Ask Stratus Admissions Counseling

Hi,

Could you please evaluate my profile for the top MBA programs? Thank you in advance. I am targeting for the year 2014.

Academics:

"¢ IIT BHU (Formerly IT-BHU), India, B.Tech Chemical Engineering, Year 2009
"¢ Grades - 8.12/10
"¢ Secured 1st Rank in B.Tech Part-2 exams.
"¢ Among top 10% of the batch. (Does one need to justify this, because then I need to ask my college for a certificate?)
"¢ GMAT 700, 90% (Q50, 90% and V34, 69%): I am concerned about the low verbal score. My AWA score is 5.5. Any views here?

Work Exp:

Total: 4 years

Description
~ 1 year at an Engineering Firm (Process Automation), India
~ 2.4 years at a Business research firm (It is basically a KPO company), India
~ 6 months at a Business research firm (Same company), Chile, South America. (Will continue to work from Chile, till I am done with all the applications.)

"¢ Currently working as a Senior Business Analyst in company's office in Chile.
"¢ Promoted to Senior Analyst from analyst within one year of joining the company.
"¢ Have won an award for adding two full time employees for the company within our account.
"¢ Selected for Chile office to grow the oil and gas team over there by imparting trainings and other stuff.

Responsibilities

"¢ Since joining the Business research firm, I have been working with the strategy team of a Global oil and gas major company (Revenue>$100 billion).
"¢ We help the oil company in different kinds of market and business studies such as country/company analysis.


International exposure:

"¢ Would have completed almost 8 -10 months in Chile when I apply to Business schools in R1 and R2.
"¢ Work with a European oil and gas client with a multi-cultural team
"¢ Also, within my company, we have people from almost 25 countries, so good multi-cultural exposure.
"¢ Also learning Spanish (I guess it's a must to survive here as English is not widely spoken on this part of the continent )

Extra-curricular/Interests
"¢ Learning Spanish in Chile. (Fluent with very basic conversation)
"¢ Part of company's Toastmaster group
"¢ During the 3rd and 4th year of the college, I was the Training and Placement representative of my Branch. I helped college streamline its placement process and bring in more companies. (I can ensure good certificates from here)
"¢ Good ping-pong player. (But never got an opportunity to play at college level)
"¢ Made a prototype for a mobile charger that does not require house electricity. It received coverage in print media.

Short-term goal:

"¢ Working with top consulting firms especially in Oil and gas sector. Ex: McKinsey oil and gas practice, Deloitte Energy practice etc, Accenture etc.
"¢ OR Joining strategy/business development division of an oil and gas major such as ExxonMobil, BP etc.


Tentative college list:

Kellogg, Tuck, Duke, Booth, Ross, Darden, UCLA, ISB. (Still trying to figure out)

Could you please help me shortlist the school. Schools that are within my radar are top 15 US B-schools, ISB, LBS and INSEAD. I am also planning to retake GMAT next month, because I believe that my current score is not even up to average score of top US schools. Should I retake the exam? I am under the impression that retake should not jeopardise my application since the schools usually take the highest GMAT score. Am I right?
Also do you think that EA round will increase my chances at Tuck or Duke?

So, I need your guidance in targeting schools based on my credentials.