Ask Jennifer@Accepted.com: Application-writing advice for the best global B-schools

[suvidhstrikes]

Hi Jennifer

My Query is more of a pre application one for the time being

First my profile

Did BCA(3 years undergraduate degree,not a 4 year one),through correspondence(distance mode) from kurukshetra university in india.passed out in 2007

apart from that i have 6 years + work experience(3 years in the education indstry,as a faculty and centre head for career launcher,one of india's largest mba prep institutes, and 2 years in manufacturing sector as as asstt. manager sales and marketing...and 1 year of running my own business,an event management firm,which i have now closed).All this work experience is full time as i did my undergraduate degree through correspondence and hence was absolutely free(i ,in fact started working before starting my graduation due to my family circumstances)

i have lots of extra curricular and sporting activities at inter school ,inter college and national level to boast of,ranging from quizzing,debates,fashion shows,cricket,basket ball,football and all

Have been in leadership positions right through, school to my jobs.

i am takin my GMAT as well as TOEFL this month.i am absolutely sure of getting a 720+ on GMAT and around 110 on TOEFL ibt.

I want your advise as to which are the MBA programs which i should be looking at,which would take into consideration a 3 year degree(since some US B-Schools accept only 4 year degrees),give weightage to my work experience ,most of which is before completion of undergraduate studies and at the same time give me good return on investment.

Would be hoping to her from you soon

thanks in advance

Warm regards
Suvidh Arora

[Accepted]

Originally Posted by sgmat

Hello Jennifer,

this is such a great initiative ....thanks a lot for providing all of us such important points regarding the application....i have PM you couple of questions....please take out sometime to respond the same.....

warm regards!!

sgmat

Hi, Sgmat. Unfortunately, I do not reply to private messages. You'll have to post to the forum.

Regards,
Jennifer Bloom, CPRW
Accepted - helping you write your best!

From pre-application consulting and strategizing to essay and letter of recommendation editing, resumes, mock interviews, and wait-list tactics - we guide you through the application maze.

[Accepted]

Originally Posted by sgmat

Jeniffer...I have one more question....I have decided to choose my immediate boss as my recommender....could you please advise whom can i choose as the second recommender.....i m in big trouble on this front......please advise....

thanks!!

sgmat

Sgmat,
I don't know anything about what you do, but in general the best recommenders are those who know you well and have seen you take initiative, lead people, and make an impact. If you have taken a large role in more than one department at work, then you can choose a supervisor or manager from each of them. If you have taken on a leadership role in the community, then a senior official in the organization may be able to write details of those actions. The key is the content, not necessarily how "renowned" the writer is.

Best of luck!

Regards,
Jennifer Bloom, CPRW
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[Accepted]

Originally Posted by sanket11

I am a Production Engg. / B.E. in first class with Distinction from one of the reputed Universities in India.

Working as a Consultant with Private Consultancy Firm affiliated to H. B. Maynard, Cop, USA [Now Part of Accenture]. It's a Manufacturing related Consultancy with domain expertise in MOST (Maynard Operation Sequence Technique.]

1. Consulting Assignments Handled in Blue chip companies: Worked with Clients like Honda, Mahindra & Mahindra, ITC, Gabriel, Kirloskar Group, Perfect Circle (Dana Cop), United Spirits (United Breweries Group), Bharat Forge, etc.

Team Work: In Each of the above mentioned assigned I am responsible for Leading/ Directing & co-coordinating activities of internal team of 3-4 analysts as well as client’s core team of 3-4 members, so in pithy handling team of 8 people.

Lots of Leadership initiatives / roles in handling given assignment.

Communication at all levels right from worker to the VP of company.

1. Responsible for various Initiatives In Company like:

• Responsible for starting a sort of Reading Club aimed at innovation & creativity to solve complex client problems.
• Columnist at the Company website.

1. Community Services:

Affiliated with Vipasyana Meditation Centers.
Affiliated to a Blind school in terms of providing them monthly food grains.
Taught Pranayama to children in my apartment & many others (Intangible benefits to all).
Planning to set up a small library in hometown for underprivileged children next month.

1. Extra Curricular Activities :

Conducted Yoga, Meditation & Pranayama Training Programs for company consultants,
Authored articles on websites on subjects like Lateral Thinking, Philosophy, and Manufacturing related.
Planning to write a small book about my personal exp/ Learning in life till now in next couple of years.
First Level Reiki Course, practicing the same.

1. Professional Achievements:

1. Awarded with "Outstanding Employee of the Year" in 2006-07 (first year of Professional exp.)
2. In each of projects (mentioned above) the concerned client has increased productivity by at least 15 -20 % by either increasing production or decreasing manpower (which is lifetime saving). Some of clients increased the productivity by 100%. Millions of $ saving for each client.
3. Single handedly structured & crafted 3 case studies about the productivity improvement at 3 organizations; the same are published on company web-site.

