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MBA
1738
@jaybee234 said: Hi I am in a bit of a dilemma right now, here is my profile:Current workex - With one of the largest IB in the world for the last 2 years in New YorkMasters in CS - from Ranked 1 university in the worldI have already given my GRE, so this is gonna be my second masters.I am aiming for M/B/B after my MBA, though with 2-3 yrs of workex from now, I can get in without MBA, but I think another degree specially in the field in which I see myself long term, wont hurt me.Now, my question is should I do it from India because the fees here is really low as compared to the schools here(in the US), or should I aim for the top 5(harvard,wharton etc.), which would take me sometime to pursue as I would need some capital for the fees.The salary difference is huge in the above comparison. Any comments ?Also I was thinking of Ex MBA but I heard its not valued the same as a FT MBA.Any opinions ?I am only 24 so I have time at hand, so any suggestions are welcomeThanks.

Hi, MBA from India/ USA is a matter of personal decision. If you are not looking at international experience after the MBA then it will be worthwhile to head back home and save some money on the education.

If you want to be in the thick of action - get exposed to some of the best financial markets in the world on the East Coast, then nothing in India will compare to the exposure you get by doing your MBA at the Ivy leagues. Yes, I did read you are already in NY so you have the right exposure. However, I guess you are on the technical side after a CS degree, and have probably not made the business world contacts so far, which is what you would do through the MBA.

At this stage, I doubt you should think about the money factor - the name of the b-school, its alumni network (in general and in the industry) and the opportunities you get there, will go a much longer way with you in life.

So there are two actionable items for you :

1. Go through the consulting career support activities of the M/B/B type b-schools. There are a ton of contact activities like career treks, field projects, consulting projects etc. See if they excite you enough. For Indian b-schools much information is not available on their websites so you will have to make personal contacts.

2. I assume you would wait 1-2 years before you apply. Build on your leadership capabilities and career progress until then.

All the best,

Namita at MBA Decoder

1739
@gmat201013 said:

FOR ISB: any suggestion is welcome

GMAT (Dec '10) 680 (AWA 3.5)

Xth 83%

XIIth 63%

4 years gap

Grad (mechanical, nit jsr) 7.9 but with extra curricular and leadership

10 months in not-so-great construction co, 11 months in TCE Construction BU with 2 certifications (one in IPR)

PGD in IPR and Patent Mgmt, Delhi 79%

4 months in LPO(1), then 1.5 months in LPO(2), now back to LPO(1). reason being project availability and ofcourse, hike.

now plan to retake GMAT for 710+, and better AWA.

Some points of concerns in your profile:

1. What is the 4 year gap for?

2. too many job changes. Suggests instability at work and ISB will look at that very seriously

3. The LPO experience- is it at different companies?

4. with so many changes at work can you give examples of work related leadership?

I think you need to be more wary of these issues than the GMAT score of 680.

Namita at MBA Decoder

Read through our Reject analysis thread for Essay tips

:http://www.pagalguy.com/forums/gmat-accepting-bschools/reject-analysis-mba-decoder-t-82208/p-3510816

1740

Hi All,


Please find the details of my profile. I am basically aiming at 1 year programs which come under 35 lakh INR. I am looking at the top indian programs like IIMA PGPX, IIMB EPGP and the ISB. The question is , are there top international schools where i
have chances of getting a scholarship and hence the cost will come under 35 lakh range. I also understand that indian schools will be since I come from the Indian IT male Fraternity and I would definitely like to go for my MBA this year itself.


Profile in Brief - Will have 8 years 7 Months of IT(Infosys) experience by Feb 2013.Close to 30 years old. Currently playing the role of Team lead for my current project and reporting to the offshore program manager. Teams from 3 other locations also report to my program manager. Team size is 8-10 members in a niche technology(WCS).WCS is built on Java and I am also quite well versed in Java.


GMAT - 740 , Q 48 V 42. Waiting for Essay and IR.


