Ask Clear Admit

Hi shyam0191,

Thank you for your post!

To start, keep in mind that, as an Indian national with a degree from an Indian institution, you come from an oversubscribed pool of applicants. Many of your fellow country men and women with similar academic histories (if not professional experiences) are also targeting top programs, and that makes it even more difficult to truly stand out or differentiate yourself. This would make your GMAT score and GPA even more important factor in your candidacy. You have a high GPA and a solid GMAT score, but there will be a number of applicants coming from more prestigious institutions (IITs) with stronger records and potentially higher GMAT scores. You are certainly competitive for your target programs in this area, but there is still the possibility of facing more competition in this particular facet.

Engineering is also a popular industry for MBA applicants; however, there are a few signs that you could stand out. For one, working in the U.S. and handling international work will certainly help. Your fact track promotion will also show that you excelled relative to your peers. It would be useful to know more about the details of your work, e.g. direct management experience would help you be more competitive, but it looks like you may have some brand strength to highlight in support of your achievements, too. As an engineer, you will need to be wary of too much technical jargon in covering your "challenging roles." You will also want to quantify your "huge responsibilities," as your ability to convey these will not only help the adcom understand the scope and scale of your impact, but also show that you could relate your work experience to non-industry classmates.

In regards to your activities, the social nature of these as well as related leadership skills should speak well for you. Engineers stereotypically lack interpersonal skills, so your engagement of others will counter this. Your community focus will also shed light on your values, adding further depth to your applications.

As you do come from an oversubscribed applicant pool, you will have certain challenges in admissions, but it looks like you have some positive pathways to overcoming those. In terms of which programs to target, you should flesh out your goals more, why you specifically want an MBA and decide where you ultimately want to settle post-MBA. What experience in finance and consulting do you want to get? Do you anticipate a particular industry focus in consulting? What area of finance do you want to get into? Financial services and consulting are usually the top two post-MBA placements at business schools, so without some notable preference, it's a bit difficult to help you narrow the list, especially since each seems reasonable. Moreover, fleshing out your goals would ultimately help you craft stronger applications. Given that you will be switching industries, you will want to favor two-year programs, as these would afford you an internship as a gateway. If you'd like to discuss your school choices and background further, please contact us directly at: https://www.clearadmit.com/services/free-consultation/.