1. Personal Achievements:

1. • I mentored my father through rough patch in his career by asking him to focus on the spiritual side of life, regenerated his confidence & convinced him to take admission for Distance learning MBA at the age of 46.
   • I mentored one of the managers, 45 years old (at client side) in preparing for GMAT. Also mentored him through the MBA application process as he is planning his MBA from ISB, India.
2. GMAT: Yet to be taken but confident of 700+ as I am planning (started) 8/9 months for the preparation.

Queries:
1. Is my profile competitive enough for Top -10 US B-schools considering my post MBA goal of Strategy/ Management Consultant?

2. Considering that I will apply in Nov.09 with 4.5 years of Experience at the time of joining, I have nearly 1.8 years to further strengthen my profile. How can best utilize this time? What should I do in next 12-15 months to improve my chances?

3. What can be things that may decrease my chances of get in? How can fix them in next 12-15 months?

4. How should I systematically spread my MBA game plan over the next year or two?

Hi, Sanket11. Your profile sounds like it is off to a great start. Here are the areas I think would be the best to focus on:
1) international experience if possible - you didn't mention whether the clients you are currently working for are all in India or are sometimes based abroad. Ideally, you will show yourself as a person who is able to work with foreign clients and teams.

2) operations management - I would like you to grow your own renown and that of your firm to such an extent that you are one of the most in demand consultants your company has. We need to see you making an impact on the firm as a whole and not just on individual consultancy teams.

3) Extracurricular leadership - I see a lot of extracurricular involvement in your profile, but not much extracurricular leadership yet. Work on recruiting and leading teams of volunteers to make an even larger impact in the community.

4) GMAT - Make the 700+ a reality and not just a plan . Take the test and put it behind you.

5) You didn't mention whether you have a four-year degree or a three-year degree. If it is three-year, then many top MBA programs will require you to do a fourth year of study. Do the research now so you are not surprised later...

6) contact alumni and students at the schools you are interested in to determine where you will fit in best and which programs offer the type of education you are seeking.

Best of luck with these preparations!

Regards,
Jennifer Bloom, CPRW
Accepted - helping you write your best!

From pre-application consulting and strategizing to essay and letter of recommendation editing, resumes, mock interviews, and wait-list tactics - we guide you through the application maze.

[Accepted]

Originally Posted by amruthareddy

How to answer the questions
Why do you want to join MBA PG program?
Tell briefly why we should select you?
State briefly your career goals for the next 5 years(short term) and 10 years(long term)?
Please help me..

This sounds like a standard career goals question. The key is to

1) show that you have achieved a very high level of success and impact so far to prove that you are worthy of their selection from among all of the other applicants

and

2) define your goals clearly and show that you know exactly what business skills and knowledge you are hoping to gain from this program to reach those goals.

Good luck!

Regards,
Jennifer Bloom, CPRW
Accepted - helping you write your best!

From pre-application consulting and strategizing to essay and letter of recommendation editing, resumes, mock interviews, and wait-list tactics - we guide you through the application maze.

[Accepted]

Originally Posted by suvidhstrikes

Hi Jennifer

My Query is more of a pre application one for the time being

First my profile

Did BCA(3 years undergraduate degree,not a 4 year one),through correspondence(distance mode) from kurukshetra university in india.passed out in 2007

apart from that i have 6 years + work experience(3 years in the education indstry,as a faculty and centre head for career launcher,one of india's largest mba prep institutes, and 2 years in manufacturing sector as as asstt. manager sales and marketing...and 1 year of running my own business,an event management firm,which i have now closed).All this work experience is full time as i did my undergraduate degree through correspondence and hence was absolutely free(i ,in fact started working before starting my graduation due to my family circumstances)

i have lots of extra curricular and sporting activities at inter school ,inter college and national level to boast of,ranging from quizzing,debates,fashion shows,cricket,basket ball,football and all

Have been in leadership positions right through, school to my jobs.

i am takin my GMAT as well as TOEFL this month.i am absolutely sure of getting a 720+ on GMAT and around 110 on TOEFL ibt.

I want your advise as to which are the MBA programs which i should be looking at,which would take into consideration a 3 year degree(since some US B-Schools accept only 4 year degrees),give weightage to my work experience ,most of which is before completion of undergraduate studies and at the same time give me good return on investment.

Would be hoping to her from you soon

thanks in advance

Warm regards
Suvidh Arora

Hi, Suvidh. Many programs accept the three-year degree; you can contact the schools individually to find out whether they require the fourth year. Unfortunately, you didn't mention what your goals are nor did you demonstrate in your email whether you have any truly exceptional leadership experience or impact. Without high-level impact in an international company, you should look at programs not in the top 25.

