[asmishra1984]

Hi ,
I am a 2007 graduate from IT-BHU in Electrical Engineering.
I have got a score of 710 in gmat and 5.5 in AWA.I have a work experience of 31 months now in Deloitte Consultancy US Offshore Technology Group in Mumbai and I have got good recommendations from a Vice President and one of my firm's clients' On Shore manager.I had a grade point of 7.00 in B.Tech and 90% in my HSC and SSC. My dilemma is whether I should appy in ISB or not.I am not satisfied with my score and was planning of giving GMAT one more shot.It would be great if some alumnus could guide me on whether to apply in ISB on this score or not.Looking forward to responses.

[ISB_CONNECT]

Originally Posted by Shinoj_48

Hi ISB CONNECT

I am Shinoj. I have close to 5 years of experience(IT).

While forming my Essay question,i have come across this question that

Discuss how your career goals will be met by the ISB’s one year programme in management

Now i am really interesting in the Business side of things like going to Consulting, to Business Development(possibly and of course later on in my career). So obviously for these reasons i want to do my MBA.

But an experienced acquaint of mine told me that stating out these reasons would be riskier as i would present an opportunity to the Panel to interrogate me further over these fields which i don't have in depth knowledge as of now.

Now obviously i dont have the knowledge in depth for the above fields because of the simple reason i am not in those fields (Consulting,Business Development). So in your experience how would the Panel approach my reasoning if i state it the way i want to? And in your opinion how should i approach answering the question?

Regards
Shinoj

Hi Shinoj!

Sorry for the delayed reply. I would say that its always better to speak your mind rather than try to appease the interviewer panel. I can relate to the problem you are facing. I had no idea about managerial roles (i was into hardcore research) before my interview at ISB. I called up/mailed all my acquantainces in the industry to get an overview of the roles that I will fit in after my MBA. During my actual interview I told them what I knew and I guess they were happy seeing whatever research I had done on my future roles. I can assure you that coming out as a genuine guy is far better than telling stories that are not "you".

Hope you get my point!

Regards

ISB_CONNECT

[ISB_CONNECT]

Originally Posted by shobhit.shri

Thanks for your reply. It is indeed very useful.

I understand that MBA is not a panacea to solve all problem but it can provide a push to jump few steps. But do people really do that in ISB? For example, a programmer from MS joining ISB and going on to become programme manager in R&D?

I know this is too hypothetical but I just want to check the possibilities.

Hi Shobhit,

MBA helps a lot, specially in the long run. While there are several instances of people getting very lucrative offers (MS programmer to Product manager is quite common actually!) right after ISB, but the best thing is the long term gain that you get with an MBA from ISB. This can come in form of the network you develop here or from the discipline you develop to get through the tough 1 year course. The habits you develop here might help you much more than the starting job that you get from campus.

Cheers

ISB_CONNECT

[ISB_CONNECT]

Originally Posted by wishy.mishy

Dear ISB_CONNECT,

Thanks for the timely response. Let me re-state my question with more details....

Following is a briefing of my credentials-
1. I am a 24 years old, female, graduate from Punjab Engineering College, Chandigarh in Electrical Engineering.
2. I am working as an Embedded Systems Engineer in Samsung India Electronics Limited with a total work experience of 2.5 years until now.
3. I have a score of 670 in GMAT.
4. I have a suitable profile that is coherent with a career in Management, with some first-hand Entrepreneurship Experience. I have a start-up of my own.

I would really be grateful if you can guide me on the following:

A) What could be the limiting factors in my profile for making it to ISB?

B) Provided my score of 670, how should I present my case in the best possible way to secure the best chances of admission in ISB?


Warm Regards!!

Dear Wishy.Mishy

We do not comment on the profile of individuals who apply. ISB encourages females to apply and we have 25% females in our batch. It always helps to have a good GMAT score but in our batch the score ranges from 600 to 780. So the best way to present your case will be to showcase your "quality" of work ex, your ealier academics and your extracurriculars. These can easily make up for any deficiencies that you might feel you harbor.
Most importantly, you must know that there are people in ISB who have the same background as you have. You only have to showcase your unique strengths!

Regards

ISB_CONNECT

[ISB_CONNECT]

Originally Posted by mission_mba2009

Hi ISB_CONNECT,

I have a question on how diversity plays a role in classroom learning. Can you give me an example where you personally felt that because of peer, who had a diverse background, you could learn something which you could not have otherwise. I believe that its about sharing your unique experiences i.e. how you faced a particular situation and handled it and what were my learnings from it, regardless of your background. So, can you please help me understand the material benefit of having diverse peers.

