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

[p_jez]

Hi Jennifer,

First, my profile in brief:

# Indian, Male
# 30yrs, 8.5 yrs work ex when I join next year
# Acads - avg, from NIT Nagpur (erstwhile REC Nagpur)
# Working in IT, on ERP/CRM. Will have been a Project Manager for almost 3 yrs in April 2009, PMP certification in 2007
# GMAT 740(Q-49, V-41)/AWA-6.0 (2008 )
# Have managed initiatives that have directly impacted the bottomline of the organization
# Have managed development of dashboard that enables the CEO to assess Sales VPs' performance (interacted with the directorate office for this)
# Have managed sunset of an organization application

I'll be applying to ISB-PGP and IIMA-PGPX for the class of 2010. The only weak link in my application package would be my employment history - I've had 6 jobs in 8 years (though I can back it up with reasoning and evidence how each change has in fact advanced my career).

I intend to use the optional essay to elaborate on my job changes; I woud like to have your opinion on two counts:

1. Should I go for this optional essay?
2. If yes, what should be the tone/outline of this essay? If I start with my career progression and how my job changes complemented it, I will only end up with a lame conclusion "and this is how I can justify my job changes" or "and thus my job changes have complemented my career progression". I'm not too sure about this!!

Cheers

[Accepted]

Originally Posted by Uma_3

Hi Jennifer,
I have recenly given my GMAT and am confused about how high I could aim.Could you please give me your opinion as to where I stand a chance?
I am a 24 year old Indian female, planning on applying for Fall 09.I have good grades and a decent GMAT score
Xth - 86%
XIIth - 96%
Engg - 80%
GMAT - 750/5
I have always been in the top 5 of my Dept in college.In Std XII, I was school second.I won a number of prizes in school and college (including 'Best outgoing student").I am a trained dancer(Learnt classical dance for more than 12years) and have given a few performances(including a debut performance a month before my STD XII exams ).I have also learnt Indian classical music for about 5 years.I was my house Vics Capt.in std XI and the Assitant school pupil leader in std XII. I also represented my school at
badminton.In college, I was my dept's Joint secretary and placement co-ordinator.
I have an avid interest in dramatics..I have acted in plays both in school/college as well as outside.I was part of a group which put up a few plays(mainly musicals) to aid charitible organisations. I have even done some choreography as part of this.My favourite memory of this is the time I had choreographed a routine for children (part of a disney musical).I took part in a number of dance competitions in school, college and at work. I enjoyed coreographing these as well and I feel that I have learnt a lot through this,especially tact and how to co-ordinate a diverse group of people. I also learnt how to manage a budget(strtch it to cover costumes, props, lighting...) and more
importantly , how to delegate, to get people to listen and believe in what you see, without ruffling too many feathers.This was especially true at work,when you might have your manager or your manager's manager in your group/team.While I already had a lot of experience co-ordinating people in school and college, there were many more
things to consider at work. I also sung in a choir for 9 years.I am editor of my account newsletter at work and enjoy collecting ,editing as well as writing articles for it. As I am junior to the other people on the editorial board, i have had to be careful not to step on anyone's toes, while still being assertive and pushing forth my views.
I have always taken part in whatever activity I could (I dont believe in single-mindedly working/hitting the books the whole day). I would like to describe myself as a well rounded person.
My biggest disadvantage-I am an IT professional. I have received an award at work and am considered one
of the best performers.My job includes mentoring new joinees too.Being involved with the newsletter has given me 'visibility' at work.
Outside school and college, I have been involved in community service only for the past 3 years.I volunteer(not just donate) at a local charity hospital.I am even involved in helping with their administrative work to some extent.I am confident of get a good, well written recos from the hospital society president and from my manager. I could get recos from senior people at work, but I felt that my manager would probably be able to paint a
more detailed picture of me.
I am interested in pursuing a degree in general management with a specialization in Ops.I initially considered waiting for a few years and building my profile, but have decided against it.I am very confused about where I should apply. While I could say that I wanted to apply only to a highly ranked school,it wouldn't be realistic.Should I consider applying to the top 10, or should I concentrate only on 10-25,or 20-30?The only school I am
definately applying to(so far) is Rochester...that too because they have sent me an application fee waiver.
Thank you for taking the time to evaluate my (somewhat lengthy) profile.
Thanks,
Uma

