. The academic background presents a challenge, as youre part of an extremely competitive demographic. A strong GMAT score could offset that to a degree, as will stellar essays and recommendations.
  3. With an outstanding score of 740 I think youll have a chance at a top 20 school, but given the academics a top 10 school might be too much of a stretch. You should still try for a couple, but realistically the academic background might present too much of an obstacle.
  4. There are many excellent schools in the top 25 that you havent mentioned, like Yale, Darden, NYU, UNC-Kenan Flagler, Emory, UT-Austin. Those are all reasonable schools for you to consider, once you determine what kind of school youre looking for (e.g urban/rural, large/small, case-method/lecture-oriented, etc.)
  5. Continue doing what youre doing excelling at work, finding leadership opportunities at work and in your activities, and studying for the GMAT. You have a broad range of activities and should have a lot of material to draw from to write essays that demonstrate your leadership, initiative and strong results.
  6. Your BSC will be considered more strongly because it is measured by rankings; the MCA reveals continued competence.
  7. If I understand your question, the year you spent preparing for the competition will have been 4 years earlier by the time you apply. In that case, you may want to explain the gap on your resume in one line on an optional essay, but otherwise I dont think it will be a big factor. It may even give you a good story to write about for an essay about a failure!
  8. I dont see this as a negative; many applicants do not have experience living abroad. Since you have experience with international colleagues and clients though, you can turn it into a positive by writing about any interesting interactions or cultural observations with them. As long as you have had exposure to people from other backgrounds I think you dont need to be concerned about this factor.
Best of luck,
Sincerely,
Jessica Shklar
Senior Consultant
MBA Mission

646-485-8844

Website: www.mbamission.com
Blog: www.mbamission.com/blog

Hi Jeremy,

First of all, thanks for your time and wonderful replies. I am an MBA aspirant and have a few queries. Here, go my details

10th : 73%
12th : 65%
B.Sc : 67%
MCA : 8.05 CGPA on a scale of 10

GMAT : Yet to be taken, Late July
Age : 26 completed

Experience: Will complete 2 years this July(Had my internship in the same organization for 6 months and was absorbed after that). By the time I shall join, it will be 3+

Organization: America Based fortune 100

Role : S/W Engr ... Hopefully will be promoted to Sr. Soft Eng after july

Leadership and community services:
1. a) Was Class Representative
b) Was Hostel Sercretary during MCA
2. Was Placement coordinator for Bangalore based companies
3. Was Basketball and Cricket Team captain in MCA
4. Participated and Lead a team of 5 in national Symposiums organised by reputated colleges during MCA.
5. Was head of Personal Relations and Organizer of the Technical Symposium organised by us(my college)
6. a) Took Initiative, formed and lead a team of 6 guys for Mock Interviews and Placements of my immidiate Juniors when I became Alumnus.
b) Reapeating the same also this year also.
7. Was a member of judiciary panel for star of the event(one participant from each college and the best one to be choosen through a stress interview session)
8. Associated with a Delhi based NGO and formed a team and initiated its work in Bangalore and now leading a team of 15 guys here which is appriciated by everyone.
9. Partcipate in community services organized by my organization.
10. Regular blood donor. Need based as well as in camps(But dont have certificate for all)
11. Joined an International US based NGO and doing good work there.
12. Organising events within teams of 20+ and have awards for that mentioning leadership initiative.

Awards/Recognition/Certificates:

1. Several awards related to work from my Company(say 3)
2. Six Sigma plus certified.
3. Blood Donationation certificates
4. Won first prize in couple of events like Marketing and Dumb Charades during college in other college's symposiums.
5. Volunteer certificate for organising events in college.
6. Appreciation letter from Placement Offier for taking full care of comanies from Bangalore.
7. Participated in Anuual function in my Organization and won first prize in Quiz.

Recommendation Letters:
Have 3 strong Recommendation letters from Superviser, Manager and Lecturer from college(MCA).


