B-Schooling Queries

 

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Hi Simba! First of all Congrats on your 3 admits :)...I have been following quite a few "mba'07" blogs and thought one day i'll comment on those blogs saying "Me got an admit as as well Congrats!"...well i guess I cant now...i apped for 10 univs...Top apps were Duke, Darden, Stern, Columbia, Ucla, Kellogg and Tuck. Gave interviews for Duke, Kellogg, Tuck and dinged from all except Stern and Kellogg. Now stern doesn’t admit students without an interview. Since the deadline is April 1st my chances are slim. Kellogg no way I guess... Got admits from Ohio, Kelley and Purdue.

Well now what i wanted was your profile. Your gmat score and work ex. Btw i have 3 yrs exp in s/w working in an MNC at Bangalore. 730 GMAT. I am part of a start-up as well. I did screw up my essays and interviews. I am planning to app for Class '08 so just wanted to get a feel of the profiles. Btw could you send me a resume format pls? Thats it. I know you'd be busy but i'd appreciate if you could give me some tips. Thanks!

Hey Arun, Sorry for the late reply. Am sorry to hear about ur application debacle. Never apply to so many schools in the first run. Anyways, great to see you getting prepared for Class of 2008. U have a strong profile, I can say, All u need to do is work on ur essays and u have a great shot at the TOP 10 schools. If u have made it to Ohio & other places, u are not that far from the top ones. Write to all of the schools & find out if they will give u a feedback & also see if they encourage re-apps.

U can make it to the TOP. Believe in it & move further on, pal!! :-) My profile is OK. But dont bother about that. My GMAT is the least that can make it to the TOP Schools. My best wishes.

Hey Simba, Thanks a bunch:)...It was nice to read your mail:)...Needed some pep talk:)...Thanks... Yeah i shouldnt have applied to so many schools...actually apping to US b-schools struck me pretty late. Kelloggs was the first i applied and i finished the essays in 4 hrs! Never researched schools:(... You are right i have to mail those schools and probably get some feedback if possible. After that i shall start working on my essays. Will apply only to about 4 schools and lets c whats in store for me:)...Will mail you if i get any admits next year :) Thanks a bunch Simba:)...All the best for you at Duke and hope you get through Wharton as well:) Keep the faith:)

Hi, I am not sure of your true name, but just happened to come across your name and blogs in one of the pagalguy forums. First of all, congrats on your ISB admit and your inteview calls from Wharton. Its indeed a tremendous achievement to have gotten a call from Wharton. Just was curious about ur profile and the result - this mail!! Would be nice if you can just spend a couple of mins of ur time and let me know about urself a bit...Before that, let me tell you something about myself...I am Sekar, currently working with Oracle and with high hopes of pursuing an MBA from a top notch insti !!

Hi Sekar, My name is Sowmya. I am working with Reliance Infocomm and have about 5+ years of experience, right now a Telecom Engineer. Thanks for all the wishes!! It takes a lot to get into TOP schools & there are no definite profiles.

Hi Sowmya, Thanks for ur time in replying to my mail. In fact, I have got one of my colleagues who will be joining u there at ISB this time around...And btw,It would be nice if you could let me know of your score in GMAT. Regards.

Hi Soumya, I took my GMAT this monday and got the following scores: Quantitative Section (Scaled score) 47 Verbal Section(Scaled score) 32 Total score 650. Background and work experience: Undergraduate in Electrical Engineering from NIT(They are ranked right after IITs), India in year 2001.Have scored 70% (the highest in the class would be around 80%).

I have 4 years of work experience in Sales and Marketing. Have been doing quite well. Used to have independent charge of 3 regions in India generating a revenue of INR 300 million. Involved in a lot of IT initiatives. Also presently undergoing my green belt project which is a part of a high level six-sigma black-belt project. Will get good recos from my bosses.

On the community service front, i can write about the association with MVF and PG's initiatives. I would like to specialise in General Mgmt/Marketing. Looking at US/Europe for a full time MBA in Spring 2006. Would like to know from you, the schools which i can apply to... I am concerned with my low GMAT score. Can my mktg work-ex be counted towards a diverse profile..Should i be taking the GMAT again or concentrate on building the application....Please advise...regds.