Hi, Uma. Your profile sounds promising for two reasons:
1) you are an accomplished woman (750 GMAT and a good GPA)
2) you have the right idea about leadership and a range of experiences to demonstrate that you have great leadership ability

If you are able to share examples of your leadership in the essays (and not waste their time with stories that anyone can tell about the IT work that you do), then I do believe you stand a chance in the top 10. On the other hand, I strongly recommend applying outside of the top 10 as well if you are serious about attending this year, since your age and lack of advancement at work (at least you didn't mention any advancement, so I assume it isn't there yet) are two strikes against you.

Regards,
Jennifer Bloom, CPRW
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Originally Posted by rahulpahwa

hi Jenifer,

My Profile is as follows:

Did entire schooling from a boarding school.
Good Academics.
Graduation in Mechanical Engineering with good Acads. Was College Topper In B.E. Exams
Lot of Sports and Extra Curricular Activities in school.
2 years of work ex by Jul 2008 in top IT Company. Working on SAP Payroll.
Part of various Teams in the organization.
About to join a social organization.
Manager says that i have got Leadership Potential .... but nothing to prove.
i have a business background and have assisted dad though not on a regular or full time basis.
I am planning to give my GMAT by July end and expecting a score of 650+. Please advise me regarding the colleges i should apply and the application procedure and other formalities. i required these colleges so that i can apply to them through GMAT Council after giving my GMAT. if u could also advise me about the time each stage of the process requires etc. I am not very sure abt the process and would like to get a clear picture.

What are my chances of converting.

I want to pursue a career in Consulting or Manufacturing with the aim of starting my own venture somewhere down the line.

Please guide.

Hi, Rahul. Unfortunately, you don't make it sound like you are ready yet. If you don't feel you have led in any arena (your dad's business, school, or your own work), then you really need to develop that ability. Remember that leadership is not just about being some group's manager; it is about originating ideas and then recruiting people to bring them to fruition.

As an Indian applicant, you will need to have a GMAT score of at least 700 to have a chance at the top 14 schools. From 15 to 20, I believe 680 or 690 can work. Remember, though, that having this score is only a start; you must still demonstrate that you have the leadership ability and business acumen/experience that the programs are interested in.

If you really don't know school program names, then you may want to start with Business Week's rankings (be sure to click on the Full-Time MBA tab and not sit there looking at the undergrad rankings) or the Financial Times. Be sure to do some research into the programs before you apply: read through their websites, speak to current students and alumni, and find out about their recruiting success. This insight will be key to your applications and to whether you are happy with the program you select to attend.

Regards,
Jennifer Bloom, CPRW
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[Accepted]

[quote=vikas130678;1170776]Dear Jennifer ,

Please have a look at my Profile.

10 std 78%
12 std 79%
Bio Chemical Engineering 75%.

I started my carrer with a european company and worked for almost 5 years and then joined a japanese organisation.In the previous organisation I was actively involved in the maintenance and expansion and was promoted , from executive to senior executive and then to assistant manager.A team of three engineers and 50 technicians report in to me.

In my later company I was one of the two indians apart from two japanese who have worked for 1.5 years to establish their green field plant.
I dont have much of social services and sports in my account , but have participated a lot in literary and cultural events in my college for which I have certificates.

So my core competencies are manufacturing.
I am looking for a carrer shift and a change.Will MBA in finance suits me? will the College and recruiters give weightage for a person from manufacturing background?

I have kept my options open for operations management also. I want to know which specilisation should be coupled with operations management as a minor subject.

Which are the best colleges for Operations management in Europe and in USA?

And moreover , is it possible to get my recommendations from my previous Boss in the other organisation?

Regards

Vikas

Hi, Vikas. Your background sounds interesting, and all of the programs are definitely interested in professionals with strong manufacturing and operations management experience. Arguing a shift to finance may be difficult with no finance background, so you may want to do a CFA program or something similar to prove you have knowledge of the industry and are not just one of the thousands of other applicants who think a career in finance is a ticket to easy money.