My Queries:
1. I have 6 years of education after 12th(B.Sc.(CS) + MCA). Could it be considerd as a positive or to compensate less experience?
2. Do not have a strong academic background, so how will it effect my application?
3. Suppose, if I get a score of 740 or above then what are my chances in top 20 B-Schools if I target MIT, Chicago, Columbia, Yale, Duke, Tuck, Ross, Boston, ISB Hyd? I see my carrer in Sales and Marketing/ General Management.
4. Can you please suggest other reputated schools where my chances are bright?
5. What more can I do to substantiate my profile?
6. For GPA which degree will be considered, I mean my B.Sc or MCA, I scored pretty good in MCA and was in top 5, so could it be ?
7. I have dropped a year after 12th in which I was preparing for competetion and I could not make it. Could it be a negative , if yes then how come I compensate it or turn to a positive?
8. Never been abroad for international business. But have good exposure of dealing with customer through mails and telecons. How about this negative?

I know I have written a long post and shooted many queries(I wanted to give complete backround of my profile) but I hope you wont minding answering them.
812
Hi Vivek,

Thank you for your inquiry.

Im not familiar with your 3rd, 4th and 5th schools, but to be very frank, I think youll find any of the other schools to be a challenge. You are in an extremely competitive demographic and with low grades and a relatively low GMAT score I am concerned that your application wont stand out. Its helpful that youre in the finance industry as opposed to IT, and that you have extensive team management experience; those are both strong positives for your application.

The good news however is that youre starting to plan well in advance of your application year. If you think you can increase the GMAT score by at least 30 points I would try to do so, and you may also consider building an alternative transcript taking 2-3 classes after work and doing well in them, in order to demonstrate your academic maturity. If you can do those, and write strong essays that demonstrate your leadership, you will strengthen your position considerably.
Sincerely,
Jessica Shklar
Senior Consultant
MBA Mission

646-485-8844

Website: www.mbamission.com
Blog: www.mbamission.com/blog
Hi Jeremy

Thanks for answering the numerous queries you get.

My Profile :

1. MBA - Finance ( University of Pune)
2. Work Ex : 5 yrs +
3. Profile- Business Development in Insurance and Mutual Fund Industry
4. Team Manager for 7
5. Acads : Poor ( Avg Percentage thru Schooling & College is 55 %)
6. Extra Curricular : Good.
7. GMAT : 650

I am looking to apply to the following schools for the yr starting 2011.Will have 7 yrs work ex till than Can you please evaluate my chances /

1. Insead
2. IE
3. Nyanyang
4. Cass Business School
5. HKUST
6. ISB, Hyderabad

Cheers

Vivek
813
Thank you for your inquiry.

HR is an uncommon specialty and Im not aware of any top EMBA programs that specialize in it. You should be able to find some solid HR courses in any program that has a general management emphasis.

Overall you seem to have a strong and interesting profile, with solid grades, depth in a somewhat uncommon field, and a good balance of individual and team activities. Receiving a strong GMAT score will be very beneficial for you, as it confirms for the schools that you can perform well academically in a quantitative environment. If you did not take any quantitative classes as a Psychology student (e.g. accounting or statistics) you could consider taking one or two at night and doing well, again to demonstrate to the schools your analytical aptitude. I also encourage you to find leadership opportunities within the activities you describe; you seem involved as an individual and as a team member, but more leadership experiences like arranging the National Seminar meets will strengthen your profile.
Sincerely,
Jessica Shklar
Senior Consultant
MBA Mission

646-485-8844

Website: www.mbamission.com
Blog: www.mbamission.com/blog

Hi Jeremy,

I am have done my PGDM and also Masters in Labors Laws and Labor Welfare. Presently I am working in a MNC as Asst. Manager - HR and will be completing 3 years of Service at the end of July.

I am planning to take GMAT in the end of August 2009.

I have scored average in academics in Xth and XIIth. I did my graduation with Psychology Hons.

I have been in top 5 in my college both during the Graduation and post graduation. I have also been a part of Students Council while doing PGDM. Apart from studies I have arranged National Seminar meets for my college. Worked in the team which organized National BANCON Meet (while working in a public sector Bank of India). I have also other sports related interests and I am a regular Half Marathon runner.

I want to do EMBA but in a college where I can enhance my knowledge in HR. So, I am looking for a college where the is more towards HR.