Hey Kalyan, Nice to hear from you. You have a great profile... I can suggest the schools u can be looking at later on. I would suggest, grit ur teeth & go in for a retake of GMAT & get that 700 score. I say this because u are fighting against a lot of Indian IT guys & might face stiff competition. Pl take the GMAT .. maybe Sept 1 week not later than that. I think u can get a better score. U have the time.. finish it else u will regret it at a later point!!

There is nothing like Spring 2006, not that I am aware of!! U can try for Fall 2007. :) In Europe - u can look at Said,Oxford. In US - Kellogg, Tuck or Duke, Darden or UNC. This is just a small estimate.. start researching the schools soon!! :-) Kellogg asks for a TOEFL!!

Hey Soumya, I have been talking to a few ppl including you all these days.... I have almost decided that i am going to take it again.. However i hv some questions regd the timing.. Sept 1 week looks a little tight..as i want to give my best this time.. If i give it sometime in oct, i would miss the R1 deadlines.. would applying in R2 to the big schools of US put me at a disadvantage (assuming that i get a good score)..As for the European schools i want to apply to HEC and one other school in R1 .. Regd the competition, will i be clubbed with the IIT(Indian IT)guys or with  ppl with non-IT background..

U were correct it was Fall 2006...   Let me know if i am thinking in the right direction.. since u are"been there,done that kinds", you can advise me better.. Any random thoughts you have, regd the application as such, would be very much helpful (other than the qns posed)..Thanks again.

Hey Kalyan, Ok if its OCT, ditch the R1. Give ur best shot at R2. It is not at all late.. & no disadvantage, you would better worry about putting a great complete app then doing a shoddy half hearted one in haste!! U will be compared with all the Indians applying, but dont fret about it!! No point in worry about the trivial things... just work on a great app!! HEC - No idea!!! Theres just too much info Kalyan.. cant write so much :-) But if u any specifics... I can clear them up for u!!! More later.

I am 24 right now and have two years experience in Infosys - you guessed right another IT consultant. I have been in New York completing two years of experience in August 2005. I was planning to apply for I.S.B. for R1 2006, by which time I would've had 2.5 years work ex.I have given my GRE, but not the GMAT.

1) Can you please advise if it will be too early for me to apply and if I should wait for an year before applying?

2) Also the admissions commitee said I could apply with my GRE. Will giving the GMAT make my application stronger?

Hey Abhinav, ISB is an awesome school. Normally schools consider the work ex u have when u are entering the school, which makes u someone with around 3 yrs of work ex. I think that should do u good & def Infy will give u a nice brand name too. Just be sure u know that u are competing with people with much more experience that u do!!

1) I think it depends on ur personal goals & commitments in life. In worst case, if things dont work out this year, U can apply next year too. Dont see the point in u wasting another one year if you dont have anythingelse on mind.

2) No, I think GMAT, GRE etc are all one base point to judge. If u have a decent score in GRE, then apply as u may as well spend quality time on other parts of the application like ur essays!!! :-) Cheers.

Hi, Thanks a lot for the advise and encouragement. It means a lot to me. I have a GRE score which is in the old format though without AWA. I gave it back in September 2002. Does that make a difference?

Your best bet would be calling up the admissions guys at ISB and enquiring. Why take a chance?

I did that and they said that I could apply, but I wanted to confirm if it weakens my application. Thanks for your help ,really appreciate it.

LOL, dont worry about small things. Move on. :-)

simba, i have been reading almost each n every post of yours for the simple quality content they have..its a mindblowing initiative of organising a meet up..n sorting some faq' for other aspirants..wish i was there or u were frm mumbai..can i atleast be your friend..n get help by mail..or something..so here is wht doubts i have build up off late..but before tht here is something abt myself

1 )i will be applying for fall 2007

2) 'm only a graduate (b. sc. (phy) from mumbai unvi..is tht any sought of hinderance in pursuing a mba from a reputed US 2-tier unvi if not top 10

3) i have started preparing for gmat..roughly put in abt 1 hour daily..