Better still for you may be to explain how your finance future links to your manufacturing past? Are you interested in analyzing manufacturing companies for investors? This type of plan really connects the dots from your past to your future.

The best operations management programs include HBS, Wharton, MIT, CMU Tepper, UT Austin, and Purdue. In Europe I would say INSEAD, LBS, and Also keep in mind that Kellogg and Michigan's Ross both have special programs aimed at training manufacturing managers as well.

Yes, a letter of recommendation from your manager in your previous job can be very helpful. Ideally, he should be able to show you taking initiative and leading to make an impact. Keep in mind, though, that a more recent supervisor can probably tell more exciting stories about you and show you in a role with greater authority, responsibility, and impact.

Regards,
Jennifer Bloom, CPRW
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[Accepted]

Originally Posted by kuttilekshmi

Hi all.. Please help me in selecting a college..
I am Dr.Lekshmi, 2000 MBBS pass out from India, with good GPA.
Has had 8 yrs of work experience till now, including 5 yrs of administrative responsibilities.
I am 32yrs old now.
Planning to switch my field to MBA, preferably MBA in healthcare.
GMAT-650
Can anyone of you suggest some good Schools offering 1 yr MBA in USA?

Hi, Dr. Lekshmi. There are a few MBA programs that specialize in healthcare; Haas and Duke immediately come to mind, but they do not have one-year MBA programs.

The programs that offer one-year MBA programs in the US (outside of their regular 2-year programs) include Columbia's January program, Kellogg, Cornell, USC's IBEAR, CMU, Notre Dame, Rochester, Emory, and University of Georgia. You may also want to consider the MIT Sloan Fellow's program or the Stanford Sloan Master's program, two unique one-year immersion programs that are older-applicant-friendly.

Usually, your age of 32 would make acceptance to the top MBA programs difficult, but I have found that doctors are able to make this transition more easily since their schooling did require more time. I do think you may need to boost your GMAT score though, since the 650 is not on par with the averages at these programs.

Regards,
Jennifer Bloom, CPRW
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Originally Posted by kncsekhar

Hi Jennifer,

Thanks for taking our questions. I want to present my case and take your opinion about my chances for Ive League MBA.

My background is B.Tech in CSE from India, MS in Computer Science from Illinois Institute of Technology, Chicago. I have 5 yrs of IT experience in US, primarily of development and recent team lead, and a little community participation but that's not what I want to present to ad-com, tough I will mention it.

I am interested in entrepreneurship (I have a vision) and last year I have started a software company, along with my brother. We have completed a project for a client in France. Recently we are trying to enter the Internet and Mobile space with our own technology and business plan and trying for some VC funding.

The leadership and management experience I can talk about is in regards to the challenges we faced in starting a company with a vision, motivating the team members in spite of difficult times to go forward and in the business decision making process. The turnover of the company is right now in few thousand dollars.

I am primarily interested in Harvard (may be I am too ambitious, but that how I am). The reason I want to get into Ive League is I believe that they provide the right learning experience, guidance and network for bringing my vision for my company come true.

1. Can you please provide your input in my case and if possible some suggestions on how good are my chances for Ive League MBA? (Hoping that we might land for some VC funding by the time of January round 2, which is when I want to apply).

2. And can you also, in general, give some suggestions about the path to Ive League MBA through entrepreneurship?

3. Is it a must that we need to have a great success in our venture to land into Ive League MBA through entrepreneurship?

Thanks in advance for your valuable input.

Sincerely,
kncsekhar

Hi, Kncsekhar. Thousands of people apply to HBS and the admissions committee picks only the best of the best. In my experience the successful applicants who are entrepreneurs have achieved exceptional levels of growth and market share by means of their business acumen and leadership. The story as you told it in this post can really be said by many, many entrepreneurs, so by definition that isn't really HBS-worthy.

The path to the Ivy League is paved with truly exceptional experiences in every aspect of your life; these schools have their pick of applicants and they really do only want the truly excellent. That traditionally means GMAT scores in the 99th percentile and leadership experience that surpasses what almost anyone else can write about.