Regards,
Jennifer Bloom, CPRW
Accepted - helping you write your best!

From pre-application consulting and strategizing to essay and letter of recommendation editing, resumes, mock interviews, and wait-list tactics - we guide you through the application maze.

[dishu_gupta]

Hello jennifer,

What cn b a gud answer to.....

Why u want 2 change ur stream completely from engineering to finances........??? or why finances....???.....help me out....

Thanks in advance

[saahilk63]

Dear Jennifer,

I've been reading your posts, and think that they're awesome.

I'm interested in doing an Integrated Marketing Communications program. I've short listed Medill School of Journalism and Emerson College. Could you please give me some admission tips for these programs. And could you suggest some colleges that are known for their marketing programs.

I've Scored 700 (Q-47 V-thirty eight in my third attempt. First two scores were 560 (Q-44, V-25) and 560 (Q-48, V-20).


I worked with a newspaper in the marketing department for 2 years and have been working with my dad, who makes corporate films, for the last one and a half years.

I’m not sure whether I should do an MBA or an MS in marketing. Please guide me.

I've also pasted my resume below.

Thanks
Saahil

WORK EXPERIENCE

Co…Producers; Mumbai, India
A corporate films’ production house
Associate July 2006 -- Present
• Script writing and editing
• Coordinating activities with freelance teams
• Overseeing administration
• Client servicing

Bennett Coleman & Co. Ltd; Mumbai, India
Executive – Results & Market Development Department November 2004 -- July 2006
• Responsible for servicing 35 academic institutions in South Mumbai
• Managed numerous events, such as seminars for principals & teachers and inter school painting and quiz competitions
• Canvassed for sponsorship for various events and successfully tied up with 5 companies
• Created and implemented innovative marketing and promotional ideas
• Brainstormed with the editorial for newspaper content
• Edited articles and contributed photographs to the newspaper

INTERNSHIPS

American Express Bank; Mumbai, India
Management Trainee Summer 2003
• Assisted the Finance Manager

Mudra Communications; Mumbai, India
Management Trainee Summer 2002
• Research and presentation on branded petrol pumps. Conducted surveys and interviewed petrol pump managers and car owners

EDUCATION

Sydenham College of Commerce & Economics; Mumbai, India
Master of Commerce; June 2006

H.R. College of Commerce & Economics; Mumbai, India
Bachelor of Management Studies; June 2004

Scholarship from the Priyadarshini Academy for standing second in college in the 5th Semester of BMS

‘Outstanding Contribution Award’, in 2003 and 2004 for winning several intercollegiate marketing competitions and organizing various activities



ACTIVITIES AND AFFILIATIONS
• Member of Bharat Soka Gakkai, a lay Buddhist organization
• Member of The Advertising Club of Bombay.
• Volunteer at N.S.S.(National Service Scheme) H.R. College
• Organization Committee of social service projects such as Eye Donation Awareness, Anti Tobacco Campaigns and Blood Donation Drives for The Rotaract Club of Bombay Hills South

PERSONAL
• Proficient in; Microsoft Word, PowerPoint, Excel, Outlook, Internet
• Fluent in English and Hindi
• Enjoy writing articles (some of which have been published in the Hindustan Times), swimming, playing tennis and chanting.

[priyom]

Hi Jenifer,

Brief Profile:


Acads:
ICSE (10): 88% (1999)
ISC (12) 88.3% (2001)
BE in IT from Jadavpur University (79.2%), top 10 in class (2005).

GMAT: yet to take

Work Ex: nearly 3 years till date
2005-2006
Joined a top Indian IT services firm in banking domain. Worked with client: Bank of America in a number of critical projects. Suggested and successfully implemented some business process enhancements resulting in huge time and cost savings for the firm.
2006-07
Joined a startup company (Telecom domain) and led a product development project team of 5 people for client Motorolla, USA.
2007-present
Joined the Consulting unit of one of the Big Four firms with a promotion. Worked with US based clients on Technology Solutions as well as Strategic Change projects and have received formal client appreciation twice in last 10 months. I would be going to US in September to work with our US firm on a stint of about 8 months. During that time I’ll be leading a team of 8 (belonging to 3 different locations) as Onsite Coordinator.

Extra Curricular Activities:
Captained school Cricket team, member of college as well as Company (for all 3 companies) cricket team. Won a number of swimming and Table Tennis tournaments in corporate competitions.
Co-founder of Toastmaster club (public speaking club, and elected as Treasurer) in my first company.
Founder and (elected) President of Toastmasters Chapter in my present company.
Regular contributor to company newsletter.

