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by Taran » Tue Dec 21, 2010 8:50 pm
[color=green]I referred to Schulich's original Full Time MBA in Canada. Do you have any insights into that program[/color]

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by Taran » Tue Dec 21, 2010 8:56 pm
I referred to Schulich's original Full Time MBA in Canada. Do you have any insights into that program?

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by MBACrystalBall » Tue Dec 21, 2010 9:19 pm
Taran wrote:I referred to Schulich's original Full Time MBA in Canada. Do you have any insights into that program
Taran-bhai,
[Trivia: You are just one 'z' short of being a famous character]

The original program in Canada is well-respected [Canada being one of the best MBA abroad countries for desi applicants]. So I wouldn't be too worried about the quality or the credibility there.

But I'm curious to know more about your profile. Are you sure you've looked at other business schools that might be better for your profile? If you are still thinking about shortlisting schools, then a little extra background work won't hurt. Itna sara paisa dena hi hai toh you'd be better off getting the biggest bang for your buck.
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by Taran » Tue Dec 21, 2010 9:25 pm
haan Sameer, you're right. I have not yet done my research on the programs but Schulich isn't finalized either. Maine socha tha to write my detailed profile for your review, but then i wanted to wait till my GMAT is done in Feb 2011.

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by MBACrystalBall » Tue Dec 21, 2010 9:42 pm
Taran wrote:haan Sameer, you're right. I have not yet done my research on the programs but Schulich isn't finalized either. Maine socha tha to write my detailed profile for your review, but then i wanted to wait till my GMAT is done in Feb 2011.
You've got plenty of time then. Let's wait till you have your GMAT score. For all we know, in Feb we might be talking about a completely different set of schools.

For now, focus on the GMAT prep. Are you studying on your own or have you joined any course? Either ways, there's a ton of info on the BTG forums to help you out. And if you've been a good boy, expect Santa chacha to give you a nice present in Feb.
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by tanni » Tue Dec 21, 2010 11:28 pm
Hi Sameer,

I appreciate your work. I am looking for guidance on how can I improve my profile to get into Top B schools like Harvard, sloan, wharton etc. Here is a look on my profile.

I am a 2010 graduate from IIT Delhi with a CGPA OF 7.5/10. I am presently working in a IT startup. I am planning to switch job in Business analytics and also giving CFA coming June. My purpose of giving CFA is to get a taste of finance and also switch job later in finance to have a hands on experience.

I believe this will help me decide in what area should I chose to do a MBA in. My present interest is in strategy and consulting. My long term goal is to be in a big consulting firm and then later switching to social entrepreneurship.

I have had decent extra curricular like captain of drmatics team and won my team a gold medal. I also started a NGO in my college days which is still running though not in a very good state. Apart from this I was involved in various intra college events and also part of organizing team of annual fest.

I am presently a volunteer with a national NGO.

Now, I have following queries
1) will my experiments in finance and business analytics harm my candidature for MBA rom top B schools.

2) I am very much interested in social entrepreneurship and would love to be associated with NGOs and take intitatives in the process. Will that be fine if I am not pursuing it presently as full time?

3) I have had only 6 month exp. as of now. I want to plan my next career moves such that its in orientation with getting me into top B schools like Harvard, lbs, Wharton etc ( I really wanna make this dream come true and would love to do what it takes)

Does my plans seem okay? I would appreciate any kind of guidance.

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by Taran » Wed Dec 22, 2010 12:36 am
Yeah haha :)...I guess i've been a good boy, but then let's leave that decision to the 'Chacha'. I'm focussing on GMAT and am preparing on my own. I gave a prep test at the start of Dec, but sucked big time. Got a 510 - I was able to get to only 21 questions on the Quant section (Q 23, V 32) :(

Post GMAT, i plan to take IELTS/TOEFL in March. From April onwards, i plan to build up the gaps in my profile, for which i would definitely seek your help and advice. However, can you do me a favor? Can you help me identify the areas that generally constitute the "profile" part of the application, so that i can think on those as well?

Thanks again....You're doing a very good work here......