I encourage you to apply and tell the story only you can tell since that will capture their interest. You may also want to consider alternate (read: lower-ranked) programs that are excellent in entrepreneurship, and even something like MIT's System Design and Management Program, which prepares professionals to lead in the IT sector by providing both IT and management courses.

Regards,
Jennifer Bloom, CPRW
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[saketverma24]

Hi Jennifer,
I am a 27 yr old MBBS, MD Indian doctor from a very reputed medical school of India, 4 yr work ex, excellent academics, some community work, student council representative in college and nil international experience.

GMAT score- 750.(first attempt)
I want to do MBA from an asian university(US will be my last resort) with first choice as NUS and ISB.
however, I don't have much information about HKUST, HKU and Nanyang.

I want to MBA to achieve either of the two goals-
1. get a good job in health care(pharma, biothech etc.) industry.
2. or to switch career to equity research and hedge funding(or some
other challenging field) in which I have a lot of interest and
aptitude.

with ISB, I will be able to achieve both my goals, but I wanna go to a
better place such as Hong Kong or Singapore.
with NUS, I will be able to achieve only goal 1.

I want to know if I enter HKUST, Nanyang or HKU, will I be able to achieve any of my goal.
though they are very good universities, but will I be able to switch
career and get a good job in finance (or healthcare )in Hong Kong or
Singapore after a MBA from HKU/HKUST/Nanyang.

In which countries, If I do MBA from a top B- school of that country, WILL I be able to 1. get a good job at healthcare.
2. switch career to a job in finance such as equity research.

I do not like USA because in USA a lot of MBAs are from pharma, biotech backgrounds and companies will prefer them rather than an Indian doctor.

thanks a lot,
I will be highly obliged to you
Saket

also I would like to ask one more question, if 2 persons with a similar profile like mine with a better resume are applying to a B school in round 1. should I apply in round 1 or let them get an admit in round 1 and apply in round 2.

[IMD2BI2IMA]

Hi Jennifer,

Based on my Profile, I would like to know the strength of my candidacy for the MBA program for FALL' 09.

GMAT score : 1st : 690( 50-Q, 34-V, 5.5 AWA) , 2nd: 700( 50-Q, 34-V, 5.5 AWA)


Degree : Bachelor of Engineering ( Information Technology )


Academics : Have an excellent academic record. Have consistently been a top ranking student through out my academic career.


Extra curricular activities : Winner at various inter collegiate events
Social Work & Responsibilities : Have worked for NGOs and have been involved in various social activities.


Work Experience : 4 years in leading Indian IT companies. Involved in a leadership role .Started my career as a Programmer and moved on to the Functional side. Currently working as a Sr Business Analyst. 0.5 years experience in teaching analytical topics and Maths


Career Goal: To be a Financial Analyst and move on to be an Entrepreneur. Keeping this in mind I've alligned my work experience to move on to the Analytical/ Functional side .

Entrepreneurial activities : Currently working on a business proposal based on GPS functionality.


Based on my profile above, I would like to know which B schools should I aim at. Or rather what category of B schools should I aim at.

Thanks.

[Accepted]

Originally Posted by Chiraggupta_86

Hi Jennifer,

Thanks for your time at PG.

Like others I am also a hopeful MBA aspirant.





My Profile:

• Current Age - 22 [Will be 23 by Sept'09]
• Current work-ex - 2 years [Will be 3.3 yrs by Sept'09]
• Currently working at research arm of McKinsey&Company in India (since Mar'07)
• Had a unsuccessful stint at entrepreneurship before joining the company.

