1. Which B Schools should I target with my current profile? Which amongst top 5 (HBS/Wharton/Stanford/Booth/Kellogg) shall I rule out? 2. Any positives / negatives associated with 2nd MBA, 9 years work-ex? 3. I want consulting to be my post-MBA job. However, I will be 34 years by then. How difficult will it be to get into consulting post-MBA?
Please let me know, if you need any more information. Any suggestions and comments are welcome. Thanks in advance for your inputs!
Best regards Amit Goel
Amit,
You have great work experience and would be asset to an MBA class with your depth of experience. The question here will be - which MBA class, because US b-schools generally take in people with lesser years of work experience, averaging around 4-5 years. From this perspective you will be better suited for UK/ European based programs like LBS (av. age- 29 years, work exp. range 2-15 years, Average GMAT 700), IMD, HEC, IE, ESADE Cambridge Judge and Oxford. For INSEAD, this is what they say on their website:
There is no age limit for entry. However, the MBA is aimed at those who are at an early stage in their career. INSEAD participants in the current class have a range of between two and ten years of post-graduate work experience. If you have more than ten years of work experience, we encourage you to consider one of INSEAD's Executive MBA Programmes, where you will have the opportunity to learn with a more experienced and mature peer group.
A2. You do not hold a disadvantage for wanting a 2nd MBA - it was 9 years ago, and by now you are ready to top up your skills again. However, you should have reasons for wanting one (career change is a good reason). Overall, you should be able to weave the MBA and the CFA and the need for another degree to move up in your career, well into your essay stories.
A3. What consulting do you want to get into? With your work experience it will matter that you get a lateral position after MBA. You can research the positions your priority companies recruit at after MBA.
@ MBA decoder hi ,i am from Bangalore,i did my graduation in IT , passing year 2010,but i never joined any it company since i was running my family business(small scale only),and now i think i should do MBA,have written cat,and i did well(i hope so),but i don't have any experience since i ran my family business only,are there any good business schools that will offer me admission in spite of that i dont have proper work ex.
Shibupster,
International b-schools mostly look for full time work experience- so if you have worked full time at your family business (not studied alongside working), it will still be counted as work experience. However, for international b-schools 1 year exp. will be too little.
I assume you are trying for the Indian MBA programs as you have taken CAT - here, you can also join as a fresher. I guess you must already have applied to the MBA colleges that accept CAT.
For somebody running their own business who would be the ideal recommender? I have worked for 4 years at Microsoft Redmond and the last 2 years running my startup, apart from helping manage my family's manufacturing business. My Post-MBA career will be in my current business (hopefully).
My ex-bosses at Microsoft wouldn't know the crucial last 2 years of professional life, so I would ideally want it from somebody who would know more about my recent past. One choice is my business mentor - a professor at a SP Jain. Of the two other recommenders can I have one of them as the head of the family's business (a relative) with disclosure that he is a relative. What is the typical bschool position on this?
My target schools are MIT Sloan, Babson, Oxford Said, Yale SOM and Stanford GSB.
Hi Sameer, 1 year....Marketing/Business development (Manpower management firm) 4 months(and running) as Financial Planning Specialist/Analyst :
Hi Pranav, let's take the easy questions ones first.
MOST of the colleges in USA require 16yrs degree education. I have a 3-yr BBA...
Most bschools will accept 15 yrs education.
PLEASE suggest me a plan of action (which forms to fill for CAT...
Can't help you on this one, sir, as the focus is on GMAT based options. On CAT related queries, you could interact with the CAT experts on the other threads.
Also, since I have some time before I apply for GMAT colleges, HOW CAN I IMPROVE MY PROFILE (extra curricular, academics)...
Academics: Not much you can do there. GMAT: Get the highest score you can get. There is no target to aim for. Extra-currics: Don't do this specially for bschool apps. If you have interests, pursue them seriously. Work-ex: In your chosen field, try to excel. Get more responsibility. Get a better exposure to business aspects. Try getting any form of leadership experience.
Suggest some colleges which can give a decent schol.
Too premature to talk about this, my friend.
I just appeared for my 4th CAT.....expecting around 90-95 (got 91 last year)
Hmmm. The tricky one. While I'm all for not giving up and fighting on, there's a line that you need to draw before you say...that's it, i'm done with this. Time to move on.
We don't know what it was with your CAT experience, probably it was the competition. Maybe the preparation technique. We don't know. But when you move from CAT to GMAT, ensure that you approach it with the right preparation and do it well. Don't convert the test taking process into a annual event where you lose track of the bigger picture.
Hi Consultants, Thanks for being there to help so many ppl like me...
I am Saranya, 10th->89.3% 12th->95% B.E (ECE)->75% I guess that I may score between 650 and 700 in GMAT Work Ex. ->35 months in an MNC as Associate Software Engineer.
Would like to know about universities to which I may apply to. I am not well off financially. So that also becomes an important criterion along with Job oppurtunities and quality of education. I am interested to apply for a 2 yr MBA though many suggest a 1 yr course. Please help.
hi,i have a pretty ordinary profile..so i decided to put up my profile here to ask for ur help..