I would also request you to guide me where I can improve upon my profile.

Thanks & Regards.
814
Thank you for your inquiry. Ill be happy to address your questions.

1. For a question as specific as this one youll need to research the schools individually. However, most do offer need-based loans and can provide guidance on scholarships as well.
  1. While a score of 740 will complement your strong grades, youre facing a very challenging demographic with only two years of work experience. I think you would have a chance at a top 25 school, but (see my answer to #5 below), your chances will increase if you can enhance your work and extracurricular experiences.
  2. Any top 25 school right now will be a stretch, but with a bit more experience I think most of them would be within reach. You should really consider the type of school that appeals to you class size, location, campus setting, type of instruction, etc. and narrow it down that way.
  3. Basically just continue doing what youre doing: demonstrate increasing responsibility and accomplishments at work while taking on leadership roles in community activities.
  4. You have excellent grades and overall have a solid profile. But the business school application scene is extremely competitive right now and youre part of the most competitive demographic. I dont see any major weaknesses in your profile, just relative inexperience, and taking a couple of more years to accomplish more both in work and out will strengthen your application considerably. However, the quality of experience counts more than the quantity, so continue doing what youre doing and in just a bit more time I think youll be a strong candidate.
Sincerely,
Jessica Shklar
Senior Consultant
MBA Mission

646-485-8844

Website: www.mbamission.com
Blog: www.mbamission.com/blog
Hi target2010,
Thanks n sorry for borrowing ur format :D


Hi Jeremy/Jessica,

First of all, thanks for your time and wonderful replies. I am an MBA aspirant and have a few queries. Here, go my details

10th : 85.4%
12th : 92.3%
B-Tech :87.2%

GMAT : Yet to be taken,
Age : 23

Experience: Will complete 2 years this June

Organization: Infosys Technologies
Role : S/W Engr and acting technical lead


Leadership and community services:
1.
a) Was Class Representative during engg for 4 years
b) School Captain
c) Was Sercretary Of Mechanical Engineering Association
2. Trained in BOXING,KARATE
3. Participated and Lead a team of 5 in national Symposiums organised by reputated colleges during Engg.
4. Was head of Personal Relations and Organizer of the Technical Symposium organised by us(my college)
5. Member of ECO club,dealing with environmental based problems.
6. Is a member of Canteen Committee at work place
7. Partcipate in community services organized by my organization.
8. Regular blood donor. Need based as well as in camps(But dont have certificate for all)
9. Joined an NGO and doing good work there.


Awards/Recognition/Certificates:

1. Several awards related to work from my Company.
2. Blood Donationation certificates
3. Won many prizes, certificates from IITs in ROBOTICS competitions conducted at national and international level.
4. Volunteer certificate for organising events in college.
5. Paper Published in International Journal.
6. Diploma in SPANISH. planning for the same in FRENCH


Recommendation Letters:
Have 3 strong Recommendation letters from Superviser, Manager and Lecturer from college(MCA).


My Queries:
1.Could you please let me know the the B Schools out of GLOBAL TOP 30 schools which provide 100% Loan?
2. Suppose, if I get a score of 740 or above then what are my chances in top 20 B-Schools if I target MIT, Chicago, Columbia, Yale, Duke, Tuck, Ross, Boston,? I see my carrer in Sales and Marketing/ Finance.
3. Can you please suggest other reputated schools where my chances are bright?
4. What more can I do to substantiate my profile?
5. Having a work-ex of just 2 years, shall i wait for 1-2 years n get a 3-4 year exp to get into TOP 20 Schools ?
815
Hi Jessica,

Thanks for the reply.
I got a doubt after reading these two replies below, one for my post and another for very much similar nee's post's reply.
I found these two profiles(mine and nee's) very much similar other than a few like academic(his is better) difference, age, higher education and some extracurricular extivities in my case. However, still u suggested I have a good chance in top 20(but too much of stretch in top 10) but nee doesn't have. Is this because of my age and post graduation or you missed my experience part(I also have only 2 years of work experience)?

I shall be thankful if u can clear the doubt.