Academics - CBSe 10th - 84.4% CBSE 12th - 87% Btech(Kerala University CSE) - 71.32%


Onsite Ex - 3 years of onsite experience working for Bank of America from 2007-2010. Recent short trips to US as offshore lead for initial project setup for an Ecom major.


Long Term goal - I will continue to be a part of IT industry but want to get exposure to other facets of Industry like Corporate planning, Business development etc. Right now all my experience is in delivery. I plan to be an enterpreneur if i can find the right opportunity and right team for it. Otherwise I aim to reach a leadership/strategizing postion in the IT Services/Product business in one of the Indian IT biggies. For all this i hope that the knowledge/network that i gain in PGPX/EPGP or ISB will help me.


Recommendations Question? - I have good connect with my clients in BOFA and should be able to get recommendations from the clients i reported to. I also can get recos from my current manager if that will be considered as having more weightage. I have worked across 2 domains(Ecommerce and Investment Banking) in a technical capacity. Should i try to get one recommendation from each of the domains? Should i focus on the recent recommendations or can I go back to 2010?


EC - Not much. Part of a volunteer organization for youth based out of kerala. The organization is spiritual in nature and is part of an ashram that i have been associated with a very long time. Was treasurer of this org in 2002-2004 time frame and is an active member/mentor for the newer folks.


Thanks.

1741

@[187680:imbobby]

Here is my opinion on your profile: I'd need to know more about your work and career aspirations to make a full evaluation, but what you've shown isn't terribly competitive for the schools on your list.

Why? MBA programs want three things above all: 1) Students who can find jobs; 2) Students who can succeed in the classroom; 3) Students whose GMAT scores can make up for the program's deficiencies and raise the ranking.

Point 1 - There are a TON of Indian IT guys looking for a few places in US MBA programs and most schools are going to cherry pick those who can find the best jobs. You didn't mention what job you want out of school, but you probably wouldn't be applying if you wanted to stay where you are. The adcom will be looking for strong leadership and your ability to get a realistic but high quality job.

Point 2 - You are obviously a bright guy and aren't going to have a problem crunching numbers. But your Verbal score suggests that your essays (and job applications/interviews) might not be at the level of the other students. Which brings me to the main point...

Point 3 - All of the IT guys who were in my program (Oxford) had 730+ GMATs. Some of them had 770s. And they needed strong GMATs because the school wasn't sure that they were as capable of finding jobs as some of the other candidates. Think about it from the school's perspective. They want to have an average GMAT of let's say 680, a good dynamic (ie. intersting people, more women, etc) and students who can land top jobs after graduation. They could accept all blue chippers, but the best end up going to H/S/W. So the school has to compromise and accept a few blue chippers with 640 GMATs and a couple IT guys with 720 GMATs to meet their target. The ratio would vary from Wisconsin Madison to BYU to Texas A&M;, but I hope you get my point. In order for you to be "that IT guy we let in" you need to try to eliminate your perceived weaknesses through solid essays and a better GMAT score.

A 650 GMAT score means you're competing for a place with an ex consultant from Chicago who scored a 620, when you'd rather be competing with the guys who have less marketable skills but better GMATs.

I truly hope that helps and good luck.

Jon

1742

Hi,

It'd be great if you could evaluate my profile:

GMAT 700

Work Ex. - 3yrs.

2 yrs with Cisco.

an year with a leading investment bank(in an it role).

Acads:

B.Tech - Nitk Surathkal -comps.- 8.32

12th - 88.2

10th - 88.4

Achievements at work.

Handled a major project, from the requirement phase to the beta. Was the owner of the module. Closely engaged with the customer and proposed and implemented an efficient solution. Further engaged with the customer for deployment. Customer signed a multi-million dollar deal. Appreciated and recognized by management, was given a top ranking, including monetary rewards.

Implemented a feature critical for the product to achieve US govt nod to be purchased by the fed. Tweaked the algo to make it faster.

Extra-Curricular

Have been rather ebullient when it comes to ECs. Have actively participated in organizing events in class, college clubs and college fests. Have organized team events at work.

