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Originally Posted by ishan123

HI Jennifer,

I have got acceptance for full time mba program from:-

(1) U Mass Amherest (Isenberg school) with full tuition waiver, requiring me to meet with only $8500 for boarding/lodging/books,etc.

(2) University of Oklahoma (Price) with good scholarship leaving the cost of lodging/boarding/books etc. to be met by me.

(3) from UT Dallas with $1000 scholarship entitling me In-state tuition conversion from out of state tuition. It would cost me $20000 plus boarding/lodging/books.etc.

(4) from Case Western with scholarship of $15000

Besides, I am still awaiting response from College of William and Mary and Northeastern University.

My profile is GMAT/680 (5), Toefl - 110, and B.E.(GPA/3.74) with 2 years IT experience in MNC completing by July, 2009.

Please advise me which school to choose.

Regards.

Hi, Ishan. Since you didn't mention your career goals, I cannot go into detail to guide you, but I think my previous posts on this subject today should be able to guide you in making this decision. The key factors to examine are placement rates in your desired field, salaries, alumni pool, long-term reputation, and personal fit. The scholarship money does confuse things a bit, but it should not override the long-term benefits of the MBA - in other words, one should never accept a scholarship to attend a program that will not have a long-term benefit to one's career. Once you have all of your offers together, examine the programs side-by-side by these variables and you should be able to determine a winner.
Best of luck in the process!
Regards,
Jennifer Bloom, CPRW
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Originally Posted by akb110

I am newbie here. I am at initial stage of exploring schools. During shortlisting of school I have got a issue which most must have faced regarding GPA. I have Bcom from Mumbai Univ 51% and MFM from NMIMS(Univ of Mumbai) with 57%. What would be relevant GPA for school requirement.

I understand that while information for admin form, percentage details is sufficent. However for selection of school at the initial stage. It would be great to have some kind of thumb rule conversion.

Thanks in advance.

Hi, Akb110. I usually just divide the percentage by 25 to obtain a workable GPA figure. In your case, that would put your undergrad GPA at 2.04 and your graduate GPA at 2.28. With these stats, you will need a higher GMAT to prove your academic potential.
Regards,
Jennifer Bloom, CPRW
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[Accepted]

Originally Posted by rish01

Hi Jennifer,

Thanks for the Initiative taken for PGs. I want to ask one generic question.This will be applicable to almost all MBA aspirants.

I am planning to do MBA in next 1-2 year from top 5 business school of canada like Richard Ivy business school canada , HEC , schulich etc

I am from IT sector with a 'not-so-good' college. My question is how i can improve my profile in order to make myself equip for applying to ivy league colleges keeping in mind that my academic college is not so good.

Few of the things i am doing is :

Presently i am working on one of the world largest software ever produced in the history of banking industry, named as 1HSBC Softwares and this will launched in 2010.
I am working on this software and coordinating with teams across the globe like HSBC US , HSBC Canada ,HSBC UK, HSBC HK and HSBC China .
I have worked with HSBC Canada for 6 months as onsite coordinator and having very good global exposure already having 4 years of experience in IT and have good knowledge of 4 technologies , getting trained on ITIL .

Technology that i know:
MQ Message Queue
AS400
SAP SD
SAP CRM
Strenghths : Coordination and communication.

Lacking : I am having 15 years of education and planning to go for MBA from top 30 Global B school ,mainly focus on CANADIAN Business School.

I have done BSC Computer Science with Biotechnology with 64% marks.
12 calss : 62%
10 class : 50%

I know that if i have to do MBA from CANADA top B school I should have 16 Years of education .So i am planning to leave my job and going for 1Year Diploma in Project Management in canada after this i will be elegible for PMP Certification,mean while i will crak GMAT with good score.

Please suggest me that it will be fine for me to do 1Year diploma for 16th year of education from canada ,after this course i will work in canada for a year and have 5 years of work experience.

So i have 1-2 yrs with me to improve my profile and get to the level where i can apply for TOP MBA colleges. I need your valuable suggestions /Tips on how i can improve my profile.