4)'m into networking n nopes 'm not bored of it..jst need to get above the techie tag (3 yrs work ex in not all tht great firm)

now i have read all ur articles..the procedure seems to be worse than a maze..n besides tht how do u get ur self aquainted over there wth the people over there..wht abt ur accomodation..cld u tell me something abt ur profile..like how much work ex do u have n etc...actually 'm jst freaking out when i try n picture the whole

your advice would be very helpfull n i really get inspired from the effort u have taken for the rest of aspirants..inspite of ur daily hectic schedule. awaiting for ur advice.

Hey Manish, I was in Mumbai all thro out. I just flew into US.

* A 3-yr degree might pose a few problems in some schools. There is this 15/16 year education you might need to do some research on. Some schools ask for a 4 year degree in undergrad or if u have a 3 yr thing, u must have a post grad degree. I am not sure which schools are fussy.. u may need to research on that!!

* Start reading blogs of lots of people & you will slowly get used to the whole maze. Go to my blog & somewhere I have listed MBA League site - there are many blogs listed there! Goto forums like TestMagic or GMATClub - loads of people share a lot of info on these forums which will be of immense help.

>> wht abt ur accomodation..cld u tell me something abt ur profile..like how much work ex do u have n etc...actually 'm jst freaking out when i try n picture the whole thing..?!'

You will get all hosuing info as soon as u get admissions. Nothing to worry about.  my profile - 6 yrs work ex as telecom engineer, last 2 + in Reliance. Read all my articles & try to get the gist of what I am saying,. its not really that bad!!! Thats it for now I guess.

Hi Simba, Let me first thank you for your valuable input with regard to my query. I have been doing some r n d with respect to 15/16 yrs of education..n have kinda realised that some schools like Harvard have no issues to it..while 16yrs is a norm for a MS course, some b-schools yet may demand the same at times. Also some other schools recommend a bridge course be taken if they feel they need.

I have been reading your blog part by part, though i have not come across any MBA League site link as yet. I do spend all ma free time going through all various recommended forums..and yes me, slowly n steadily getting a hang of it :)

Also i have been inspired a lot from your blog..and i really love the way u made it to Fuqua..which makes me conclude that if you dream big and keep working towards them hard..then its not impossible for an average person to make it there..!

Now here is the second set of doubts:

1) Is starting a blog a must, how does one benefit form it..?!
2) Do we have to join a NGO to get into top 10 b-schools..?!
3) How much liquid cash did you show..what is the minimum(recommended) amount..?!

umm cant think of any others at the moment, so i think you did get a bit lucky there ;P
Adios.

Hey Manish - Nice to hear from you. Let me be quick & concise - The site I told u about was  - http://mbaleague.blogspot.com/

>>1) Is starting a blog a must, how does one benefit form it..?!

- No, but it helps to connect with people who are applying with you & hence can share loads of stuff!

>>2) Do we have to join a NGO to get into top 10 b-schools..?!

- Not really but you might want to show that you are a complete person & there is more than ur academics & career!!!

3) How much liquid cash did you show..what is the minimum (recommended) amount..?!

- To whom... School doesnt ask for any. And visa, its a matter of luck but if u have a TOP school admit, visa is never a problem!!! U might choose to talk to a visa consultant like Madhavi Desai in Mumbai to help you once u get an admit.

hey simba, hope u doing great..i have been occupied wth ma work off late..so have not been able to write.. thx for the info u have shared..its really kool..will write more in re to ur mail latter..for now i have bought the pr 2006 cracking the gmat book..i think the book has great strategies but difficulty level has been mediocre so far..i have completed only a couple of math chapters yet (excluding those intro chapters). will write more soon.

Hi Simba, I am not sure whether you remember me. I have interacted with you a couple of times on PG. It is now time for me to look westward for an MBA degree and I feel happier for that. I have been reading your blog and require some more guidance from you.