Regards,
target2010
Thank you for your inquiry and kind words. Let me take your questions in order:

  1. I don't think the extra education will be a factor either way; it's your grades and what you do with the knowledge from the education that matters.
  2. The academic background presents a challenge, as you're part of an extremely competitive demographic. A strong GMAT score could offset that to a degree, as will stellar essays and recommendations.
  3. With an outstanding score of 740 I think you'll have a chance at a top 20 school, but given the academics a top 10 school might be too much of a stretch. You should still try for a couple, but realistically the academic background might present too much of an obstacle.
  4. There are many excellent schools in the top 25 that you haven't mentioned, like Yale, Darden, NYU, UNC-Kenan Flagler, Emory, UT-Austin. Those are all reasonable schools for you to consider, once you determine what kind of school you're looking for (e.g urban/rural, large/small, case-method/lecture-oriented, etc.)
  5. Continue doing what you're doing - excelling at work, finding leadership opportunities at work and in your activities, and studying for the GMAT. You have a broad range of activities and should have a lot of material to draw from to write essays that demonstrate your leadership, initiative and strong results.
  6. Your BSC will be considered more strongly because it is measured by rankings; the MCA reveals continued competence.
  7. If I understand your question, the year you spent preparing for the competition will have been 4 years earlier by the time you apply. In that case, you may want to explain the gap on your resume in one line on an optional essay, but otherwise I don't think it will be a big factor. It may even give you a good story to write about for an essay about a failure!
  8. I don't see this as a negative; many applicants do not have experience living abroad. Since you have experience with international colleagues and clients though, you can turn it into a positive by writing about any interesting interactions or cultural observations with them. As long as you have had exposure to people from other backgrounds I think you don't need to be concerned about this factor.
Best of luck,
Sincerely,
Jessica Shklar
Senior Consultant
MBA Mission

646-485-8844

Website: www.mbamission.com
Blog: www.mbamission.com/blog

Thank you for your inquiry. I'll be happy to address your questions.

1. For a question as specific as this one you'll need to research the schools individually. However, most do offer need-based loans and can provide guidance on scholarships as well.
  1. While a score of 740 will complement your strong grades, you're facing a very challenging demographic with only two years of work experience. I think you would have a chance at a top 25 school, but (see my answer to #5 below), your chances will increase if you can enhance your work and extracurricular experiences.
  2. Any top 25 school right now will be a stretch, but with a bit more experience I think most of them would be within reach. You should really consider the type of school that appeals to you - class size, location, campus setting, type of instruction, etc. and narrow it down that way.
  3. Basically just continue doing what you're doing: demonstrate increasing responsibility and accomplishments at work while taking on leadership roles in community activities.
  4. You have excellent grades and overall have a solid profile. But the business school application scene is extremely competitive right now and you're part of the most competitive demographic. I don't see any major weaknesses in your profile, just relative inexperience, and taking a couple of more years to accomplish more both in work and out will strengthen your application considerably. However, the quality of experience counts more than the quantity, so continue doing what you're doing and in just a bit more time I think you'll be a strong candidate.
Sincerely,
Jessica Shklar
Senior Consultant
MBA Mission

646-485-8844

Website: www.mbamission.com
Blog: www.mbamission.com/blog
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Thanks for writing in to express the concern, Target.

Yes, the solid academics make a big difference, plus you have an extra year of experience (3 by the time you matriculate), and had an internship at the company previously as well. In addition, your extracurricular activities struck me as somewhat more robust and diverse (although I agree, fairly similar) with a bit more leadership and initiative. Those factors made the difference for me. Remember, admissions is an art, not a science, and I can only judge on what someone writes in - and my judgment, though backed by solid experience, may be different from an admissions committee member's experience. But in a competitive process, the cumulative effect of a few seemingly small differences made for an overall stronger picture. Does that help?

Hi Jessica,

Thanks for the reply.
I got a doubt after reading these two replies below, one for my post and another for very much similar nee's post's reply.
I found these two profiles(mine and nee's) very much similar other than a few like academic(his is better) difference, age, higher education and some extracurricular extivities in my case. However, still u suggested I have a good chance in top 20(but too much of stretch in top 10) but nee doesn't have. Is this because of my age and post graduation or you missed my experience part(I also have only 2 years of work experience)?