Community Work:
In 2005/06, worked with company foundation for education of slum kids.
In 2006, co-founded an NGO which sponsors education for poor but meritorious school students. We already have over 150 beneficiaries across the country.

I want to start applying in late 2008 (for session starting in 2009) when I’m already in US. I was ideally targeting 2010 session but if I get in this year, nothing like it.

My post MBA career goal is to either work as a strategic consultant in Tier 1Management Consulting firms like Mc, BCG, etc. or as Senior Business Analyst / pre sales for good IT services companies.
I am primarily targeting schools strong in Consulting as well as Technology, but getting very good scholarship is extremely important for me. Another important criterion is good brand recognition (preferably in India as well).

Given these requirements and constraints, I have narrowed down my search to 2 schools in US – Darden and Emory.
Insead is my dream school but I’m not sure if I have a chance there.
I’m also interested in HEC, Oxford and Cambridge though would like your opinion about the programs there, especially on the placement front.

Could you please comment about my chances at the aforementioned schools and suggest any other schools you deem fit.
What range of GMAT score should I target to have a good shot at decent scholarships?
Any other pointers/suggestions to improve or address the weak points in my profile would be highly appreciated.

Best Regards,
Priyom

[suvidhstrikes]

Hi jennifer

thanks for the earlier response.
i just wanted to update you on my achievements, work ex and the GMAT score (which i recieved yesterday) and have your view on my chances vis-vis my earlier questions and profile mentioned earlier


GMAT score(1st attempt) 740 (QA 49, VA 41) AWA 6/6

extra currics:
in school: house captain, school vice captain,, cultural activites captain, captain of the school football and cricket teams, captain of the school quizzing and debating teams...won a lot of inter school(city level and regional level) competitions in all of the above

College: Member of cricket, football,basketball,athletics team. member of dramatics, debaters and quizzers club(executive body)....captain of the college fashion show,quizzing,debating and dumb charades teams(again won a lot of inter college(both city level and national level) competitions

Also twice winner of natiional student management games( once 1st and once 3rd) organised by all india management association, in a simulated business strategy exercise called "Chanakyaniti"

Winner of Jagriti India scholarship awarded by the speaker of Lok Sabha(Indian parliament), Sh. P.A.Sangma

Member of a theatre group called "chandigarh mafia" or 2 years, n did theatre and street plays duing that time


Professional experience:
1) started my own event management company "eventizers", to organise stage shows, exhibitions etc in chandigarh and ran it successfuly for 1.5 years
2)Joined a plywood manufacturing firm as a sales representative and within six months made area sales manager and in another year Regional sales and marketing manager(entire north india) handling a team of 40 people.Worked for a total of 3 years for this organisation.
3)Worked as a faculty at T.I.M.E.( a bschool entrance prep insititue) and went on to become the marketing manager there as well...worked for a total of 10 months
4) Joined career launcher(another Test prep organisation) as a quantitative abilities faculty and within 3 months become the youngest ever centre head of the organisation handling a team of 30 people and taking care of the sales, marketing, operations, HR and academic issues of the a profit centre worth yearly revenues of more than 4 crore INR and along with my team mantained a growth rate of over 25% over the next 2 years.



As far as my future goals are concerned, i see myself either getting into management consulting or Investment Banking

Could you please advise me on the B schools i should be targetting out of the list given below, based on my profile above and if you could also tell me that if after mentioning the above mentioned if i have a better chance at cracking any of these bschools(since your earlier advice was to not target bschools in the top 25, but that is actually where my focus lies,so kindly advise and if possible , at the earliest since i intend to apply very soon)


My list of colleges which have confirmed that the 3year degree wont be a problem and that my work ex( most of which is before i completed graduation ) would be accepted are:

1. Kellogg
2 Harvard
3 Yale
4. Wharton
5 Tuck
6 Chicago GSB
7 Stanford
8 Fuqua
9. Darden
10 NYU Stern
11. Drucker
12 INSEAD
13. HEC France
14. IESE spain
15 Melbourne business school


out of these, i have already gor my GMAT score sent to
kellogg, INSEAD, HEC, Tuck and MBS

hoping for an early reply

warm regards
Suvidh Arora

Originally Posted by Accepted

Hi, Suvidh. Many programs accept the three-year degree; you can contact the schools individually to find out whether they require the fourth year. Unfortunately, you didn't mention what your goals are nor did you demonstrate in your email whether you have any truly exceptional leadership experience or impact. Without high-level impact in an international company, you should look at programs not in the top 25.

Regards,
Jennifer Bloom, CPRW
Accepted - helping you write your best!

From pre-application consulting and strategizing to essay and letter of recommendation editing, resumes, mock interviews, and wait-list tactics - we guide you through the application maze.