10th-80% +2-70% Engg-58% Gmat- 650(q 44, v 35 havent received my awa yet) Toefl- 105
Extra crclr- part of two ngo's not very active though, n have played for my clg basketball team at univ level, n also part of the organization committee of my clg's cultural fest..
Achievements- I have neither achieved anything at my clg level nor at my work( i kind of hate my job, and the only reason i've been doin it is bcoz i needed the workex..so I guess il have to cook something up really interesting in the personal essays)
And therez sumthin else too..i have too many backlogs in my engg bcoz of which i was rejected US visa(for MS) thrice in 2009..i have a total of 16backlogs outta which 14 were in my 2nd n 3rd year..my 1st n 4th year percentages are close to 66% n it was in 2nd n 3rd year that i really messed up..so i was wondering if i cud include that info in my prsnl essays and try and explain the reasons n convey the message that im not such a poor student as my academics mite suggest..
I have a total workex of close to 24mont till date of which 4months in a call center, 3months in a start up as an android dev n currently in an mnc as a software developer..I havent decided on the mba specialization,but i want to work in the IT industry on the operations side..i have so far gone through the mba school comparator on bussinessweek.com n shortlisted a few universities,which i thot wud likely consider my application based on their avg student profile..now i need ur help on selecting da universities n on the application process..please which univs are likely to accept me n as the best among da 1's listed below...
Oklahoma State University (spears school of business) Willamette University(Atkinson Graduate School of Management) University of Houston(Bauer College of Business) University of Cincinnati San Diego State University Cleveland State University(Nance College of Business) University at Buffalo University of Pittsburgh(Katz Graduate School)
I've heard that, in ISB (and probably for other B-schools as well), spikes are essential for getting into Consulting jobs.What typically constitutes a 'spike'? For the Indian IT bloke with decent acads and 6-7 years of experience, what may be a spike?
:)hello ...every one ...cn any one help me with few of my questions my profile is 10 th -72% 12th -51%:-( low i kn grad-62% from ignou in zooloogy hons 2008 side by side my grad i hv done with a course called dmlt 76 %..i.e. diploma in medical lab tech form st. stephens hosp from delhi completed in dec 2007with 76% n 6th rank overall in ima exams of my course....than from april 2007 afteraround just a gap of 3 nd half month gap continously working in govt setups as a post lab tech..first in dhas delhi govt hosp for three n half month than in continuity under nrhm n still working there as a lab tech around three years ...... extra curricular r just normall n like m interesting in doing mba not for m.sc phd kind route .... gmat tofle not given ... this kind of profile wht should i perfer for mba india or aborad in good colleges only .. bcoz thats a fact dt only good b-school cn give a right platform plzz tell me how to prepare for gmat .....n tofle .... n one more dillemma is there as the visa rules changing in us n uk n receession kind senario wht should b d perfernce as to b n india or in abroad ..... n which one is good xlri or isb ...
Would like to know about universities to which I may apply to. I am not well off financially. So that also becomes an important criterion along with Job oppurtunities and quality of education. I am interested to apply for a 2 yr MBA though many suggest a 1 yr course. Please help.
eagerstud,
The decision to study further suggests the fact that you are looking at it as a medium to better your career, be it in the same industry or a different one. So concentrate on getting the 700 on GMAT from your target range, so that you can apply to a better school.
Financing an international MBA is not easy for most people on this forum - its a very expensive investment, more so when you are paying a huge exchange rate for a $$$ education. Having said that, an MBA education is an investement in your future, so don't think too much about the cost at this time. Most people would take a loan as funding it yourself is not a viable option.
Most US b-schools nowadays will give you a loan without a US cosigner. & with the applications from Indian applicants going down this year, you just may be able to get a good scholarship at some b-school (don't ask which, you will need to research that )
Thanks for the cryptic post- it woke me up from the afternoon siesta. Now, as long as you use the formal English we were taught at school in your essays- it will help you to fight the low verbal GMAT score.
To answer your questions:
o i was wondering if i cud include that info in my prsnl essays and try and explain the reasons n convey the message that im not such a poor student as my academics mite suggest..
Check out the GPA / GMAT averages and 20-80% ranges for yoru target b-schools. If your grades and scores fall well within the range, don't make your shortcomings obvious by pointing them out. You should instead point talk about the positives in your life.
so I guess il have to cook something up really interesting in the personal essays
I am not so sure how you can do that. While you may fudge career goals on paper and durning the interview, I would find it hard to cookup achievements and failure stories. And this would not be a great approach- say you do get into a b-school with a 'cooked-up' application, you will be quite lost once in there, because you will not have an agenda to follow. And this situation (with all the money you would put in) can make you more frusttrated that your current job.
So my suggestion is that you do some hard thinking about why you want the MBA - if its because you want to get away from a job you do not like, then this reason is not good enough.
