Hi Jennifer,
I have just one question for you - Should I apply to Harvard for R2 2008-10 round. I have started my application but I would appreciate it if you could evaluate my profile and offer some honest feedback. Harvard is the only school I am considering in the US this year.
I finished my high school in Mumbai, India before pursuing my bachelors from a highly ranked engineering college in NY. I graduated in May 2007 and have 6 months work ex in consulting as a business analyst.
ACADEMICS- 10th - 94% - Rank 2 in school
- 12th - 93% - Rank 1 in school; Valedictorian
- Undergrad : 3.53/4.00 (New York)
- GMAT : 760 (Q50V42); 5.5 AWA
WORK EX
6 months in consulting with a Fortune 500 firm, based out of NYC
LEADERSHIP- Co-Founder of Engineers for a Sustainable World (my school's chapter)
- Vice president - Projects
I was a co-founder of this organization and as Vice President responsible for managing all the projects undertaken. I represented my college in UT-Austin, for the annual ESW conference. When I departed the organization we were engaged with a village in Nigeria, to provide easy access to clean, filtered drinking water.
- Co-Chairman - School of Engineering Dean's Advisory Council
I was the co-chair presiding over a group of 20 individuals representing each of the departments in the school of engineering. I managed a budget of $10,000 and organized several events like the Engineering Discovery Fair to help freshmen choose their majors and the Annual SoE BBQ for over 1000 people.
- Resident Assistant - Residence Life Staff
Responsible for the safety and well-being of over 100 residents and for creating and maintaining an environment conducive for learning and collaboration.
Community Service - I have taught Math and Science to groups of at-risk students from middle and high schools
- I also tutored college students with difficult courses and conducted preparatory workshops for groups of over 150 students.
I am fluent in three languages and I have had a plethora of internships giving me exposure in strategy, banking and technology.
My reason for only applying to Harvard is the emphasis that the school places on individual aspirations and passions over work-ex and such (given the move to encourage college juniors and seniors to apply). I am very passionate about working with developing economies particularly in the areas of education and health-care. I am hoping that by articulating my passions and emphasizing my career goal of assisting developing economies create robust educational systems and improve their health-care system, I will be able to compensate for my lack of work experience. The problem with my current job is that neither will working for an extra year or two give me relevant experiences or skills that I need, nor am I very passionate about the industry I currently am in. I might be a long shot, but the more I think about it, the more I convince myself that this is the right time for me. And I want to make this shift as early as possible.