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MBACrystalBall wrote:Why you should re-evaluate your Round 2 MBA application strategy

As the dust settles from the Round 1 MBA application rounds, there's good news for some and there's additional work to be done for the others. A few questions that applicants ask: Is it worthwhile applying to Round 2? Or am I doomed coz I didn't make it through in Round 1? What should my MBA application strategy be? Read more...
We had posted this on our blog earlier. At a time when the disappointment and frustration of not being successful in the first round forces many to go into a shell, one of the candidates (Thanks, Satya) was considerate enough to share his honest views and offer some advice on the topic for the benefit of others who are in a similar situation.

If you have been planning quick fixes to your application strategy, do check out the fifth comment on this post before you take a knee-jerk reaction.

Image
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by MBACrystalBall » Thu Dec 30, 2010 10:56 pm
Taran-bhai,

Came back from a trip, plus busy with Round 2 related stuff.
Taran wrote:Yeah haha :)...I guess i've been a good boy, but then let's leave that decision to the 'Chacha'. I'm focussing on GMAT and am preparing on my own. I gave a prep test at the start of Dec, but sucked big time. Got a 510 - I was able to get to only 21 questions on the Quant section (Q 23, V 32) :(
Hota hai hota hai. The first time is generally not reflective of your abilities as you are still in a discovery mode - discovering the format, the difficulty level of questions, the time constraints...and nerves. Gets better as it goes along.

Taran wrote:Can you help me identify the areas that generally constitute the "profile" part of the application, so that i can think on those as well?
In the simplest of terms, your profile is what you've done, what you want to do and how the MBA will marry the two together. So start thinking about these 3 areas and see if you can come up with a bigger story that links them all.
Taran wrote:Post GMAT, i plan to take IELTS/TOEFL in March. From April onwards, i plan to build up the gaps in my profile, for which i would definitely seek your help and advice. However, can you do me a favor? Can you help me identify the areas that generally constitute the "profile" part of the application, so that i can think on those as well?

Thanks again....You're doing a very good work here......
We'll touch base again in April. Good luck for the GMAT, buddy.
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by MBACrystalBall » Thu Dec 30, 2010 11:26 pm
tanni wrote:Hi Sameer,

I appreciate your work. I am looking for guidance on how can I improve my profile to get into Top B schools like Harvard, sloan, wharton etc. Here is a look on my profile.

I am a 2010 graduate from IIT Delhi with a CGPA OF 7.5/10. I am presently working in a IT startup. I am planning to switch job in Business analytics and also giving CFA coming June. My purpose of giving CFA is to get a taste of finance and also switch job later in finance to have a hands on experience.

I believe this will help me decide in what area should I chose to do a MBA in. My present interest is in strategy and consulting. My long term goal is to be in a big consulting firm and then later switching to social entrepreneurship.

I have had decent extra curricular like captain of drmatics team and won my team a gold medal. I also started a NGO in my college days which is still running though not in a very good state. Apart from this I was involved in various intra college events and also part of organizing team of annual fest.

I am presently a volunteer with a national NGO.
Hi Tanni,

Having fun during the Christmas/New Year break or working?

tanni wrote:Now, I have following queries
1) will my experiments in finance and business analytics harm my candidature for MBA rom top B schools.

In this post, you've covered too many things for my comfort - IT, finance, entrepreneurship, consulting. So more than getting concerned about your experiments, I'd suggest streamlining your thought process to focus on 1 or at the most 2 areas (for your short term and long term post-MBA goals).

It might mean you take a step back and analyze your current situation and what you really want to do. Of course, without actually getting your hands dirty in all those fields, your decision making will have to rely upon secondary data.
tanni wrote:2) I am very much interested in social entrepreneurship and would love to be associated with NGOs and take intitatives in the process. Will that be fine if I am not pursuing it presently as full time?
That's a very generic statement, Tanni. It doesn't tell me much about what really excites you about social entrepreneurship. Not being fully into it right now isn't an issue and it helps that you have been associated with it. But it'll help if you can drill down into this and talk about 1 or 2 specific concepts that you feel passionate about.