Have participated in extempore, debate competitions and won at inter college level. Have had an interest towards drawing and sketching. Sketch in my free time, have participated in art competitions at college level and won. Designed the desktop calendar for the firm.

Volunteer work:

Have been constantly engaged in one thing or the other. Taught underprivileged kids. Worked with a government school in a remote village in Rajasthan to help them impart technical education to their students.

Currently working with an NGO to help them build an evaluation model to showcase the impact of their program.

Want to build a career in consulting.

Wonder if GMAT is on the lesser side...? Should i give another try at it.

My target school is ISB.

1743

Hi, Kindly look at my profile below and let me know my chances at getting in to IVY league school in US.

I am a MBA graduate from IBS, Hyderabad with an Engineering (ECE from VTU) background, having €™7 years €™ experience with core proficiency and domain of interest in Business Management, Operations, Sales and Project Management. My Engineering grades are only 56% and my MBA GPA is 6.9 and i had taken a break of two years during my graduation where I did my first job,

After my MBA, I got in to Reliance Communication and worked there on Marketing and Project management role for PAN India in their corporate office for 2 Years and then got in to Energy Start up which was part of a large corporation, Here as I was involved from the inception, I have done varied roles such as Strategy, Product Development, Business Development, Finance, operation and recruitment. As of today the company is 100 employees strong. Due to my contribution to the company, I have been promoted twice in my 3 years stint and currently I hold the COO position for one of their two division with 60 people reporting to me.

Regarding extra circular activities, i have been active participate in various college committees both in graduation and post graduation.

1744
@vrp1982 said:

Hi All,

Please find the details of my profile. I am basically aiming at 1 year programs which come under 35 lakh INR. I am looking at the top indian programs like IIMA PGPX, IIMB ...

Thanks.

First, if you are thinking of applying to IIMs, you have already missed the deadline for IIMA. EPGP is by September 30th and ISB's first deadline is September 15th. So you need to start your applications at breakneck speed if you are to make it in this year's application cycle.

While your profile sounds interesting, you would face the challenge of putting together a solid application, with well thought out essay answers and solid career goals. I say this because the goals you have mentioned above need to be developed further. For instance, you need more clarity on what that "leadership position" will be, and in what kind of companies. Fuzzy goals can be cause of a ding.

Your recommendation strategy - I would not advise you to use both recommenders from the BoA stint, which happened more than 2 years ago. You must have grown in terms of positions and responsibilities in the past two years and your current boss will be a better advocate for this growth. Regarding the domains- if you plan to build your future career in either of them, talk about it in the career goals essay, as well as have someone recommend you for the skill associated with that domain.

EC- are you actively involved? Mentioning extra curricular associations in the MBA application is about real involvement, not about a lengthy association, where you were not active.

Namita Garg, MBA Decoder

Read through our Reject Analysis thread for essay tips:

:http://www.pagalguy.com/forums/gmat-accepting-bschools/reject-analysis-mba-decoder-t-82208/p-3510816

1745
@Ankit.lost said:

Hi,

It'd be great if you could evaluate my profile:

GMAT 700

Work Ex. -....


Hi Ankit,

ISB's average GMAT score is at 710. As your scores are close to this figure, I do not perceive a disadvantage to your candidacy. A more important step is to work on a solid application.

The raw data that you have put on this post sounds interesting and shows your potential for ISB. However, this data now needs to get organized into a meaningful and relevant application. Some pointers are:

1. the career goals essay - explain your move to from Cisco to an IB company and how that leads you towards consulting - tall task.

2. Achievements at work- these are good, but you must remember that 75% of the ISB applicants would also be from the IT sector and would have similar stories to tell. How can you differentiate yourself from them by talking less about the technicalities and more about the managerial aspects?

3. Extra curricular activities- select the best and let your passion shine through them, rather than giving a bucket list. Activities performed in school and college sound more relevant if they have been followed up after you graduated and can demonstrate a continuing involvement.

