I am an engineering graduate with around 10 years of experience. I want to pursue MBA in general management with concentration on strategy. My GMAT score is 750.
Which schools should I target?
Thanks for your question. It is actually impossible for me to suggest the schools you should target without knowing much about your experiences, accomplishments, undergraduate grades, GMAT score, goals and school criteria (outside of general management/strategy, which is pretty broad).
Provide more information and I will address your question!
Hi, I have got an offer from cass for the MSC in fin and investment part time. I am into IT for the past 4 yrs and looking to get into the finance field which is obviously new to me. Can someone please help me with this course in cass as in- career impact, job prospects, the course itself and the most imp starting salary. Would appreciate if some1 can help me plzzzzz, i hve 1 week to accept the offer...am in uk for the past 2 yrs working in IT.
Hi Jeremy, Erin, Monica and others from MBA mission,
I intend to apply to schools among the top 15 in US for fall 2010 for an MBA in Entrepreneurship. I am listing my profile below, please let me the kind of chance I stand in getting through.
GMAT Score: 720 M 51 V 36 UG: Civil Engineering from one of the top institutes in India (Good GPA) Work Experience: 3 years (international), currently working in Dubai with one of the best construction firms in Europe. Extracurriculars: Good involvements both in work and outside Post MBA goals: Pursue a venture in the field of real estate and construction
Please let me know. Thanks.
Also, would I be required to take TOEFL given that I my education medium has been English throughout ?
I just spend ton of time reading through this full thread.. its really informative and you'll are doing a great job.. I would be grateful if you could have a look through my profile and gave me your opinion.. thanks a ton..
Age: 26 (at start of MBA - Sept 2010) Academics: Xth - 78.4 % XIIth - 73.5 % BSc (IT) - 68.19 % Masters Program in IT - 3.15/4 GPA GMAT: 700 (Q45, V41), AWA 5.0 Work Experience: - Currently 3.5 years (4+ at start of MBA) consulting experience in Governance Risk and Compliance Domain - Working within the Consulting Division of one of India's largest IT services companies - Been promoted from Associate Consultant to Consultant and then to Senior Consultant over period of three years - Exposure to multiple sectors like financial services, energy, logistics, real estate etc - 4 Month internship as an analyst/trainee in a consulting firm during Masters International Exposure: - Mostly executed consulting engagements across UAE (Dubai, Abu Dhabi), Bahrain (Manama), India (Delhi, Mumbai) and most recently Germany (Dusseldorf) - Thus exposure to different styles of working and wealth of different cultures Leadership Positions: - Project Manager (Managed consulting engagements involving around 2-3 consultants along with larger client implementation teams) - Co-event Organizer (For a national level seminar during Masters) - Logistics Incharge (Incharge of managing Logistics for most seminars during Masters) - Nominated and attended 'Customer Leadership Interface Program' Extra Curricular: - Represented college and won multiple inter-college football tournaments - Involved in College admissions during graduation Awards and Recognition: - Awarded Prodigy Award for best New Recruit - Awarded Best Team Award for excellent execution of an engagement Other Professional Certifications: - Certified Prince 2 Practitioner (Project Management Methodology) - BS25999 Lead Auditor (Business Continuity Management Framework) - Certified Information System Security Professional - CISSP (Information Security Related) College Selection (Still researching college 'fit' for me): Reach: Oxford, Cambridge Match: Manchester, Cranfield, Lancaster, Cass Backup: Warwick, Imperial (Not sure if these backup as yet) MBA Expectations: - Overall a general MBA with some focus/electives in consulting - Preferably a 12 months course in UK (18 months in case of MBS) starting Fall 2010 - Plan to move up the consulting 'value-chain' i.e. into management consulting (preferably strategy) A few questions - 1. Could you'll please comment on my college choices i.e. are they too high, too low or should I consider some others and what is the possibility of getting into them with my profile? 2. How realistic are my chances at Oxford or Cambridge? 3. My academics are on the low side so I hope the GMAT should be able to cover that? 4. Anything else I need to stress on in the application or should I leave out anything? 5. Any weak links or red flags you can identify in the profile?
I have got unconditional offers for MSc finance from Lancaster and Exeter.., I am in a dilemma as choosing the right one.. Can you help me in the same???
Work ex- will complete 2 years in november '09. 1 year in a top software firm of India(as a software engineer) and 1 year in one of the top coaching institute of India for MBA having almost 130 branches(profile: Center Head).