Education:

• Bachelor of Business Studies, University of Delhi (Batch 2003-2006) - was in top 15 out of a batch of 120 students - 67% [admission to this course was based on written, GD and interview. Around 15,000 applied only 120 could get thru]
• Class XII - 83%
• Class X - 71%
• GMAT Score: 700 [Q-51 (i.e. 99%ile), V-33 (i.e. 68%ile)]
• TOEFL Score: 108

Achievements:

• Rewarded as most influential analyst in my division of the company (out of 160 people)
• Currently manage the workflow of a team of 15 analysts
• Little bit of community involvement
• Created and presented a comprehensive business plan during a international business plan competition [ plan was chosen among top 20 from a pool 430 ideas] - Jan'05
• Some other organizing and participating achievements as well

Goals post-MBA:

• Work for I-Banking or management consulting company till I repay my loan and earn a decent living standards (4-5 year)
• Entrepreneurship

Target B-Schools:

• Indian School of Business, India
• NUS Singapore, Singapore
• Melbourne Business School, Australia
• Oxford University (Said Business School), UK
• Wharton Business School (University of Pennsylvania), US

My Questions:

• I am planning to apply for Sept'09 session in the B-Schools mentioned above. Is my target achievable?
• Should I wait for one more year before applying?
• Should I also think over Carnegie Mellon University? (I do NOT have a US Co-signer)
• Should I think about NYU Stern as well??
• Considering that my GMAT score is skewed higher on Quant side and lower on Verbal side, should I re-appear for GMAT?
• Would you suggest any other B-School that I should apply for?

I look forward to getting your answers.

Warm Regards,
Chirag Gupta


P.S.: Am I allowed to delete this e-mail after I receive reply from your side?? I do not want to make this information public.

Hi, Chirag. First, you still seem a bit young to me for the American programs (Wharton, CMU, NYU). These typically are looking for 27 or 28-year olds who have gained around five years of work experience. Your work experience does seem like it is off to a good start, and I am excited by the fact that you manage 15 analysts, but to have the high level of impact that the US programs are seeking usually requires more time.

I do believe your chances will be greater at the non-US programs, though. First, I definitely do believe you should retake the GMAT and boost that verbal score. Second, I would like to hear more about your impact on your consulting firm: have you been key to winning and guiding key clients? In what ways have you innovated in your leadership methods and analysis to make an impact on the firm and its clients? These will need to be the keys to your essays.

As for CMU, perhaps you can secure funding in India. If not, then my understanding is that you will need a US cosigner for the loan. Contact the admissions office for more details and ideas for funding the education. As for erasing this post, as far as I know it cannot be done. Next time use an alias

Regards,
Your Secret Accepted Admirer
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Originally Posted by Dr MBA

hey Jennifer,

Really good work here, thanks a lot. I'd like to introduce myself.

I am an indian surgeon, work in middle-east, and am interested in MBA to move into healthcare managemnet, where i feel my insights will be helpful. Therefore i'm looking at places with strong general management and/or healthcare. i scored 62%in my MBBS which is well within top 10% in my class. (No GPA's in my place) i scored 770 in GMAT (Q49 V47), so that should not be an obstacle, but i'm working on MBAMtah just to be sure

I have been involved in the college in organizing various events, was regularly on stage, & part of a major theater group in the college. I was also involved in various health drives as a student, although that was not required in curriculum. post MBBS, my involvement has been mainly online as i have not settled at any one place long enough

I'm looking at: Wharton (healthcare management stream only), Ross, Tuck, Fuqua(healthcare), Darden, ISB, IIM A

My problems are two-fold
1)I'm 34. Yeah, it looks bad, but i was 27 by the time i finished education, so i believe this is the right time for me, career-wise. Can i get into full-time MBA at my age?

2) No managerial/quant experience, obviously, but I have been proactive and have led teams at various occasions. A bigger problem on paper is that i have worked at 5 different places in last 7 years since postgrad. However, each time it was a move with some aim in mind that i did manage to achieve, and all are vastly different types of places. I believe it has given me a very rich variety of experience

Am i competitive for the places I have indicated? do i need to look at any places i have overlooked?

Hi, Dr. MBA. Your age is definitely less relevant because of the length of your education; I believe you stand a good chance of acceptance if you are able to prove that you have interesting experiences to share with the class and have the innate leadership talent that is critical to healthcare management. This doesn't mean you had to be someone's superior/boss, but it does mean that you have to demonstrate that you know how to influence and guide others. In addition, be sure to get the admissions committee excited about your </