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Hello!

Please review my profile:

Male
Egyptian
25
Target MBAs: INSEAD, NYU Stern (Submitted R1), Columbia, IE

GRE to be taken in January/February but currently scoring 650Q 410V in mock tests

Recommendations: - Top business partner from General Motors Egypt - Professor of Marketing Strategy - McKinsey & Company business advisor

Essays: By the testimony of several friends and alums who proofread them, they are all fine. My career goals are mainly to spearhead our family automotive business post-MBA and position it as a top player in the Egyptian market, and on the long run to lead a successful conglomerate with business lines in the automotive, food and retail fields, that positively contributes to the Egyptian economy, creates employment opportunities and plays an active role in the society.

* Education
Bachelor of Business Administration with Honors - the American University in Cairo (No.1 Ranked in Egypt)
GPA: 3.54/4.00

Non-degree Study Abroad Program, University of St. Thomas (UST), Minnesota, USA
GPA: 3.64/4.00


* Work Experience: 3 years (4 by program start)

General Branches Manager & Board Member, Berkeley Automotive (Family Business), Cairo, Egypt Feb. 2008 - Present

"¢ Planning monthly and quarterly sales target plans and marketing plans
"¢ Leading a team of 25 associates and motivating them to achieve sales targets
"¢ Monitoring & developing the business's branches network, service centers and brand portfolio
"¢ Planning monthly print campaigns, promotional offers and online social media advertising
"¢ Increased sales volume by 52% in the second month on the job, and by 66% in Q2 2010.
"¢ Procuring and managing a stock inventory of 300+ cars and maintaining relationships with the company's suppliers, locally and internationally (Egypt, China, UAE).
"¢ Organizing several entertainment and social responsibility events at which the company is the main sponsor.
"¢ Shifted the company from being a 1S Authorized Dealer to a 3S Sole Agent, Service Provider and Importer.
"¢ Opened new business lines with car suppliers in China and the UAE.
"¢ Reporting to the Chairman & Managing Director of the company.

After-Sales Intern, General Motors Egypt, Cairo, Egypt July 2008 - August 2008

"¢ Handled customers' complains and promptly responded with solutions
"¢ Co-designed a training system for new GM employees, dealers and authorized service centers
"¢ Co-organized and promoted GM summer service clinic for Chevrolet and Opel cars
"¢ Gained knowledge about car engineering, technology and spare parts
"¢ Reported to the After-Sales Department Head


Arabic Teaching Assistant, University of St. Thomas - Department of Modern Languages, St. Paul, Minnesota, United States of America, October 2006 - May 2007

"¢ Guided the students to become better speakers and assisted the professor
"¢ Provided feedback on the assigned homework and evaluated the students' performance
"¢ Gained knowledge in how to communicate and deal with different cultures

* Honors & Awards

"¢ Academic Honor Certificate, AUC Honors Assembly, 2008.
"¢ Nominated for the International Student Leadership Award, University of St. Thomas, 2007.
"¢ Dean's Honors List, University of St. Thomas, 2006-07.
"¢ The International Student Scholarship, University of St. Thomas, 2006-07.

* Extracurricular Activities

"¢ Project Head, Opel's Hope On Wheels Cancer Campaign, The Help Cub, AUC, Spring 2005.
- Participant, Auto China 2010, Beijing, China, April 2010
"¢ Founder & Co-Host, The Euphoric Sessions Radio Show, KUST Radio, UST, Spring 2007.
"¢ Head, Reach Out Committee, Volunteers In Action (VIA), UST, Spring 2007.
"¢ Volunteer English Teacher, Language Development Committee, Alashanek Ya Balady (AYB), AUC Student Union, Fall 2007.
"¢ Student Leader, Friends of International Students (FIS), Office of International Student Services
- Advanced Open Water Diver, PADI, September 2007 - Present
- Founder, DJ & Host, Movement Radio Show, Horytna Radio, July 2008 - September 2008
- Sponsor, the Right Road Club for Road Saftey, Cairo University, March 2008


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The main thing that concerns me is the dreaded standerized test part. Given my profile and my goals, if I scored low in the GRE, would there still be a chance to be accepted? Also, I'm open to suggestions regarding MBA choices. I'm mainly looking for a program thats strong in the retail, marketing and strategy areas.

Thanks ahead for your help!

You definitely have a well-rounded profile. Your career progression, academic performance, and ECs are strong. Make sure your recommenders are very specific when discussing your strengths and accomplishments. As far as your GRE score, you should be fine as long as you are within the 80th percentile range of accepted applicants. Your target schools are good choices for marketing and strategy. You should also consider Duke for its strengths in marketing and global business.