Achievements/Positive points about my profile: 1) Meritorious student throughout schooling 2) Senior Diploma in Hawaiian guitar. 3) Was part of managing committee of my annual function in college. 4) My college has a rural internship. It's aim is to explore how can we bring change at grass root level using IT(was a life-changing event for me) 5) Won IEEE organized state level paper presentation contest. 6) Was knowledge manager of my team in s/w firm. Responsibilities included organizing knowledge transfer so that all learn from each other and realized role of communication in a firm.(can properly elaborate in essay) 7) Center head of coaching. Responsibilities include marketing, handling the faculty,workers,students. Learnt a lot. Meeting new people, saw education system first time from top rather than bottom as a student.what are flaws,good points of same..meeting people..arranging for seminars...have to make strategies like which colleges to target for which exam/courses..when to target...again can elaborate properly in essay..used few innovative ways of marketing the product.. 8 ) started a free batch for physically challenged and poor students who have the potential to be the best but have limited opportunites as training instis don't provide special facilities for them...
can elaborate on the above points in essays...
My queries: Given my sort of weak profile, do i stand a realistic chance of making the cut for top 5(or top 10 b-schools)? I'm planning to apply to all ambitious univs for me..even if I don't make it this year..it would be fine..but if I have no realistic chances of converting(say less than 10%chance) these univs, then would drop the plan.
i) what are my chances of converting top 5 b-schools (a rough idea) ii) Chances for ISB,NUS and NTU iii) would my work-ex in education sector help me differentiate myself from IT junta...as my education and half of work ex is in IT sector? How to go about achieving this? iv) Can you please suggest me few good colleges that can give me a good scholarship/waiver? Will think of apping to these after some research.
Thanks for your kind help.
Regards, Abhishek
Thanks for your questions. I've provided answers to each one individually below:
i) what are my chances of converting top 5 b-schools (a rough idea) Your 750 GMAT score and undergraduate grades are strong, and I think your work experience, while limited, can be an interesting differentiator. However, in your information, you didn't mention the level of impact and leadership you have displayed. I cannot give you a percentage in terms of your chances for a particular school, but I do not think a top 5 program will be within reach if you don't have strong leadership experiences to speak of. Can you share more information in this regard?
ii) Chances for ISB,NUS and NTU We specialize in the top programs in the U.S. and Europe, so I'm not familiar with these programs.
iii) would my work-ex in education sector help me differentiate myself from IT junta...as my education and half of work ex is in IT sector? How to go about achieving this?
I do believe this could be a good differentiator for you. Your strategy will depend on your specific experiences however.
iv) Can you please suggest me few good colleges that can give me a good scholarship/waiver? Will think of apping to these after some research.
Scholarships are typically awarded based on merit and need, so there are no particular schools that I can suggest.
Hi Erin, Jeremy and everyone else on the MBAMission team,
Let me first congratulate and thank you for the stellar job you are doing by advising people on the most important decisions of their lives. I have visited your website and found it to be extremely helpful and informative, perhaps the best such free resource on the Internet. I found the analyses of application essays to be especially useful and am trying to incorporate your suggestions in my applications.
Like many others on this thread, I too seek your valuable advice regarding my profile.
Academics: Good ( X - 92.4%, XII - 91.5%, B.E. - 8.23 CGPA) Have been selcted as one of five best all-round students in the state the year I passed out of high school.
Work-ex: Decent (5.5 years in Cap Gemini and Citigroup, but NO international experience )
Extra-curricular: Quite good, in my opinion. Have worked as a journalist for India's biggest online business magazine with many of my articles available on the Net - a google search will throw them up. Have interviewed doyens of Indian auto industry at the last Auto Expo in New Delhi. My car reviews have also been picked up by several other websites, one of which had even offered me a job.
Have written content for several websites as a freelance writer.
Quite a good quizzer and debater. Have won several prizes at school, college and corporate levels.
Sports: Played cricket for school team. Level III in Israeli martial art Krav Maga. Also a competent bodybuilder with a bench press of 400 pounds.
Social work: I do sponsor education of 5 girls and have intermittently worked for an NGO (can get supporting documentation).
Leadership roles: Was elected president of student body in undergraduate school. Have led delegations to the state Chief Minister (akin to a US Governor) and Cabinet Ministers to discuss infrastructure and affiliation matters. Have organized and compered events at workplace. Have been appreciated by senior managemt for such initiatives.