For somebody running their own business who would be the ideal recommender? I have worked for 4 years at Microsoft Redmond and the last 2 years running my startup, apart from helping manage my family's manufacturing business. My Post-MBA career will be in my current business (hopefully).
My ex-bosses at Microsoft wouldn't know the crucial last 2 years of professional life, so I would ideally want it from somebody who would know more about my recent past. One choice is my business mentor - a professor at a SP Jain. Of the two other recommenders can I have one of them as the head of the family's business (a relative) with disclosure that he is a relative. What is the typical bschool position on this?
My target schools are MIT Sloan, Babson, Oxford Said, Yale SOM and Stanford GSB.
Startupguy,
You should definately have a recommender from your current business- 2 years is a long time, and you could have done great work during this period, which the M/S guy has no clue about. Most b-schools will also require from you to have a recommender from your latest job/venture.
Now, the choice of the person is definately crucial. Family members may not be that effective because they would have a natural bias towards you. Your first choice: professor : are you in touch with him all along? Has he advised you in some capacity in the business (liek a Financial advisor?) and has seen you at work on a day to day basis? If yes, its okay to go ahead with him. But if he is a person you would go to for brainstorming ideas once in a while, then he may not be the correct person to assess your work performance.
Similary, regarding your relative - can you show a purely professional relationship between you two? I don't know the nature of your business, to its hard to comment. But vendors and satisfied clients can be possible choices for recommenders.
I am eligible to do Masters in Information Systems from Uk Under top 20 Universities
Canada mediocre universities
Please Help where should i opt for??
Hi Prateek,
Best way to figure out is to shortlist a few schools - go through their websites/ blogs/ videos etc. Base your decision to apply on what you learn from this primary research - do you like what you read about the schools and would you like to be a part of them? It's hard work, but its got to be done - no body can tell you which schools will fit your needs well. Here is a ranking that will help you get started:
I just want to ask one general question regarding studying MBA. I am from IT background with 5+ years of experience and I want to do MBA from Canada. After completing my MBA I want to pursue my Job in same IT industry so which course option should I choose for my majors and what would be my profile after completing that course. I would be extremely thankful , If someone can provide answers to my questions. As this will help me in deciding my future .
i want to apply to canadian bschools.. GMAT 600 IELTS 7.5 B Tech 60% (First class as mentioned on Transcript and Degree) Work Ex 3.5 yrs
Please tell the feasibility of getting admission to
1. University of Ottawa 2. University of Regina 3. York University 4. Brock University 5. Carleton University 6. University of Victoria
Also, does canadian admission process follow First come first serve process?? Is there any use of submitting application far before deadline?
Please revert. TIA
Hi MBA Girl,
The best way to find this is by visiting the website of each of these b-schools. Check out the class profile for stats of the current class - are your academic stats in close range? For instance does you GMAT score fall cose to the class average (+/- 20 points)? Similarly fo your college GPA. If your scores are way below the class average than it may not be a wise decision to apply.
Similarly, check out the admissions pages/ FAQs - they will mention if the b-school has an early decision round.
The best way to find this is by visiting the website of each of these b-schools. Check out the class profile for stats of the current class - are your academic stats in close range? For instance does you GMAT score fall cose to the class average (+/- 20 points)? Similarly fo your college GPA. If your scores are way below the class average than it may not be a wise decision to apply.
Similarly, check out the admissions pages/ FAQs - they will mention if the b-school has an early decision round.
Namita at MBA Decoder
Thanks MBA decoder!!
I have checked out the admission requirements on web pages of each of these university. They have GMAT 550 and above mentioned. And all of them say undergraduate degree will min. 70% or Grade B or equivalent.
My problem is that my Engineering percentage is 60% (Pune University) but this stands in First Class. So is this equivalent to their 70% requirement?
I got a admit from Strathclyde Business School(Sep 2012); Schulich India MBA(Jan 2012); and Hult MBA. Which one should I go for?
Need to decide asap. Please help.
Profile: X: 88%; XII: 75%; Btech(electrical, NIT): 7.59/10; GMAT: 640, IELTS : 8.0; Workex: 2 and a half years with 10 months in a steel plant and 1 and half in IT.
I completed my engineering in 5 years (64%). Lost an year once in high school and another after completing it. Overall, lost 3 precious years of my academic life.
I hit the job street in 2007, and today I have 4 years of work experience from two jobs. At both these places my work was appreciated.
Now I wish to do an MBA from a good college (which ensures good placement). I am a bit afraid of my chances considering my poor academic record. How strong is my profile if I can get a 700+ GMAT score for 2013 admissions (5 yrs work ex, 30 yrs age when applying).
After completing my MBA I want to pursue my Job in same IT industry so which course option should I choose for my majors and what would be my profile after completing that course.
tanejaaruncitm,
This is a very wide question - there are many jobs you can do in the IT industry - you could be in a functional vertical like sales or marketing, or a delivery role or a consulting role. It depends on what your career aspirations are.
Same is the case with electives- its hard for a person to tell you which ones to take. You can select them based on your career goals and your interest or need in a particular subject.
with few of my questions
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