[singhn11]

Hello Friends,

I applied to most of the top US programs , and with my decent grads , 760 GMAT and what I thought were good essays , I had hoped to get at least interview calls from some of the schools.
However, I was dinged without interview at almost all the schools. Trying to figure out what might be the problem, I knew that indian IT applicant pool is very competitive.
What in your opinion would make a 31 yr old Indian male with IT background click with the adcom of these schools. And I am not talking harvard , stamford or wharton, even schools like Tuck , darden and duke seem to be quite picky when coming to this pool.

Regards,
singhn11

[mayank_rasu]

Oh Thats really unfortunate.....Ur profile looks great and did not deserve dings without interview. I have been frequenting B Schools forums for quite some and many people suggest that being 30+ may work against you(Please dont quote me on that but this is something I have came across on numerous occasions).
Having said that its a general beleif that Wharton lays a lot of emphasis on work ex. I cant say nething conclusive buddy, it may be ur essays, ur recos or sheer bad luck.
Better luck for next time.

[stereobag]

The only thing I can think of is that B-Schools are more keen on younger applicants. Did you try for 1 yr programs at Kelogg, IMD and Insead.

[catapult]

Originally Posted by stereobag

The only thing I can think of is that B-Schools are more keen on younger applicants. Did you try for 1 yr programs at Kelogg, IMD and Insead.

I won't buy that. If older candidates get rejected they say they are looking for younger applicants. If younger applicants get rejected they say they would need more "experience".

I have almost the same profile as singh above (IIT grad, Consulting Exp, 2.5 yrs exp, Good essays, Recos) but I'm 24. I still got Dings from the schools he mentioned - Tuck, Duke. God knows their reasons.

But few trends I've observed in my research is that female applicants from India are getting a good deal than male applicants. Trust me on this. But I don't know the reason.
Further - the whole ga-ga over recession, sub-prime isn't affecting the MBAs. They are getting jobs as usual. Even the 1-yr MBA guys are in good demand. On the other hand, people with MS degrees and those with MS+PhD are finding it tough. They are looking back into India for options.

[ringwraith]

Originally Posted by catapult

I won't buy that. If older candidates get rejected they say they are looking for younger applicants. If younger applicants get rejected they say they would need more "experience".

I have almost the same profile as singh above (IIT grad, Consulting Exp, 2.5 yrs exp, Good essays, Recos) but I'm 24. I still got Dings from the schools he mentioned - Tuck, Duke. God knows their reasons.

But few trends I've observed in my research is that female applicants from India are getting a good deal than male applicants. Trust me on this. But I don't know the reason.
Further - the whole ga-ga over recession, sub-prime isn't affecting the MBAs. They are getting jobs as usual. Even the 1-yr MBA guys are in good demand. On the other hand, people with MS degrees and those with MS+PhD are finding it tough. They are looking back into India for options.

I think there is a certain "sweet zone" for the US FT MBA. For engg folk, its probably close to 25-27 years of age, and 3-6 yrs of experience. Older or younger, again, there are schools which are friendlier to both. Kellog, I hear, alongwith Fuqua, Darden etc. is considered more older app friendly. Harvard, Columbia, and some others like and encourage younger people with outstanding profiles/ life experiences.

If you are 30+, I would say target appropriate schools (euro schools, on the other hand do like people with handy experiences).

IT, yes, it does seem like a problem, but mostly because, it is an over represented pool..not much we can do about it :( There are schools which are more "techie friendly", so to speak (MIT, Tepper, UNC for eg.) and I think if you do well with other sections of your application, you have a good shot at these programs.

Just my $0.02

[mbabuster]

Well catapult , the ideal experience for a MBA is 4-6 yrs . So anyone falling outside this window whether below or above may get rejected based on this statistic. Also it is true that the "Indian IT Male" is one of the most competitive categories of students , due to the math being culturally strong in India , I think its the essays and your overall profile which has more importance rather than the GMAT. As for female applicants , it is a known fact that all colleges are trying to increase their % of female students and thus this has a +ve effect on all female applicants and futher detrimental effect on the :Indian IT male" pool.

[stereobag]

I second Catapult. For all the hype about recession MBA grads are landing job/internship offers. But yes, in the area of financial services and IB jobs are hard to come by.

Also PHD folks are really struggling as plum jobs are hard to come by. My friend is doing a PHD from Wharton and is struggling to land a good job.

[sperinko]

Singh,

Have you considered applying to Ross/Tepper/Kellogg.

I know quite a few Indian IT folks who managed to get admits with similar score and profile, as yours. I was WLed in Tepper, and I think my GMAT may have been on the lower side (720). Take a look at these programs, and if they interest you definitely apply next year. I believe Tuck allows you to request an interview if you can visit the campus.

I can take a look at your essays if you wish.

Good luck.

Originally Posted by singhn11

Hello Friends,

I applied to most of the top US programs , and with my decent grads , 760 GMAT and what I thought were good essays , I had hoped to get at least interview calls from some of the schools.
However, I was dinged without interview at almost all the schools. Trying to figure out what might be the problem, I knew that indian IT applicant pool is very competitive.
What in your opinion would make a 31 yr old Indian male with IT background click with the adcom of these schools. And I am not talking harvard , stamford or wharton, even schools like Tuck , darden and duke seem to be quite picky when coming to this pool.

Regards,
singhn11

[mayank_rasu]

Great discussion going on. It was good to know about the colleges who like to blood younger applicants. However, I need to beleive that there is something more to the profile that the top notch schools look for.
If you start comparing profiles as they appear on this forum, it will be equivalent to comparing a tomato with a tomato. All seem alike.
Though Im not an authority on this but common sense tells that essays and interview play a defining role in the selection procedure.

BTW...It was heartbreaking to know that female applicants are being prefered.

[ringwraith]

Originally Posted by mayank_rasu

Great discussion going on. It was good to know about the colleges who like to blood younger applicants. However, I need to beleive that there is something more to the profile that the top notch schools look for.
If you start comparing profiles as they appear on this forum, it will be equivalent to comparing a tomato with a tomato. All seem alike.
Though Im not an authority on this but common sense tells that essays and interview play a defining role in the selection procedure.

True that. I wrote average essays for two programs and was promptly dinged. I stepped up in R2, wrote better essays, and got accepted in the next two.

BTW...It was heartbreaking to know that female applicants are being prefered.

Truth of life...deal with it
Btw, I am male!