And finally, I took the GMAT for the first time in July 2009, and scored 750 with 50 in QA and 42 in VA, and 5.5 in AWA.
I am targeting the following schools:
1. Harvard 2. Wharton 3. Kellogg 4. INSEAD 5. London Business School 6. Nanyang Business School 7. Indian School of Business
My queries are:
1. Do you think my profile is good enough for the above or am I taking a big risk by aiming only for the top, especially considering that: > I am an Indian software engineer, perhaps the most common applicant profile, and > I have no international experience, though an extensive knowledge of American culture considering my business interactions and content writing experience?
2. Do you have any general advice on my profile, such as what to highlight in the essays?
Thank you for all your help and time.
Sourya Biswas, Manager, Citigroup.
Thanks for your question. Your academics and GMAT score of 750 are quite strong. I do think your activities and interests outside of your professional experience are interesting. You can certainly use your writing activities, social work and leadership roles to differentiate yourself. Given that you are part of an overrepresented group, it will be to your advantage to highlight these experiences (in terms of your impact and how they influenced you) in your application. At Citigroup, how would you describe your career progression? Are you ahead of your peers? Have you been appointed to work on special projects? You should certainly reflect more on your leadership/initiatives/actions at Citigroup vs. the actual role of a software engineer in order to showcase your strengths. I would need to know more about your professional accomplishments to determine if you are competitive at the top programs. If you have had phenomenal experiences and impact at work, I do think you could be competitive at a top 5 school. In terms of the European programs you're targeting, international experience would certainly help your case, so you may need to be more creative in thinking about how to leverage your existing experiences to show that you have a global mindset. I am not familiar with the other programs you listed, so I cannot comment on those.
Just wanted to share with you my profile and gain an understanding of what I need to work on to have a strong application in place for a 2011 admit to a top 10 school in US and a top 3 school in Europe.
I know that this forms only a part of the entire application but still if there is anything missing and can be worked upon I would like to know.
The one thing that I am aware of is slightly less international exposure. I have physically worked in a foreign geography for about 3 months in an M&A; engagement and apart from that I have been in teams where I have worked (based out of India) with international teams.
Work Ex: Total work-ex till now: 4+ years Currently: Manager, Risk Analytics for HSBC's Loans & Mortgage portfolio. Team Lead. Leading a team of analysts. Previous: Risk Management for Citibank's Credit Cards portfolio, Mergers & Acquisitions (Deloitte Consulting) Education: MS in Quantitative Economics (ISI - Indian Statistical Institute: 1st Class), B. Sc. in Economics (Presidency College: Ranked in the top 2% in the University). Both of these are top schools in India in Economics. Class XII-81%, Class X-83%.
With regards to leadership I have had the opportunity to gain a significant amount through work and my extra-curricular activities: Workplace: From a work-ex perspective I am leading a 7 member team of analysts in my current role. I am also leading initiatives to improve the atmosphere in the workplace at a broader level involving approx. a 250+ member team. And definitely responsibilties at office should increase by the time I apply in 2010. Non workplace: Social Work: As I had mentioned earlier I have been involved in an NGO for the last 4 to 5 years. Have been successful in making this organisational self sustainable from a funding perspective and removed the uncertainity it had due to its dependance on individual sponsors. Also involved in regular decision making process for any major decisions of this organisation and ensuring that the organisation is not dependant on any individual for its functioning. Earlier it was dependant on an individual for its functioning. Organisational Capabilities: Also I am driving the process of forming the departmental alumni association of the college from where I completed my bachelors. It is definitely one of the top 2 colleges in my discipline in India and the department is more than 100 years old. Among its alumni its boasts of a Nobel laurete, a former governor of RBI (i.e. India's Central Bank), senior faculty members in the economics department of renowned institutes like NYU, Columbia, Oxford, LSE, recipient of India's highest civilian award etc.. and senior members in the corporate and civil administrative sector all over the world. I have already been successful in involving some of these luminaries in this initiative. This effort has been ongoing for the last 6 months and should be completed over the next couple of months. In 2010 I hope to attain the steady state for this association with regards to its activities and interaction model of the alumni with the department & its current students.
Firstly, kudos and bravo! This thread is the best I have come across thus far in many websites on MBA discussion. This, in itself, is a community service. 😁 Many many thanks for your patience and interest.
Secondly, I have read as many questions as possible and have got answers/more clarity to many of questions/doubts. As much as I have got answers to my questions, I also understood that each candidate is unique and that what he/she requires to do in the way forward also differs which is why I put forward my case to you.