Regards,
Rish01

Hi, Rish. It sounds to me like you have a good plan by bringing your stats up to exceed the schools' averages and establishing your home in Canada. The final step, in my opinion, will be to prove leadership ability. I recommend that you identify in what areas you have already succeeded in leading others (guiding international teams is a good start, be sure to identify the details and personal skills you put to work to lead and influence these teams) and then tackle the remaining areas. In addition to your work leadership, during your studies take leadership roles on campus and/or in the community to make an impact. Build a real home in Canada and show your affinity for the region to demonstrate that this is where you are going to stay. These will be key factors to convincing the top Canadian programs that you are a sincere fit.
Regards,
Jennifer Bloom, CPRW
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Originally Posted by sriashgoku

Hi Jennifer,
I want to know about the prospects of doing mba in singapore coz i applied for 2 universities & i got the both. They are 1) PSB Academy 2) James cook University(Singapore).
Both are 1 yr mba programmes.
But when i enquired about the employment opportunities after graduation in singapore from the consultancies, people give me surity that i will definitely get a job. How far can i trust them? Does 1 yr programs have an edge over 2 yr program ?
1st of all i planned to apply for HBS 2+2 yr mba program but because of the financial problems i have to take a look at it though i have a good gre score.(They also accept gre scores). It costs upto 40 L if am going 2 complete in HBS.
But the thing in Singapore is it costs 10 L which i might be able to afford it. Have i made the right choice & is psb & JCU good enough to do an mba.

Hi, Sriashgoku. The only thing to trust, in my opinion, is statistics. Each school needs to show you their placement statistics so that you can make an educated decision. I also recommend that you speak with a few current students and recent graduates to hear about their experiences with each program. Only with this information can you make an informed decision about the worthiness of any program.
The HBS 2+2 program is not large - only about 100 applicants are admitted. A good GRE is no guarantee of admission; instead, HBS is still looking for the same qualities of truly exceptional leadership that they seek in their traditional applicants. That said, in my opinion, you cannot compare the long-term global opportunities that graduates of the HBS 2+2 program have with those of graduates of small Singaporean programs. So if you really think you have a shot at HBS, by all means go for it!
Regards,
Jennifer Bloom, CPRW
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Originally Posted by LuisVillegas

Hi, Jennifer.I am planning to apply to the three most important USA B-schools (Harvard, Wharton, and Stanford). I would like to know which are the main topics or focus that the application essays should have. Does it depend on which b-school I apply? Does it depend on my background? Does it depend on my future goals? Or, are there any general guidelines?I am Latin American, have 2-years experience in public sector, and 1.5-yeas experience in top-tier consulting firm (BearingPoing).Best regards,Luis R. Villegas H.Mexico.

Wow, Luis, you are new here :-D
Yes, admissions depends on all of these factors! First, I recommend that, if this is the year for you to enroll, you broaden the range of schools to which you apply. These schools are very competitive and have low rates of acceptance. If you have another year to wait in case it doesn't work out this year, then you can limit yourself for now, but do keep in mind that anyone's chances of acceptance to these "top 3" are statistically low.
Yes, there are differences among these schools and what exactly they are looking for in their applicants. HBS is very focused on drive and impact in organizations. Wharton is a bit more focused on the people skills involved in your leadership. And Stanford is much more focus on who you are, what makes you tick and why you pursue the impacts that you do. Your essays will need to be tailored to demonstrate that you understand these differences and fit into the environment they are building in their programs.
Regards,
Jennifer Bloom, CPRW
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[Accepted]

Originally Posted by nauty_v

Hi Jennifer,

Thank you for your time and insights. I am planning to apply to B-Schools for FY-2010. Am planning to be quite selective and to be quite honest the only school I would like to apply to is HBS. I am not however not very sure if my background is a good fit as far as getting admitted into HBS is concerned. Could you please comment on my background and provide me with your opinion. Could you also recommend any other schools that I should perhaps consider based on my profile?

I will turn 29 at the time of matriculation and should have around 6 yrs of work ex. 4 of these 6 Years are in the US in the field of consulting (a US based consulting firm publicly listed). All the consulting is to different State Governments as clients (so heavy focus on US public sector). Career progression so far has been good, have not had a change in job title yet but have received 2 raises and bonus. Work responsibility has expanded. I have had the opportunity to manage the work of a state employee and have him report directly to me during the course of a project, other than that I was also was paired up with a new hire and worked as a mentor to him.
The other 2 years of my WE(prior to my Master’s) was in India in Marketing/Sales for a FMCG product with a UK based firm.