4. Lastly, ISB is tough competition because of the sheer number of people who apply there. So spread yourself wider.

Namita, MBA Decoder

Read through our Reject Analysis thread for essay tips:

:http://www.pagalguy.com/forums/gmat-accepting-bschools/reject-analysis-mba-decoder-t-82208/p-3510816


1746

@Troll said: Hi Consultants!
I am looking for some help in short-listing B-Schools. Here is my profile -
10th - 86%
12th - 85%
B.E.(hons.) - 7.94/10 (BITS, Pilani)

...Namita, MBA Decoder

Hi Namita,
I am done with my GMAT now and scored 750 (q50 v41). AWA and IR awaited.
I am interested in a finance specialization and want to pursue a career in IB or corporate finance. I am preparing for CFA L1 and will appear for that in December. Post MBA, I plan to stay in India although I wouldn't mind working for a few years abroad to pay off loan etc. Please help me with following -
1. Which B-Schools should I be targeting?
2. Since my experience is on the lower side of the bell-curve, should I wait for a year or so before applying?
3. I did my graduation in Mechanical, joined a mobile application development company and now want to shift to finance. How can I best justify such a shift? Is it frowned upon by B-Schools in general?

Thanks!
1747
Hi Namita,

Thanks for your feedback on my profile. I had applied to IIMA PGPX before the deadline of Aug 10. It will be great if you can give me some clarity on the below question.

What are my chances of getting a scholarship from Top 3 Bschool?. Something in the Harvard/Stanford/Wharton/SLOAN League. What do these schools typically look for? Will outstanding essays/application clinch the deal or are they beyond the reach of normal working professional profile like mine.

Will a GMAT of 770 significantly enhance my chances?. 740 was achieved with under 1 month of preparation.

I have had reasonably good career progression but i am sure it will not compare favourably to people who have started their own business/ have inherited a family business etc. Also there would be a sizeable number of applicants who have patents etc.
Thanks.
1748
@Troll said:
Hi Namita,
I am done with my GMAT now and scored 750 (q50 v41). AWA and IR awaited.
I am interested in a finance specialization and want to pursue a career in IB or corporate finance. I am preparing for CFA L1 and will appear for that in December. Post MBA, I plan to stay in India although I wouldn't mind working for a few years abroad to pay off loan etc. Please help me with following -
1. Which B-Schools should I be targeting?
2. Since my experience is on the lower side of the bell-curve, should I wait for a year or so before applying?
3. I did my graduation in Mechanical, joined a mobile application development company and now want to shift to finance. How can I best justify such a shift? Is it frowned upon by B-Schools in general?
Thanks!

Hi Troll (?? !!)


Here's another one for you - for the 750 on GMAT when you went in expecting a 730.

Being a younger applicant has its advantages- you would be more open to exploring different career options.


B-schools would be open to this change so long as you can justify it in your application. Explain in your essays, why you want to move to finance. How did you develop an interest in the filed? What have you done to promote this interest (CFA?). Do you have any achievements like being good at stocks, managing finances for a friend's business and showing some positive impact there?


School specific research will help to prove this point in the essays - that how can you utilize the school's resources to make this career transition? There are a ton of opportunities available - summer internships, career treks, Clubs, consulting projects, industry connect through networking, and so on- do your research here.


All the top MBA programs (think top 20 US) have strong finance departments, so you can't go wrong with them. Go through their websites to understand what best fits your learning style.

Most b-schools prefer candidates with a minimum of 2 years work experience, though it may not be a stated requirement. As a younger candidate, you should ensure you demonstrate:


1. that you are ready for the MBA (why now?)

2. you have leadership potential - if there aren't enough work related examples, turn back to examples from the days of graduation.

3. you have a solid sense of where you are headed post MBA, and about specific b-schools' ability in helping you reach there.