About me:
- Xth class: 80.4% - Xth class: 94.4% (stood first in the school in commerce and could easily be amongst the top 20 in India cos my score was 472/500)
- Post schooling went to a well known reputed college for B Com but discontinued after 20 days as I wanted to focus on my Chartered Accountancy course (CA). Pursued B Com through distance education and scored 58% overall.
- Performance in CA was good with all the 3 levels cleared in the first attempt with good scores. In the first and the second level called PE-I and PE-II got scores close to all India 30th rank and all India 50th rank resp. In the final secured All-India 38th rank. Here I can probably justify my low score in B Com which really does not carry much value and also given the fact that I wanted to focus on B Com and did so quite effectively. Your thoughts pls...
- I also did my 3 year internship during CA with PricewaterhouseCoopers. The first two have been learning while the third year has been further learning plus managing and leading small teams of 2/3 and small assignments. This meant planning the audit, allocating work to other team members, reviewing and guiding the junior members and liaising with client personnel. Can this be a case for my leadership/managerial skills? You may disagree cos this was merely an internship and was for a short period where I did not build on it and take it forward. So academically I think I am quite well positioned. Please let me know your thoughts. My only concern is that adcoms might raise eyebrows over my dismal B Com scores which I hope justify through my much better scores in a professional exam, CA. Am I right?
- Post qualification, I have been working with Morgan Stanley for the past 21 months in the investment banking division. However, this is the back office of Morgan Stanley. In terms of the exposure I have got and my acquaintance with the banking world, the work that we do here is exactly the same as any of the front office analyst. Working on live deals, pitches, etc. The one thing that is lacking is client interaction.
- On my professional experience (and I would like to talk about this cos I am looking at a similar career post MBA and thought would make sense to talk about this) I have had a very good exposure when it comes to investment banking and have good transaction experience. Have been a part of and played the role of the primary analyst in 3 IPOs, 3 M&A; transactions (2 of them high profile cross border) and several projects. To this end, I have been exposed to all of what an analyst is expected to do but for client interaction (however have had that experience in PwC). And my performance has been acknowledged by my seniors (associates, VP and above) and can get that on my recos as well.
- I have also been selected for a rotation with the front office for a 3 month period amongst 10 candidates who were interviewed. This would now give me the one thing that was lacking ie client interaction. This probably closely resembles promotion and would be exactly that if I can convert that rotation/internship to a permanent role. However I consider this an achievement all the other candidates were quite senior to me (even those who have spent 12 months more than me) and also the fact that I am the youngest to be selected for a rotation in the present market condition. Just to clarify, interviews were not the only selection criteria as feedback from colleagues also counted immensely and the 10 candidates for the interviews were shortlisted based on their work experience and credentials.
- So guess, professionally it has been pretty good and enriching. However the one thing that is nagging me is, despite my work experience and exposure being comparable and close to a real investment banking analyst, I fear that on paper since I have been a with a back office and not the front office might work against me. This has been my biggest concern when I think of MBA as I understand that the quality of workex matters a lot to the adcoms.
- On the community service, been a part of an effort initiated by a group of professional to semi-adopt an under privileged kid studying in a particular school for the last 15 months. This means that I sponsor the education of one kid, follow the progress of the kid, talk to him regularly, motivate him to get higher scores, talk to the school teachers and parents about his progress. In addition, for the group of kids as a whole, we take them out for some special occasions to restaurants/gaming places that they cannot afford and take classes on every weekend. Though we work together we are also individually responsible for ensuring the progress child that we have semi-adopted. Am also a part of the charity committee of our office where we organise various programs/drives. So been involved in community service only post qualification but guess have done justice.
- Extra curricular has been pretty decent. Been a part of the school football team and was the vice-captain in 11th and then the captain in 12th. No college after 12th and hence limited scope for extra-curricular activities. Have formally learnt chess and have participated in tournaments and won not too many prizes. Have learnt vocal classical music and have participated in many competitions and won a few prizes too. Continued learning vocal music even after 12th for about 2 years when my internship took a toll on my time where I had to discontinue. Keen on keeping my association with classical music cos of my interest, have been learning classical music on an instrument for the last 8 months and hope to continue learning for as long as possible. So extra curricular to me was football, chess and classical music.
- Finally, GMAT where I am confident of getting a good score that would make the top schools consider me for a moment. 750 is what I am aiming though it is too early for me to talk give a number.