I shall be thankful if u can clear the doubt.

Regards,
target2010
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Yes Jessica. I got my answer.
Thanks for the reply :)


Thanks for writing in to express the concern, Target.

Yes, the solid academics make a big difference, plus you have an extra year of experience (3 by the time you matriculate), and had an internship at the company previously as well. In addition, your extracurricular activities struck me as somewhat more robust and diverse (although I agree, fairly similar) with a bit more leadership and initiative. Those factors made the difference for me. Remember, admissions is an art, not a science, and I can only judge on what someone writes in - and my judgment, though backed by solid experience, may be different from an admissions committee member's experience. But in a competitive process, the cumulative effect of a few seemingly small differences made for an overall stronger picture. Does that help?
818

Hi Jessica,

I have one general question about all MBA schools and the applications mainly the essays.
At many places people mention that it matters a lot how you write your essays and how you market yourself.
Does this marketing yourself is marketing based on some true facts or write anything in essays and then just defend them in interviews?
How do MBA schools judge what is written in essay or application is correct ? How do they find out the extra curriculars someone mentioned are real ? How do they find out what role a person really had in his or her company. May be he just worked as a technical guy in his career but he is writing in his essay's that he was part of multi million dollars mergers.
If you say that admission committe looks for recommendations then I would say reccos can be fake too or can be from the coworkers. For example someone get a recco written by his coworker and give him a designation of CTO, how will admission committe find out the truth?
I asked the above questions because till now I dont understand whether MBA admissions are based on something really true and evident like college degrees, grades, GMAT, experience letters, offer letters or is it only just writing all lie in essay and then just defending it in interviews.
I know few people who had 4-5 years of Experience and they never worked in any kind of lead role in their organisations. They were even very low level tech people in their teams,but in their essays they wrote that they always worked on business side and had worked on multi million dollar mergers. Believe me they got selected in top 10 MBA schools.
I will really appreciate if you can tell me your views on above.
Thanks,
Sumit

819

One more addition to my previous post, people always talk about MBA schools looking for diversity something different in your application.
Tell me one thing suppose you have 2 applicants first one did his graduation from top IIT in india and then he worked in IT and second candidate did BSC or Bcom or BCA or MCA or BBA and then worked in some non-IT company.Now out of these 2 applicants on what basis will you tell who is better. Its clearly evident that guy with IIT degree even if he worked in IT is much better then any BSC or Bcom guy. I am sure you know about fierce competion to get into IIT and even tougher competition to get that 4 years IIT degree.
Just by saying that he worked in IT so he doesnt have that wow factor is not correct. You can ask any company a graduate from a college like IIT or other top 10 colleges in india, always stand out of other IT people but unfortunately he keeps working in IT because money is good and there are not so many options after doing an engineering degree which pay so high. In any IT company in india there is a clear demarkation based on the college you graduated from if you look at the salary and if you see how fast they grow from junior to senior level.
But still its said someone working in non-IT field has a WOW factor. I dont agree with this. I dont think any Bcom or BSC or MCA or BBA guy can compete with any IIT guy in any field (exceptions can be there but here we are discussing in general not exceptional cases).
I would like to mention I am not targeting any one individual. I am just trying to understand what this WOW factor actually is.
Thanks,
Sumit

820

One of the schools that I am applying requires two recommendations, one from supervisor and one from peer. I can get a recommendation from my current supervisor in the company. For the peer reco, I want to get the reco from an organization that I have been volunteering for.
Two reasons being,
1) it doesnt repeat what my current supervisor says and gives credit to the other side of me.
2) Also my career goals are related to the work I do there. would add some credibility to my claim of "goal".

But the problem I am having is, the organization I volunteer for is very small and I can get only from the head of the organization. Though he is not my supervisor per se, because I only volunteer there, I don't think he can be considered my "peer" as well.

What should I do ? Can I still get it from him for the peer recommendation. This is one of my top schools and I want to give my best shot.. Please let me know.