4. Most important, you have maturity to sit in a class of older applicants, and still contribute.

Hope that helps,


Namita, MBA Decoder


1749

Hi,


I wanted to inquire if SIBM Pune is good enough for someone with about 3.5 years of experience. As that would be my experience when the 2013 class starts, I am planning to apply to it and have a high chance of getting in as an NRI candidate, I hope so. I have heard that it is very good freshers or for someone with less experience but is not recommended for anyone with higher experience. I will be applying to other colleges as well but not too sure about my candidature there. Please advice me.

Thanks, hope you can solve my dilemma.
1750

Hi, How good is National Institute of Banking & Finance, Pune. What are the placement records? Is it worth for a CA?

1751

Sansd & gyayakjain - this thread is for queries related to b-schools that accept the GMAT scores. Please post your questions on other relevant threads on the forum.

Namita

1752

Hi Namitha,


I am 31 and have a GMAT score of 700(36/49/4.5) (year 2008). I have 8+ years in core software product development in mobile & recently in finance domain for the best in industry. I am a Technical leader by designation. I am basically looking for 1 yr MBA in US/Singapore/India/Canada. I am planning to progress my career in the same field possibly Product Management.
I explored Europe earlier but am a little scared because of overall market condition and visa regulations in Europe. I am applying for ISB(re-applicant) and NTU-waseda this year and am trying to target another 4 schools. I realized that IIMs need a recent score(3yrs) so i am not eligible for them.

My acads are avg (66%) JNTU Btech
Extra curiculars (abv avg) adventure sports (sky& scuba diving, Scaled Mt.Fuji) , Worked for corporate social responsibility progs (Funding Various NGOs), Executive Member of Company Debate Club.
1yr Onsite Japan as Team Lead


I have budget constraints of 40L as I have saved 15L on my own and can get another 25L in loans on my land . Could you Please evaluate my profile and suggest few decent colleges that I could target ?
Kellog/Cornell seem to be on the higher side of fees . Insead is a dream college but I think I could with high probability not make it.
Regards,
Harsha
1753

Hi

Please evaluate my profile

-IIT graduate (7.5/10), Class X & XII: ~90%
-13+ yrs of exp in IT (incl 5 yrs manager level exp and 2 yrs of intl exp.) in top IT services and IT product development companies
-GMAT: 700 (Q:50, V:32) AWA 6.0
-have some professional certifications
-ECs: moderate

Short term Goal: Career progression to senior mgmt role in IT product development cos.

I have applied to PGPX, PGPEX and planning to apply to EPGP.

Do you recommend ISB's PGP considering my work ex will be on the higher side as compared to the avg. ?

Which other international ~1 yr full time EMBA would you recommend ?

regards

1754

Hi puys

I am planning to apply in R1 as well

Please give me some feedback on my profile

B.E. NSIT (cs) - 08
%age : 68 (little low i know, max was 80)

X- 83%
XII - 81%

GMAT (720, AWA-5.5, IR-7)

Work ex :

2 yrs in telecom software and Electronic design automation

- Best project awards
- performance awards
- promotion and top bracket appraisals
- member of csr clubs and event management team

2 yrs in Intellectual Property Consulting, research and advisory with a top firm - client Microsoft, USA

- IP valuation
- licensing
- law suits - technical and legal support
- Infringement analysis
- Patent portfolio optimization
- trained in US patent law
- IP due diligence
- Market and competitor analysis and landscaping

- Peformance awards
- rated amongst the top band in appraisal cycle
- due for promotion in Jan '13

ECs and social : -

-fund-raising for college fests, organized various events
-debating society, quiz club in college and school

- worked with ministry of env on waste management and pollution control
- hv worked with an ngo in education field for 2 yrs
- hv taught children from humble backgrounds at home

Schooing
- entire education on scholarship because of good academic and ECS
- house captain, class prefect all through
- State council scholarship in junior school
- Science talent scholrship

I am targeting a TMT role in Management Consulting but I am a little unsure as my experience in advisory is limited to IP (tech + legal + and a bit of financial as we do valuation), so would it sound pragmatic if i align this exp with a strategy + leadership concentration and finally pitch for a MC goal in my essays.