- At the end of the story, and if you have been reading all the way till here a special thanks for that, I would like to know the following:
1. How my profile looks for an MBA finance from the top b-schools? 2. What should I do to improve my chances/compensate for the shortfalls that I cannot do much about like say my B Com score or my back office experience (if at all that really matters)? 3. May sound like a stupid question, yet do u think there is something that I can do which will secure my chances of getting an letter of acceptance? I am willing to take any effort and go the extra mile 4. What do you think is the character/accomplishment/strong point that stands out JUST WITHIN MY PROFILE? Did not mean to brag here. Honestly wanted to know it so that I can leverage on it effectively. 5. Please list the best schools for finance. I am quite passionate about finance and wanna do an MBA in it from a top b school just for the knowledge it provides. Ofcourse I am interested in the money that it brings along with it. :D
Thanks again if you are still reading it and would be very happy if you could answer my questions above. Happy to give you further details if you want. Thanks again!
Thanks for following this thread! I think your accomplishments with the CA and experiences with PwC and Morgan Stanley will certainly help to differentiate you from other applicants in the same demographic. Your community impact/experiences are relatively light however, and the 58% in B Com will raise a red flag. You should definitely show that you are capable of handling the rigors of b-school based on passing the CA exams and your analytical work at Morgan Stanley.
I don't think you should worry so much about the actual title (back office vs. front office). Instead, focus more on your experiences, impact, initiatives, special projects, professional growth, etc. These factors can be more important for you than your actual title.
If you don't have enough to show in terms of your career progression/impact, however, then you might benefit from working for an additional year, especially to gain the experience in the front office.
I don't think you're competitive at a top 10 program, but you if you want to apply this year, you can consider targeting schools in the 15-25 range.
Hi Jeremy, Erin, Monica and others from MBA mission,
I intend to apply to schools among the top 15 in US for fall 2010 for an MBA in Entrepreneurship. I am listing my profile below, please let me the kind of chance I stand in getting through.
GMAT Score: 720 M 51 V 36 UG: Civil Engineering from one of the top institutes in India (Good GPA) Work Experience: 3 years (international), currently working in Dubai with one of the best construction firms in Europe. Extracurriculars: Good involvements both in work and outside Post MBA goals: Pursue a venture in the field of real estate and construction
Please let me know. Thanks.
Also, would I be required to take TOEFL given that I my education medium has been English throughout ?
H
Your overall GMAT score is fine, but the verbal score is low which might be a concern for the admissions committees. Regarding the TOEFL, you should check with the individual schools that you are applying to and determine if the exam will be necessary.
Your work experience will likely be unique within the applicant pool and the fact that you have international experience can be a positive factor as well. You didn't tell me much about your progression, impact, initiatives, growth etc, so it is hard to judge the value of your work experience. Also, what types of activities are you involved in outside of work? These points will give more a better understanding of your profile.
I have got unconditional offers for MSc finance from Lancaster and Exeter.., I am in a dilemma as choosing the right one.. Can you help me in the same???
I apologize, but we specialize in the top U.S. and European MBA programs, so I cannot provide any advice on these schools.
Your overall GMAT score is fine, but the verbal score is low which might be a concern for the admissions committees. Regarding the TOEFL, you should check with the individual schools that you are applying to and determine if the exam will be necessary.
Your work experience will likely be unique within the applicant pool and the fact that you have international experience can be a positive factor as well. You didn't tell me much about your progression, impact, initiatives, growth etc, so it is hard to judge the value of your work experience. Also, what types of activities are you involved in outside of work? These points will give more a better understanding of your profile.
Hey Monica,
Thanks for the reply. Frankly speaking, this is not my best attempt at verbal . Its quite deviated from the scores I got in the GMAT Prep software (I was usually in early 40s). But, I am not keen on taking the test again and would prefer to channel my effort towards applications. What do you think?
As far as the work is concerned, I have been a good performer. I have worked on quite a few "out of the box" projects. I continue to hold responsibilities related to civil engineering & construction. I have been involved in company events, social work and environmental activities (not outstanding, but decent)
I hope that gives you a good insight. I'll wait for your reply.
Thanks for following this thread! I think your accomplishments with the CA and experiences with PwC and Morgan Stanley will certainly help to differentiate you from other applicants in the same demographic. Your community impact/experiences are relatively light however, and the 58% in B Com will raise a red flag. You should definitely show that you are capable of handling the rigors of b-school based on passing the CA exams and your analytical work at Morgan Stanley.