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Dear Jeremy,

Thank you for your elaborate response. The link provided by you is very helpful esp for someone like me who has time to plan his GMAT jaunt. I wish to provide you with a more detailed profile background of mine and seek your advice on it as well as to a few other queries.

10th : 83.2%
12th : 87.2%
BA Economics (Honors) :63.12%
Masters in Business Economics(MBE) : 60 %
GMAT : Yet to be taken

Leadership roles:
1. Co-ordinator of the Placement cell of Department of Business Economics, University of Delhi.

2.Aligned and managed a team of people across 4 states of India(which in themselves indicate different cultures) during the course of my internship and collectively contributed to the development of the program I was interning on.

3. Head boy of my school.

4. Captain of Zonal school cricket team .

My queries :
1. Even though I do get involved in community service on and off,is it really important to be a part of an NGO to formalize your otherwise not-so-frequent involvement?

2.Would B schools in the US like Harvard, Wharton and the like (who look for exceptional spikes in the student profile) view favorably on candidates having a work experience of 2-3 years and a profile similar to mine.

3. With a score upwards of 730,would you advice me to try for the top B-schools in the US?

I also hope to have more leadership and team oriented achievements as I continue driving my Sales team to achieve targets in the next year 2 years.

Thank you again for providing the much needed direction.

Regards,
Absak


Dear Absak,
Thank you for your inquiry. You have a solid background that, because of your sales and marketing experience, differentiates you from many applicants with similar demographics. Your extracurriculars are also interesting, especially being a voice-impersonation artist. I don't see a lot in your profile about activities that involve other people - either in a leadership or teamwork dimension; you seem to focus more on individual activities. Of course that's fine if that's where your interests lie, but in terms of strengthening your application you may want to consider taking on a leadership or team-oriented role in one of your current activities.
In terms of score, I can't give you a specific number to aim for, but certainly given your demographic and the competitiveness of the application process you should aim for the highest you can. While I encourage you to aim for at least a 700, I also want to urge you not to give up if you score slightly below that. You have an interesting background and shouldn't give up on your MBA dreams over a score of, for example, 680.
I'm not sure if you're looking in the U.S., but if you are, in terms of schools that focus on marketing, Northwestern (Kellogg) is consistently the top-ranked marketing-oriented school in the U.S. Other schools known for being strong in marketing are Wharton, Duke (Fuqua), Stanford, Harvard, University of Michigan (Ross) and the University of Chicago (Booth).
Here is a link to a section of our blog focusing on Long-term Planning that you may find helpful: mbaMission - Boutique MBA Admissions Consulting | Blog Long Term MBA Planning
 Best of luck,
Sincerely,
Jessica Shklar
Senior Consultant
MBA Mission
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Hi Jeremy,

Please find below a brief overview of my profile:

1)Class X th - 89%
Class XII th - 80%
Bachelors in Technology(B.Tech.) - 66%

2)Work ex - 4 yrs in IT by the time I apply.
- Started my career as a Software Engineer with Infosys Technologies Limited - worked for a year but quit since I was not happy with the profile offered.Built on my skill sets while there - gained certifications pertaining to the technology I was interested to work in such as Sun Certified Java Programmer/ Sun Certfied Web Component Developer and joined a startup after that.
- Worked with the startup for 15 months.Highly exciting work on a diverse range of technologies.Was involved in the complete development and deployment of an IT system for a British firm.Included short term international work ex in UK for 3 months.
- Currently working with one of the biggest software firms in the telecom domain for the past 1 year as a Senior Software Engineer.Consistently ranked as a best performer at work place.Handling modules independently alongwith guiding a small team of 4.Involved in technical proposals floated to new clients for new projects as part of the technical team.

3)Was a topper throughout the school life - consistently from class 2 to class 12.Not much of extra curricular activities though.

4)I am planning to go in for GMAT now for the fall 2010 intake.I would like to know my chances for the top 20 B schools as per my profile if Im targetting a GMAT score of 730+.Also, Im more inclined to stay in the technology sector post MBA - may be in the sales/marketing for the IT firms.I would like to know some of the top schools in the technology management domain.

Thanks,
SamW