Lots of of my thoughts are based on gut feeling and instinct. Say for example what I want to specialize in B-school and what I want to do post B-school. Is there any way how we can clear the haze. I have heard that GMAC has a tool called CareerLeader to get a clear idea as to what career will exactly suit you. Do these tools help? I am not looking for absolutes here, any direction is very welcome. Sometimes I feel frustrated at not being able to ask the right questions. I have loads of friends and cousins who have done their MBA abroad but I am not clear as to how to tap into their knowledge pool. What is the first step with respect to deciding what specialization you want.? I will give a brief insight into my profile also so that you may be able to better understand my predicament.

Work Experience: Total 3 years. One Year sales/marketing. Two Years in as a Functional/QA Analyst. I have taken my GMAT and have got a score of 740. Academics: I have done my BE - Industrial Engineering. I have an aggregate of around 76%. I have presented a couple of technical papers in college. Extra Curriculars: I have Quite a lot on this front right from my college days. Club and Cultural activities, into Athletics & Table tennis; Toast masters. Done lots of social service.

As of know based on gut feeling I want to speacialize in general management, strategy, marketing and want to get into cosulting and general management areas post MBA. Currently I planning to look at darden,ross,fuqua and kenan-flagler as potential schools to apply to. My two queries are

1) How to/where to look for ways to become clearer about my specialization?

2) Have I missed any school in the Top 20 that may me suit me better?

Simba,Thanks a million in advance for your help. Trust me it makes a big impact on everybody. Cheers. P.S.: I guess I will be interacting more often with you as I believe you have loads of information and better still are willing to share it :-) . Thanks again.

Hi Omkar, Sorry for delaying the reply. Yes, I do remember you on PG!! I really dont know how good the tool on GMAC is. See if u will hit upon something on the Gmatclub or testmagic!! :-)

Specialization is something that u need to base depending on ur interests. You have been in Sales/ IT... u can specialise in either or both. Also, theres a nice thing about schools abroad.. u can have a general management program where u can be a generalist!! I would suggest u start lurking around the school websites & also tap into ur cousins' knowledge base.. nothing better than who have graduated from the good schools.. they can be excellent recommenders!! :-)

740 is an amazing score. You dont have to ever worry about a GMAT. But be sure that the score is not more than 2 yrs old when u apply. The school might just ask u to retake!! "darden,ross,fuqua and kennan-flaggler" - Hmmm.. what specializations are u looking at?? Decide on that first... Duke is a generalist program.. not sure abt others!! And my dear, all these schools approximately in the same domain/ rankings.. keep only 2 of these. Pick one very safe school in the lower rung. And pick one top school.. could be Kellogg if u are looking at M.kting!! :-) Hope this helps.

Hi Sowmya, I am back for more guidance.Over the last couple of months, I have done some research and considerable introspection.I have decided to go for a general management specialization.I believe Fuqua is one of the better known schools for GM. I am planning to apply to fuqua.

I have some good extra-currics but am stuck to IT.How do you think that I can best make my candidature with my IT background. It would would be great if you can gimme an idea how to strike a balance between my extra-curriculars and Work-Ex. Is there any other advice you would give somebody applying to Fuqua in round-1? Thanks in Advance.

Fuqua like any other school want wholesome personalities becos they get the wealth of experience. Write something about what u did in ur spare time, differentiate from others.. IT is IT.. no matter what u have done.

Hi Simba, Thanks for the feedback. Just another Quick question on Fuqua.As a fuqua student can you tell me what you feel about fuqua, my reason for asking this question is I want to know how others perceive this institution and I want to get as much perspective about the college as possible.

Another favour, please pardon my cheekiness for asking but are you ok to share your Why Fuqua,short term ,long ter goals essay. I promise not plagiarise the essay and also not give it to anybody else either. I ask this essay simply because I want to see fuqua through other people's eyes and also understand the depth to which one should go while writing the essay. I am perfectly ok in the event you are not able to share the essay and sorry of if I should not have asked. Thanks once again.

Sorry Omkar, As a rule, I dont share my essays with anyone. They are too personal and passionate to be read by a 3rd person! Fuqua - I love it because its a team school.. so much u gotto do with the team... if u are not the team kinda person, stay away!! :-) About how to answer.. haha, u need to figure it out pal!!