I don't think you should worry so much about the actual title (back office vs. front office). Instead, focus more on your experiences, impact, initiatives, special projects, professional growth, etc. These factors can be more important for you than your actual title.
If you don't have enough to show in terms of your career progression/impact, however, then you might benefit from working for an additional year, especially to gain the experience in the front office.
I don't think you're competitive at a top 10 program, but you if you want to apply this year, you can consider targeting schools in the 15-25 range.
I hope this is helpful!
Monica, thanks for your reply. I think I am missing something. On one hand you say that my CA plus workex differentiates me from other candidates from the same demography. Yet in the last para you say that I may not be competitive at the top 10. Is that because of a not-so-good community service and extra curriculars? Or the workex + qualification in itself is not good enough?
If so, can also suggest the way forward in terms of what I should be doing, in addition to getting a very good GMAT score, so that I am considered at the top b-schools. I am particularly interested in the top 10/15? I am also not too keen on pursuing MBA immediately.I do not mind doing it in 2-3 years if tat does not get late. So, with this info in picture, can you suggest the best way to build a ivy type CV in my case? Will a 2 year exp in a good i-bank (front office) help? Pls suggest anything else that you may deem fit as nothing else come to my mind.
Hi Monica and the mbaMission Team, I am a 2010 fall aspirant. My Profile is as follows: GMAT: 710(Q: 49, V: 38 ) Exp.: 4+ yrs by Sep,2010 IT Acads: ok ok X: 78% XII: 67% B.Tech.(CSE): 71.3% Extra Curr.: Not much. I play a lot of games like Lawn Tennis, Badminton, Pool ,Snooker, Squash, cricket etc. I am an avid reader and read a lot. I was also one of the organizers of the Technical Festival in my college. Specialization interested in: General Mgmt/Strategy/Entrepreneurship I have lead a team for around 18 months and was responsible for the training activities of the new joinees in the project. My USP is the diversity I offer. I have worked for 3 different clients like Bank of America, Wachovia and American Express and many domains like credit cards, Data warehousing, Credit Bureau , Associate application development etc. I have worked for 5 different projects and 6 different technologies . So, I have had to adapt quickly to the technology, people and work culture of the different teams. 4 of the 5 projects that I have worked had really tight deadlines and since my company had got work in those areas for the first time, there was additional pressure to do well to gain a foothold in that area. Though I have no International experience, I have interacted with clients from different locations like Australia, US and China. Also, I have stayed at 6 states and 9 different cities across India and have had to deal with different cultures and different mindsets of the people. I am a punjabi born in Rajasthan who belongs to Delhi. :) I have always been above average at everything but not exceptional at anything. So I would like to pursue MBA in General Management with a focus on Consulting so that I gain insight into the various aspects of running a business as my long term goal is to start my own business in 10-15 years after MBA. 1.So could you please suggest 2-3 Stretch schools and 2-3 schools where I stand a very good chance with a good scholarship. Please take into consideration that securing finances is a big issues for me. So basically I am looking for decent schools with good ROI. 2.Do you think it would be good decision to join an average B-School in the current scenario? 3.Also, do you think I will be able to switch my domain from IT to General Management or Consulting post MBA in this slowdown, even if I graduate in fall 2012?
Thanks for your question. Your academics and GMAT score of 750 are quite strong. I do think your activities and interests outside of your professional experience are interesting. You can certainly use your writing activities, social work and leadership roles to differentiate yourself. Given that you are part of an overrepresented group, it will be to your advantage to highlight these experiences (in terms of your impact and how they influenced you) in your application. At Citigroup, how would you describe your career progression? Are you ahead of your peers? Have you been appointed to work on special projects? You should certainly reflect more on your leadership/initiatives/actions at Citigroup vs. the actual role of a software engineer in order to showcase your strengths. I would need to know more about your professional accomplishments to determine if you are competitive at the top programs. If you have had phenomenal experiences and impact at work, I do think you could be competitive at a top 5 school. In terms of the European programs you're targeting, international experience would certainly help your case, so you may need to be more creative in thinking about how to leverage your existing experiences to show that you have a global mindset. I am not familiar with the other programs you listed, so I cannot comment on those.
Hope this helps!