The mainstream NGO world can be very different from the startup experiments that we do during college life. So I'd like to peek into your mind and learn more about why you are enthused by this idea.
tanni wrote:3) I have had only 6 month exp. as of now. I want to plan my next career moves such that its in orientation with getting me into top B schools like Harvard, lbs, Wharton etc ( I really wanna make this dream come true and would love to do what it takes)
I'd suggest doing the best with your Business Analytics role in the next 2-3 years, so we have more concrete experience and lesser experiments to talk about when we are ready to start work on the applications.
tanni wrote:Does my plans seem okay? I would appreciate any kind of guidance.
You've taken the right steps by starting to think about the whole thing several years in advance. Be dedicated, be focussed. But don't spend your days and nights thinking about what will impress Adcoms. If you've been sincere in your efforts, the profile building will take care of itself.
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by MBACrystalBall » Wed Jan 05, 2011 12:55 am
We're looking for a few good guys and gals to be part of our team

If you've been concerned about your extra-curricular experience not being solid enough for the good MBA universities, here's a chance to rectify that. At MBA Crystal Ball, we've been doing some exciting and unconventional work in the area of MBA admissions consulting. The MCB brand has been growing within India AND outside. And we could do with some help from self-driven and entrepreneurial folks out there who'd like to be associated with us on short-term projects. You don't need to be an MBA expert (though it won't hurt if you are familiar with what we do) and you don't need to be Indian. Just tell us what you are good at and we can find a ... Read entire article »
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by nihlist » Fri Jan 07, 2011 1:15 am
Hi,

I need your expert help in evaluating my profile:

Industry: I.T.
Exp: 5+ (till date)
Role: Mostly Development
GMAT Score: 650
Xth : 80%
XII : 78%
B.tech (engg.): 71% (2.8 GPA, I guess)
Country: India

The consultant (IMS India) advised me to apply for following colleges:

· Warwick University
· Manchester Business School
· York University: Schulich
· HEC Montreal
· Queens
· Rensselaer Polytechnic University: Lally
· Thunderbird: Garvin
· Georgia Institute of Technology
· University of Minnesota: Carlson

I am particularly interested in 1 yr MBA and Canada/UK/Europe (in order

of preference). Can you suggest me what would be my chances in the above

univ. ? Or if you suggest me few other good univ.

Wait for an early response, any help will be highly appreciated.

Thanks,
Raj

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by MBACrystalBall » Sat Jan 15, 2011 10:10 pm
nihlist wrote:Hi,

I need your expert help in evaluating my profile:

Industry: I.T.
Exp: 5+ (till date)
Role: Mostly Development
GMAT Score: 650
Xth : 80%
XII : 78%
B.tech (engg.): 71% (2.8 GPA, I guess)
Country: India
:
:
I am particularly interested in 1 yr MBA and Canada/UK/Europe (in order of preference). Can you suggest me what would be my chances in the above univ. ? Or if you suggest me few other good univ.

Wait for an early response, any help will be highly appreciated.

Thanks,
Raj
Raj-bhai,

Thanks for reaching out. Rather than just giving you another list of schools or commenting on the choice of the existing list, I'd have liked to dig deeper into your profile and learn more about your motivations for pursuing an MBA.

Also another aspect for you to keep in mind. We have a unique way of approaching this process which is quite different from the methodology followed by others. Check out our website to see what I mean by that. So, considering that you are already being advised by one consultant, you might find it confusing to hear the views of another consultant.

Are you sure you'd be able to view each set of recommendations and suggestions in an objective manner? Just want to make sure you don't end up pulling your hair out.
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by MBACrystalBall » Wed Jan 19, 2011 8:07 pm
How to improve your MBA profile for top business school admissions

The question pops up on various forums frequently and there are two categories of guys who want to know. The first set are a few months away from application deadlines and have recently realized that their competitors look and sound better on paper than they do. This is the 'uski kameez meri kameez se safed kaise' syndrome. ... Read entire article »
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by MBACrystalBall » Sat Jan 29, 2011 1:54 am
GMAT Preparation Tips

How Daljeet scored a 780


There are many Indian MBA applicants who do well on the GMAT. A few others crack it. And then there are those who completely destroy it. Daljeet Singh is one those warriors. After scoring a 780, he could've easily joined one of the elite GMAT test preparation companies and made a killing. Instead, he chose to be part of an online marketing consultancy. He shares with us his story... Read more
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