Hi Sowmya, I am sorry for having asked for the essay. I am sure once I am done with mine I too would find it too personal to share. I guess one becomes more mature through this application journey (atleast I will not ask anybody else henceforth). I hope I have not offended you by asking for the same.

Nah, its not so easy to offend me!! :-) Good Luck with apping! :-)

Hi Sowmya, I have an alumni interview as a part of my Duke application. Please can you gimme any gyan that would help for this interview. Incase emailing takes time ,you could give me your contact number, I will call you sometime when you are free. Thanks and Regards.

Just be yourself! You will get the standard admission questions.. pay more attention to Why MBA, Why Duke? Alums are extremely helpful.. they really put u at ease! Just ensure that u show the passion for Fuqua! Good Luck.

Note: Now, Omkar is Duke MBA student.

Hey Simba, I had contacted previously thru another email , not sure I got your response. I guess its your finals so I will patiently wait to hear from. But when you find time do reply. Finished my GMAT and got 690 (V-85%, Q- 82%) Overall 91%. Simple and brief profile: Interest- Consulting; Edu: BE (Mech) and MS(Mech) (India and US); GPA- 76% and 3.5; Work exp- 8 yrs plus. What are the chances that you could app to Duke and be considered? Also do you have other schools in ur experience could be a good target. Some of them I am toying with are Yale, Kelloggs, Vanderbilt and Oxford or Leeds. Your honest comments will be appreciated.

Sorry for the delayed reply! If u are able to put up a strong application, I cant see how they can keep u out of Duke! Kellogg is the only one I would recommend in the choices u have provided!! U sure have a good experience.. u might need to prove that u are able to manage the workload even after so many years in the work arena!! If u have some specific queries, shoot!

I have been reading your blog entries and articles on pagalguy, pagalgirl most of the time. At the moment, I am a bit confused about my career jigsaw puzzle:( Hence this email.. I am interested in pursuing management studies at a good b-school in near future.. My profile is something like:

Total work ex. - 4 years IT, including international work ex of 1.5 years: worked from conception to production ramp down. All this with an Indian IT major. GMAT - shall take in oct. 2006. extra-curricular : represented school at the zonal level, was selected twice in the technical branch of the IAF (didn't join the Services!!)

My goal is to start the application process for July - 2007 intake. I am in a dilemma now, since I have been offered a Project Lead position with the Indian IT major and also a Technical Consultant position with an European consulting company. Lead role would involve leading a team of 5-6 engineers and has a pretty good visibility in my current organisation. The consultant role - to start with - would involve myself in any of the stages of mobile phone development.

I need to take a call *now* and can choose between any one of the above said roles..
1. Taking into account my mba goal, which path should I choose?
2. Which path shall build a 'good mba' profile for international mba (general management / consulting / something else : undecided yet!)?
3. Putting yourself in the AdCom, which way would have an edge over the other?

I believe I need to work steadily towards my mba goal. Going by sheer numbers(salary figure!) I should be taking up the consultant role without any second thought!! However, I think, having some leadership experience would be nice to leverage my mba later. Hence I am a bit confused :(

In this regard, I need your suggestion.. Greatly appreciate all your thoughts. Thanks a lot in advance. PS: Let me know, if you need any inputs from me; to help me arrive at an informed decision.

You seem to be doing pretty well in your career. You may choose either to be a consultant or a team leader. I think both of them will be viewed fairly & favorably from an application point of view. But I think you are over thinking on this one. You should pick something where you feel you will learn & grow, more than how adcom sees it.

If you feel you have made the right choice, ur essays will show that and am sure you will make it. Even if you dont make it the first time around, your work will keepyou busy and help you to re-align ur career goals & aim for a bigger & better score. There are def no right & wrong answers. We all need to take a chance & move on.. & trust in God! :) Hope this helps.

Thanks Sowmya for all the inputs: absolutely, i agree, i realised that i am thinking a bit too much .. however, i believe, it is going to give me that final finishing touch before I start apping.. I am talking to some good people around to get wiser. Lets see, where I am destined to be:) thanks a lot again, cheers, Nikhil.