Thanks for taking the time out to go through my profile and answer my queries. As an addendum, let me state that I had joined Citigroup in 2006 as an Assistant Manager and got promoted to Manager within a year - a rarity in the organization. I think I can get good recommendations from a person quite high up in the organization.
Also, following the recent economic turmoil, Citigroup had been forced to offload several international units, one of which happens to be the one I work. It has been acquired by India's largest IT major, Tata Consultancy Services. Recently, I have been asked by company HR to consider applying to an internal management trainee program called Tata Administrative Services, which is an extremely elite section of the Tata Group.
As for my role in the organization, it is a little different from the typical IT/software guy. I am in the Risk Analytics department where most of my colleagues hold Economics or Statistics majors. So my work involves Analytics and Software, and daily interactions with my American teammates in Texas and New York.
Although I had initially considered applying only to Harvard, Kellogg and Wharton among American B-schools, I have decided to hedge my bets by including Stern and Tuck in that list as well.
How much do you think I should emphasize my journalistic achievements in my applications? Should it be more, equal, or less than my IT career? I look forward to your esteemed advice on my profile and applications to these elite schools.
I hope you were able to make a decision on your program! We specialize in MBA programs, so I wasn't able to offer advice on the MSC in Finance from Cass.
Hi, I have got an offer from cass for the MSC in fin and investment part time. I am into IT for the past 4 yrs and looking to get into the finance field which is obviously new to me. Can someone please help me with this course in cass as in- career impact, job prospects, the course itself and the most imp starting salary. Would appreciate if some1 can help me plzzzzz, i hve 1 week to accept the offer...am in uk for the past 2 yrs working in IT.
Thanks for your question. I do think your grades are lower than other candidates with similar profiles. Was there a specific reason for your performance? Also, your overall GMAT score is lower as well. While your quantitative score is strong, the verbal score is not as strong and can potentially raise a red flag regarding your verbal skills. If you feel that you can achieve a higher score with more preparation, I recommend retaking the GMAT.
I also feel that your leadership in community and college activities are relatively light. Do you have any community activities within your professional job (i.e. leadership regarding training, mentoring, social activities, etc). These are activities that you can leverage to highlight your leadership outside of your job.
We specialize in the top MBA programs in the U.S. and Europe, so I am not familiar with the schools you've listed (except Cambridge). I recommend that you look at your profile in relation to the class profile for all of your target schools to see how you measure up. If your personal story is pretty unique even if your statistics are lower than the averages, you might have a reasonable shot. Otherwise, I recommend that you boost your GMAT and take on more leadership roles.
Hope this helps!
I just spend ton of time reading through this full thread.. its really informative and you'll are doing a great job.. I would be grateful if you could have a look through my profile and gave me your opinion.. thanks a ton..
Age: 26 (at start of MBA Sept 2010) Academics: Xth - 78.4 % XIIth 73.5 % BSc (IT) 68.19 % Masters Program in IT 3.15/4 GPA GMAT: 700 (Q45, V41), AWA 5.0 Work Experience: - Currently 3.5 years (4+ at start of MBA) consulting experience in Governance Risk and Compliance Domain - Working within the Consulting Division of one of Indias largest IT services companies - Been promoted from Associate Consultant to Consultant and then to Senior Consultant over period of three years - Exposure to multiple sectors like financial services, energy, logistics, real estate etc - 4 Month internship as an analyst/trainee in a consulting firm during Masters International Exposure: - Mostly executed consulting engagements across UAE (Dubai, Abu Dhabi), Bahrain (Manama), India (Delhi, Mumbai) and most recently Germany (Dusseldorf) - Thus exposure to different styles of working and wealth of different cultures Leadership Positions: - Project Manager (Managed consulting engagements involving around 2-3 consultants along with larger client implementation teams) - Co-event Organizer (For a national level seminar during Masters) - Logistics Incharge (Incharge of managing Logistics for most seminars during Masters) - Nominated and attended Customer Leadership Interface Program Extra Curricular: - Represented college and won multiple inter-college football tournaments - Involved in College admissions during graduation Awards and Recognition: - Awarded Prodigy Award for best New Recruit - Awarded Best Team Award for excellent execution of an engagement Other Professional Certifications: - Certified Prince 2 Practitioner (Project Management Methodology) - BS25999 Lead Auditor (Business Continuity Management Framework) - Certified Information System Security Professional - CISSP (Information Security Related) College Selection (Still researching college 'fit' for me): Reach: Oxford, Cambridge Match: Manchester, Cranfield, Lancaster, Cass Backup: Warwick, Imperial (Not sure if these backup as yet) MBA Expectations: - Overall a general MBA with some focus/electives in consulting - Preferably a 12 months course in UK (18 months in case of MBS) starting Fall 2010 - Plan to move up the consulting value-chain i.e. into management consulting (preferably strategy) A few questions 1. Could youll please comment on my college choices i.e. are they too high, too low or should I consider some others and what is the possibility of getting into them with my profile? 2. How realistic are my chances at Oxford or Cambridge? 3. My academics are on the low side so I hope the GMAT should be able to cover that? 4. Anything else I need to stress on in the application or should I leave out anything? 5. Any weak links or red flags you can identify in the profile?