My academic background is Bachelor in Commerce and the Master's in Accountancy from Indiana University, Kelley School of Business. Acad's other than being in good schools is nothing more to boast about.

I have also recently successfully cleared the CPA exams (Certified Public Accountant) in my first attempt (That’s perhaps the biggest plus in my acad’s).

I have not yet given the GMAT, but based on my scores in the mock Kaplan tests, I should be around the 750 mark.

Interests include playing Golf and traveling.

Don’t have any community service experience of any sorts.

How does my profile look in the pool of applicants? My background is in pretty hardcore accounting, however my work is in ERP (oracle Products) implementations and Operational Consulting, though my focus area within this is on Accounting modules.


Again I am not sure how many Indian or International students are admitted who are CPA’s. I feel my background is pretty unique in the sense that I am using my accounting background in IT enables Services field (ERP), and possess a prior Master’s in Accounting from a Big-10 school. Also dealing with only State/Local governments as clients does make my work-ex a bit more different.
However like most I guess I might be over-estimating my profile.

I am planning to do an MBA primarily to move into more of a strategic/management consulting role. Not so sure if I should apply to other schools since I make as much as the post-MBA salary of most of the schools anyways, and they do not fascinate me as much as HBS. However please do mention any other schools that you feel I should consider and have a strong likelihood to get into.

Would highly appreciate your comments and a response to my lengthy message.

Best regards,

Well, Nauty, I do believe it will be a challenge for you to earn an acceptance to HBS. I don't see the type of exceptionality or leadership that HBS is seeking in your profile yet. Accounting is a notorious background to demonstrate the type of personality that HBS is seeking - risk taking, drive, leadership, impact on operations, etc. - and you do not seem to be addressing these yet. In addition, HBS tends to like younger applicants - at 29 you are a year or two above their target age group.
Your role with government entities does make me think of schools in the Washington, DC, area: Georgetown, George Washington, and Maryland, for example. These schools are very interested in those kinds of connections and experiences. Take the GMAT and earn a score above their averages, then identify the areas in which you have had the most impact on your clients and your own company. These should form the foundation of your essays.
Regards,
Jennifer Bloom, CPRW
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[vc3333]

hey do u know anything about courses in renewable energy management?? i am a guy with a complete commerce background.. and i am 19 and just finished my 2nd yr B.Com

[arujuit]

Hi jennifer,
I am a senior consultant in pricewaterhousecoopers pvt ltd.I am working in the Advisory line of services in pwc india.
Details are:
1.GMAT SCORE:650/Q50 V27
2.Experience 4 year 1.3 yr in tcs 2.7 yr in pwc
3.Expertise in software consultancy
4.B.E. in Information Technology from Jadavpur University,,Average acards,Have done a lot of community services

My question is what is the chance of getting admission into top Australian B schools(MBS,AGSM) and the US Bschool(ranked frm 30 to 40)?

[nauty_v]

Thanks for the reply Jennifer. Dont think I will be applying to any the schools you mentioned. like I said I better off right now compared to most of the folks graduating from any of the schools you mentioned...Also dont think any of these schools will help in getting a break into premium consulting within the management consulting segment....Thanks for your insights on my candidature for HBS though...I appreciate you taking the time to go over my profile.
Cheers!

Quoting:

Well, Nauty, I do believe it will be a challenge for you to earn an acceptance to HBS. I don't see the type of exceptionality or leadership that HBS is seeking in your profile yet. Accounting is a notorious background to demonstrate the type of personality that HBS is seeking - risk taking, drive, leadership, impact on operations, etc. - and you do not seem to be addressing these yet. In addition, HBS tends to like younger applicants - at 29 you are a year or two above their target age group.
Your role with government entities does make me think of schools in the Washington, DC, area: Georgetown, George Washington, and Maryland, for example. These schools are very interested in those kinds of connections and experiences. Take the GMAT and earn a score above their averages, then identify the areas in which you have had the most impact on your clients and your own company. These should form the foundation of your essays.
Regards,
Jennifer Bloom, CPRW
Accepted-Helping you write your best!

[abhishek7687]

i want to seek admission to mba abroad .please help me out with tofel scores required for some good institutes for mba in asia,australia and usa