Hi Simba, I came to your blog thru PaGaL forum. I have read your posts and really admire your energy and articulation. I could do with some advice from you. I am an MBA aspirant based in (where else?) India. But I am not the standard b-school applicant. My profile is a bit unusual. I am 50 plus (Yes!) but still kicking well. I have a science background, with excellent accads and value addition courses. Still active academically. I just completed a one-yr professional diploma in HRD from a management institute in Delhi with CGPA 3.92. My GMAT (dec 2005) score is 720 (Q-45, V-44, AWA-5.5).

I have over 25 yrs of experience in Indian government in fairly senior positions, including diplomatic assignments in three countries for 9 years. Currently I am head of a department in one of the states, providing auxiliary services. I wish to do full-time MBA for personal growth and to get experience of corporate world. I know a career shift at this stage and age would raise many eyebrows but I feel I have enough steam left in me and can apply my knowledge and skills in a diferent work environment succesfully. Based on my own research and interaction with some adcoms, I have decided to apply to Tuck and Ross. I am keen on Duke also. Would welcome any comments or advice you may have for me, in terms of class profile, fit/misfit of an older applicant, and frankly, my chances of an admit. hope to hear your roar soon!

Rakeshji, Sorry for the late reply. Have been swamped with work! Anyways, I dont think your age should be an obstacle. And of course, an admission requires a well rounded application along with a strong GMAT score. Hopefully, you should be able to put up a strong application! :) I think all other details, you will surely find on the website of Duke.

Thanks for your reply and encouraging words. I have taken the application process forward in the last month. I have been in touch with adcoms of various schools and would be applying to few schools by R1. I must say that the apping process and the essays have generated introspection and helped clarify and crystallize my own thinking. So hopefully I can proceed with a clearer vision. I am reasonably confident of getting an admit but fin aid could be a difficult ball game. Thunderbird (Garvin school) has been particularly encouraging. Let us see.  Keep roaring!

Hi Simba, I was visitor numebr 6621 to your page. And I must say, its quite a page!! From the looks of the page, I am sure you get a lot of these kinda mails. So let me tell you a bit about myself and why I am writing to you as I wouldn't want my mail to find its way to your trash can. As you might have noticed my name is Vishal, I am 21 years old and I live in Hyderabad. I work as a Software Analyst (will complete an year in Aug).

And most importantly I was bitten by the MBA bug about two years ago. ....... No I am not about to go ... "Me Tarzan .. you Jane." So please keep reading. I am just facinated by the number of interview calls you have got from the top B-schools. I would really like to know how you managed to do this. After a fair amount of digging at your page I couldnt find details of your profile. Please revert if this is a convenient mode of communication for you and if you would like to share more details about your profile. I ask as I am at a stage where I can try to make a profile that would help me get an phoren-MBA someday. Ta ...

There are no fixed profiles Vishal. :-) As long as u are clear what ur goals are in life & where u wanna study.. the rest will surely follow. It has not been an easy ride for me nor will it be for anyone who wants to study in the best school. I have had tough times & am praying that something good comes out of all my struggles & along the way, inspire ppl like u!! Bye... All the best...

Hi Simba Thanks for taking the time to reply. Well, I understand and agree completely with whatever you have said here. But as of now, all that I know is which school I want to go to. I have absolutely no clue what it takes to actually be there. This is the reason I am writing to people like you so that I can get a better idea of what should be my plan of action because whatever I have in mind might not be an efficient way of doing things. I know that all the top B-schools look for people with unique stories to tell about themselves. I would really appreciate it if you can take some time and tell me yours. Shall wait for more .... Vishal

hi sowmya (simba). This is Sanat. First i'll jus tell u wat my CV looks like at present. I'm in my 4th yr civil engg BTech. I hav had decent acads throughout though not outstanding. I havent been a GS(general secretary)etc for any college fest. I will b placed in some construcion company soon(hopefully). I have always looked forward to doin an MBA abroad coz i feel the course is superior abroad. To get into a top-20 b-school (US & UK included), wat do u suggest tht i do in the comin 3-4 yrs  tht im plannin to work here, to boost my CV and giv me a better chance at breakin into the big league! Will being from civil engg instead of the usual IT/Comps be an advantage or otherwise?? If you could just giv me sum tips as to wat i could do in the comin 3-4 yrs or so wud be very welcome indeed! thanx...hoping for a reply soon.