We specialize in the top U.S. and European MBA programs, so I am unable to offer advice on the programs you've listed. You should definitely figure out which one is a better fit in terms of the culture and academic/extra curricular offerings.
Best of luck!
Hello,
I have got unconditional offers for MSc finance from Lancaster and Exeter.., I am in a dilemma as choosing the right one.. Can you help me in the same???
Your achievement of 1st class for your Masters program and your top 2% ranking in your undergraduate program are strong indicators of your academic ability. You should aim to achieve an equally impressive GMAT score. In terms of your professional experience, continue to stretch yourself when possible. Promotions, special projects, challenging leadership opportunities, and international experience will help boost your profile. You are on the right track with the two initiatives that you are leading outside of work.
I noticed that you didn't mention any activities during college. This will be an important aspect of your profile as well. Keep up the good work...and don't forget out your personal story when you write your application. Any personal challenges or accomplishments can serve to round out your profile.
I hope this is helpful!
Hello Jeremy,
Just wanted to share with you my profile and gain an understanding of what I need to work on to have a strong application in place for a 2011 admit to a top 10 school in US and a top 3 school in Europe.
I know that this forms only a part of the entire application but still if there is anything missing and can be worked upon I would like to know.
The one thing that I am aware of is slightly less international exposure. I have physically worked in a foreign geography for about 3 months in an M&A; engagement and apart from that I have been in teams where I have worked (based out of India) with international teams.
Work Ex: Total work-ex till now: 4+ years Currently: Manager, Risk Analytics for HSBC's Loans & Mortgage portfolio. Team Lead. Leading a team of analysts. Previous: Risk Management for Citibank's Credit Cards portfolio, Mergers & Acquisitions (Deloitte Consulting) Education: MS in Quantitative Economics (ISI - Indian Statistical Institute: 1st Class), B. Sc. in Economics (Presidency College: Ranked in the top 2% in the University). Both of these are top schools in India in Economics. Class XII-81%, Class X-83%.
With regards to leadership I have had the opportunity to gain a significant amount through work and my extra-curricular activities: Workplace: From a work-ex perspective I am leading a 7 member team of analysts in my current role. I am also leading initiatives to improve the atmosphere in the workplace at a broader level involving approx. a 250+ member team. And definitely responsibilties at office should increase by the time I apply in 2010. Non workplace: Social Work: As I had mentioned earlier I have been involved in an NGO for the last 4 to 5 years. Have been successful in making this organisational self sustainable from a funding perspective and removed the uncertainity it had due to its dependance on individual sponsors. Also involved in regular decision making process for any major decisions of this organisation and ensuring that the organisation is not dependant on any individual for its functioning. Earlier it was dependant on an individual for its functioning. Organisational Capabilities: Also I am driving the process of forming the departmental alumni association of the college from where I completed my bachelors. It is definitely one of the top 2 colleges in my discipline in India and the department is more than 100 years old. Among its alumni its boasts of a Nobel laurete, a former governor of RBI (i.e. India's Central Bank), senior faculty members in the economics department of renowned institutes like NYU, Columbia, Oxford, LSE, recipient of India's highest civilian award etc.. and senior members in the corporate and civil administrative sector all over the world. I have already been successful in involving some of these luminaries in this initiative. This effort has been ongoing for the last 6 months and should be completed over the next couple of months. In 2010 I hope to attain the steady state for this association with regards to its activities and interaction model of the alumni with the department & its current students.
I was involved with an NGO during my college days. It dealt mainly with rehabilitation of juvenile children. But it was not at the same level as my present involvement. Also I was in the organising committee for various fests held in the college.
Do you think that apart from securing a high GMAT score there are any other deficiencies which I should take care of in my efforts to secure an admit in 2011?