I have another idea of working IP management consulting inhouse for top tech firms , n then moving on to become a consultant and then opening my firm

Kindly give your views on which of these 2 sounds more believable, also kindly give your two cents on my chances.

Warm Regards

SudhanzHi puys

I am planning to apply in R1 as well

Please give me some feedback on my profile

B.E. NSIT (cs) - 08
%age : 68 (little low i know, max was 80)

X- 83%
XII - 81%

GMAT (720, AWA-5.5, IR-7)

Work ex :

2 yrs in telecom software and Electronic design automation

- Best project awards
- performance awards
- promotion and top bracket appraisals
- member of csr clubs and event management team

2 yrs in Intellectual Property Consulting, research and advisory with a top firm - client Microsoft, USA

- IP valuation
- licensing
- law suits - technical and legal support
- Infringement analysis
- Patent portfolio optimization
- trained in US patent law
- IP due diligence
- Market and competitor analysis and landscaping

- Peformance awards
- rated amongst the top band in appraisal cycle
- due for promotion in Jan '13

ECs and social : -

-fund-raising for college fests, organized various events
-debating society, quiz club in college and school

- worked with ministry of env on waste management and pollution control
- hv worked with an ngo in education field for 2 yrs
- hv taught children from humble backgrounds at home

Schooing
- entire education on scholarship because of good academic and ECS
- house captain, class prefect all through
- State council scholarship in junior school
- Science talent scholrship

I am targeting a TMT role in Management Consulting but I am a little unsure as my experience in advisory is limited to IP (tech + legal + and a bit of financial as we do valuation), so would it sound pragmatic if i align this exp with a strategy + leadership concentration and finally pitch for a MC goal in my essays.

I have another idea of working IP management consulting inhouse for top tech firms , n then moving on to become a consultant and then opening my firm

Kindly give your views on which of these 2 sounds more believable, also kindly give your two cents on my chances.

Warm Regards

Sudhanz

1755
@topmbaseeker said:

Hi

Please evaluate my profile

-IIT graduate (7.5/10), Class X & XII: ~90% -13+ yrs of exp in IT (incl 5 yrs manager level exp and 2 yrs of intl exp.) in top IT services and IT product development companies -GMAT: 700 (Q:50, V:32) AWA 6.0 -have some professional certifications -ECs: moderate

Short term Goal: Career progression to senior mgmt role in IT product development cos.

I have applied to PGPX, PGPEX and planning to apply to EPGP.

Do you recommend ISB's PGP considering my work ex will be on the higher side as compared to the avg. ?

Which other international ~1 yr full time EMBA would you recommend ?


regards

Hi,
ISB's 80% work experience range for the PGP is 2.7-7.5. I think even if you do find people in your age/ work exp. group, there would not be too many. As a lot of your class room learning will come through peers, therefore it is important to be at the same wavelength as them. Which may not be the case for you at the PGP.
ISB's PGPMax seems more suitable to you and will be worth exploring.

Among the international programs, you can consider the Sloan Masters in Leadership and Strategy at London Business School and Nanyang fellowship program at NTU. Both are for senior managers.
Giving you the links here:

http://www.london.edu/programmes/sloanmastersinleadershipandstrategy.html
http://www.nbs.ntu.edu.sg/Graduate/Nanyang_Fellows_MBA/Pages/Compare_MBAs.aspx

Namita, MBA Decoder
1756

Thanks Namita for the reply. I will check these links.

1757

Hello,

Kindly evaluate my profile

Class 10: 81.6%

Class 12: 66.8%

B.E: 55%

Working as Lead Technical Writer in a MNC.

Exp: 7 + year (1 year Journalism, 6 years technical writing)

GMAT date: Nov 02,2012

Please let me know my target GMAT Score for ROTMAN, HEC-Paris, UC-Davis, Goizueta, Darden. I am planning to apply to these schools.

Thanks and regards

Ashutosh