Thanks

Material benefits of having diversity: Marketing classes are filled with real life examples given by students who have succeeded/failed in their marketing efforts and what they learnt from them. So while one Telecom guy speaks about selling Matrix Cellular cards, a doctor talks about selling ancillary services to pregnant women and another ex-P&G employee will talk about the difficulties of selling a shampoo brand in Japan! I have seen many heated discussions between ex-Google and ex-MS employees in the class giving us the "real" stories behind all that we read in the newspapers about the legendary Google-MS rivalry!

Other benefits of diversity: Wharton has a tie-up with ISB for a global consulting program. This requires a team with diverse background .For example, this year they required 2 guys with healthcare background and 1 consultant with experience in India entry strategy. I am sure its pretty stringent criteria. Do you know how many teams were shortlisted for interview? Answer: 8 TEAMS! ISB lives and breathes on diversity and it is arguably the best thing about this place!

Hope I have convinced you!!

[ISB_CONNECT]

Originally Posted by creative_dude

Hi ISB_Connect,

I must congratulate on such a good job you're doing in helping prospective ISB applicants. When ISB started it's program, it was an ideal option for a working class professional to join.

But, with the advancement in years, the years of experience are starting to feel like a drawback. I have an an average GMAT of 700 with extensive IT industry experience in various orgs. I've done my Btech from an NIT.

I have both a products sector profile with experience in Novell and Mentor graphics. I also have exposure in service sector in IBM.


I see two career options in my future.
a) Getting in Program Management or Product management
b) Getting into consulting.

I have a preference for consulting. I do have expsoure to various social issues, As a matter of fact, I write articles on investment, royalty and various mining matters. They have been published in Portals. This does provide me an extensive social sector exposure.


The question is, since, I don't fit in regular class profile of ISB ie.e 3-6 years exp. Is ISB a good option for me?

I've received feedback from certain sources that ISB does not prefer high experience candidates.


Thanks In advance
Umashankar Das

Dear Umashankar,

There is a separate professional club for senior executives at ISB. This year there are around 25 members.You need to have 8 yrs or more work ex to be a member of Senior Exec Club. Some of the notable members this year are - VP of JP Morgan bank, Assoc. director of KPMG, ex-army with 14 yrs work ex etc.The Career Advancement Services division of ISB has a separate group that looks after the recruitment of the club members. I would really not believe that more than 6 yrs work ex is a bane at ISB. The post-ISB salaries have a positive correlation to the yrs of work ex that you bring to the table. Getting into product management/ Tech consulting is quite common among the students with tech background.
ISB has consistently attracted senior execs to ISB since its inception. I am sure you will find many with common background and years of work ex.

Hope this helps

[ISB_CONNECT]

Originally Posted by c_syama

This is a very valid question...I would really like to know how the diversity works....in fact,I would love to see,if possible, a live class room session in ISB...Is there any such provision??

Yes there is an option of attending sample class. However, you have to come to the campus and talk to the ASA division personally and they can arrange it for you. Best option is to get in touch with a current student who can do the needful at ASA on your behalf so that you can come at the said time and do a sample class.

Hope this answers your question

[ISB_CONNECT]

Originally Posted by godhead

Can a student have a Mac as his/her laptop instead of a PC?
Or is it mandated that only PCs should be used?

You can use MAC here. No issues. Mac users sometimes face problems during installation of analytical softwares that are required but since we have a 24 hr IT services division, they are solved very quickly
Cheers

[ISB_CONNECT]

Originally Posted by asmishra1984

Hi ,
I am a 2007 graduate from IT-BHU in Electrical Engineering.
I have got a score of 710 in gmat and 5.5 in AWA.I have a work experience of 31 months now in Deloitte Consultancy US Offshore Technology Group in Mumbai and I have got good recommendations from a Vice President and one of my firm's clients' On Shore manager.I had a grade point of 7.00 in B.Tech and 90% in my HSC and SSC. My dilemma is whether I should appy in ISB or not.I am not satisfied with my score and was planning of giving GMAT one more shot.It would be great if some alumnus could guide me on whether to apply in ISB on this score or not.Looking forward to responses.

GMAT is one of the various aspects of the selection process. Though it is always better to have a better GMAT score, this does not guarantee a seat at ISB. Every year several 750+ students are rejected. While many 650s are selected based on their strong work ex or extracurrics or academics or a combination of all three.
My take on your dilemma will be to think hard about your need to do an MBA. if the lack of an MBA is something thats stopping you from growing, then I think its time to apply!
Cheers

[ISB_CONNECT]

Dear iDream800,

To answer your questions better, it has been forwarded to person with similar work profile.

Cheers