[vingmat]

Hi ppl,
As I have told you before, I had a GMAT score of 780 with a 6.0 on the AWA. I also have excellent grades in Electronics Engineering with 75% aggregate and a 100/100 in Math.
My net work-ex: 3 years (2 with a Top German MNC, .5 with another company, .5 as a Comp.Sci. Lecturer in the Department of Comp.Sc. to M.Sc. Final Years in Microprocessors. May not be able to show much career progression though I have done a bit different things like Highly-Quantitative work and excellent software development work.

I am seriously considering applying to the Columbia Business School. From what I know Columbia places a lot of emphasis on GMAT scores. Do you guys think I have a reasonable chance there?

How about applying to W/H/S? (Here what puts me off is the huge fee for application alone. Just W+H comes to Rs. 40K + !!!)

Thanks,
vin.

[pagalguy]

How about applying to W/H/S? (Here what puts me off is the huge fee for application alone. Just W+H comes to Rs. 40K + !!!)

Are you sure you can pick up a loan of $120,000 after graduating while you are worrying about a $1000 ? But if your essays reflect the interview you had at ISB, I would suggest picking up the book - How to Get into the TOP MBA programs by Richard Montauk. It should give you a good insight into what a bschool wants.

[Psychodementia]

Good point put up by PG.

Vingmat whatever I can gather of you, I think you need a bit more introspection and might want to spend more time on an appropriate forum on businessweek or something. But this is my suggestion :

(1) Go in for a dry-run this year. You will be shooting at R2/R3, which itself makes your chances kind of bleak.

(2) Take time to do R&D over the next 6months and figure out what exactly you want out of the MBA program. That way you will have 5+yrs when you join the program which is kinda good too.

HTH,

Arun

[locknutz]

There is no harm i n doing that.....I think once you come out of the same institute you will be earning ten times the same loan amount ....so just close your eyes and take the loan wiothout any hesitations and take the seat there....but considering that youre spending a bomb around a 3/4 of a crore is the only concern that I have for you........but if you look at it from another angle....in a good indian private B- school you will still take a loan of around 15 to 20 times you average monthly salary and so its still agood deal considering that you are spending around 75 to 80 lakhs
you should atleas earn around easily 2.5 lakhs per month after that.....so think about it and the rest is left to you....

Arvind Shenoy

[Help!]

Hi.

I spoke with the Dean of Columbia once and have a reasonably good idea on what they are about.

Firstly, they have more than 30 fellowships and some are even reserved for Indians. This shall help you shed some of your $120K off, as the fellowship are monetary assistances.

Secondly, since the school co-signs your loan, I am sure with the kind of placements this school generates, you shall be able to pay it back in 2-3 years time. On a parity level, ISB costs 14lacs and you start off with a salary of 10 lacs (hopefully). similarly, with Columbia you can start off with $ 100k+ bonus. So on parity level, it's more or less the same.

As for your chances, that's something time will answer. But I do hope you can make it. It's such a brilliant school and the greatest part is it being in New York - Manhattan. Imagine having IIM-A at Nariman Point.

Also. Please don't get bogged down with admission fee or for that matter even tution. Schools like these are like dreams, and you can never put a price on such things.


Remember one more thing - At Columbia, the admission committees greatest concern is - Why does this candidate want an MBA? Have an answer to this, for sure.

Once again, best of luck!!

Regards,
Help!

[NOTHING1954]

vingmat,
You seem to be banking on high GMAT score to get into H/S/W or Columbia.
While 780/800 is a very strong point, that is only one of the of 4 or 5 things the adcoms of top B-schools look for.
They will look at your academic record, your accomplishements on the job, community service/extra-curricular activities, demonstrated leadership potential and beyond all this, is there any thing that sets you apart from the many other applicants.
If you go through the posts on PG, you will find several people with high GMAT scores, but don't seem to have gotten interview calls from H/S/W, Columbia and other top B-schools.
You need to ask yourself, "What else do I have, apart from high GMAT score, that sets me apart from the other thousand or more Indian applicants!"

Good luck

Originally Posted by vingmat

Hi ppl,
As I have told you before, I had a GMAT score of 780 with a 6.0 on the AWA. I also have excellent grades in Electronics Engineering with 75% aggregate and a 100/100 in Math.
My net work-ex: 3 years (2 with a Top German MNC, .5 with another company, .5 as a Comp.Sci. Lecturer in the Department of Comp.Sc. to M.Sc. Final Years in Microprocessors. May not be able to show much career progression though I have done a bit different things like Highly-Quantitative work and excellent software development work.

I am seriously considering applying to the Columbia Business School. From what I know Columbia places a lot of emphasis on GMAT scores. Do you guys think I have a reasonable chance there?

How about applying to W/H/S? (Here what puts me off is the huge fee for application alone. Just W+H comes to Rs. 40K + !!!)

Thanks,
vin.

[tank_I]

Originally Posted by NOTHING1954

vingmat,
You seem to be banking on high GMAT score to get into H/S/W or Columbia.
While 780/800 is a very strong point, that is only one of the of 4 or 5 things the adcoms of top B-schools look for.
They will look at your academic record, your accomplishements on the job, community service/extra-curricular activities, demonstrated leadership potential adn beyond all this, is there any thing that sets you apart from the many other applicants.
If you go through the posts on PG, you will find several people with high GMAT scores, but don't seem to have gotten interview calls from H/S/W, Columbia and other top B-schools.
You need to ask yourself, "What else do I have, apart from high GMAT score, trhat sets me apart from the other thousand or more Indian applicants!"

Good luck

The original post is from 2004. Kindly check before replying.

The OP got into ISB in 2005 with a partial tuition waiver.

[NOTHING1954]

My mistake; I didn't check the date of post.
Thanks.