Sanat, Thanks for your email. I am sorry but I can't tell you what you should be doing to "break into the big league." Just be successful & happy at what you are doing. Other things will follow. I don't think there are obvious advantages of being either Civil or IT. You are a male engineer which is the normal profile b-schools get. But that said, I don't think you have any control over it.. the best you can do is get a good GMAT score and try hard.

Hope you are doing great. Well, i have been following your blogs since a long time, and am in the GMAT - B-school application boat and more importantly needed some good advice, so here i am. i gave my GMAT today, and got a not so exciting 670. I was wondering if this even meets the minimum requirement too for any top 20 B-school!

In brief my profile is: BE, mechanical, first division through out, lots of extra curriculars which includes wining a city level beauty contest, also have been actively involved with voluntary work with the army and also received several token of appreciations (my father is in the army). i have been working since june 2003 (the year i passed out) in software, initially as a developer, but now im a Senior business analyst working in cards domain. im currently based in london, i picked up a job here in 2007 jan, but prior to this i was in taiwan and hong kong for around 6-7 months (this is just to stress on my international work experience). So would have 5 years of experience (with around 2 years international, if i join in fall 2008). The reason i want to do MBA is a career shift, i am very interested in the retail sector, and would want to try my hands at it. My target schools (prior to giving my GMAT) were- Duke, Kelley, NCU, Cornell.

Had i got a 700+ i wouldnt have contemplated applying, but i really am desperate to get into a B-school starting next fall (personal+professional reasons). i want to know what you think i should do! Retaking the GMAT would be my least preferred option! i would be absolutely elated if someone shows me a ray of hope saying i can still give my best shot to my dream schools. many thanks for your time, i would be really grateful if you do reply :) Thanks!

Hi N, Nice name. Good to hear from you! Let me be frank, yes, it is a bad score but not all is bad. I think you have a good profile along with your international experience, beauty contests etc. I am sure you will be able to pull off a good application. But I am not sure how strong your chances will be, it is a relative mesaure... it depends on the profiles of women, esp international women applying to schools. If they are moderate, you have a good chance of getting an admit but no one knows.

I understand that there are personal & professionals reasons to start MBA soon, however, weigh it out with respect to your actual ability - will you be happy to make it to a lower tier school just so you can escape the gmat saga? if you are, then it shouldnt bother you. Go ahead & apply :) I think you have a pretty good shot with all the schools you mentioned with your present GMAT - Duke might be a toughie!

As you refuse to deal with GMAT, I would ask you to apply to all these, work real hard on your application and see what your chances are. No one can guarantee you anything, but I think you will get at least a couple of admits.

However, if you have the energy & enthu to work hard all over again & retry GMAT within a couple of months & reapply to another extra top schools, maybe Tuck Stanford, I dont see anything not working out! yeah, maybe your time & $ but trust me, it will be worth it. :)

Hi Sowmya, Thanks for your encouraging email. I thought over what you said, and it makes prefect sense. I had almost given up on the idea of retaking my GMAT, but i guess i still can before the R2 deadline. I'l apply to two schools with my present score, LBS and UNC. I'l work hard on presenting a competitive R1 application, and i'l be golden if i make it to LBS.

UNC however seems relatively easier to get through, would be my backup. Will take my gmat again in early-mid nov, and then apply to Duke,Cornell,Stanford and may be Chicago by jan (R2 deadlines). Well there will again be a dependancy on my gmat score, but this sounds like a better plan. Atleast i am giving myself a fair chance, plus i feel the experience of applying to two schools in R1 will give me an opportunity to come up with a better application in R2. So i think its time again to pull up my socks and build a convincing story. Thanks for all your help, u r a superstar :D. hope alls well at your end! :)

 

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