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Hi

I need some help from the experts and other members of this forum , before I begin to apply for B schools around the world in Fall 2014 so that I can get matriculated by 2015 . As Marketing and HR appeal to me , I would like to pursue those when I am doing my MBA.

Any suggestions and advices in this direction would be very helpful.

My Profile:

I am a 25 year old Indian citizen currently in India with a work experience of 3.5 years in the IT field. Below are the details:

Work Exp ( at time of posting)

3.5 years of work experience in an IT company (subsidiary of HP ) . I have worked in a Banking project that specifically deals with mortgages and loans for 1.0 years. I then moved onto another project ina different vertical where my team dealt with handling transactions for a manufacturing company. As of now I have completed 2.5 years with the project.

Despite my CGPA I got hired with a salary package that is way above average in my university as the recruiters were more impressed by my leadership and extra curricular skills (detail below) , which are not exactly seen in most Indian engineers.

Education

Electronics engineering from NIT Warangal India (Consistently ranked 1st among all the NITs in India and is considered better than few IITs as well) with a CGPA of 6.3 / 10 .

GMAT
680 (Q 47 V 35)

Extracurricular activities

Quizzing - Appeared on premier Indian TV channel twice in a hotly contested International Inter school quiz contest . I have also Represented my school in many country level quizzing events and won those events as well.

I am into public speaking and debating right from my high school days. This interest in debating led me to participate in Model United nations events (Most famous MUN attended is Georgetown University MUN -Middle East) . This love for MUN took a different turn as I became more interested in running MUNs rather than participating in MUNs as a delegate. I got that opportunity to co-found and manage the first MUN society in my college making our society the first MUN related club in all IITs and NITs in India. MUNs are never usually held in engineering colleges unlike how MUNs are held in Law and Humanities universities. MUNs are not popular among engineering students as the strengths required for participating in MUNs (debating, extensive knowledge of the world and UN, diplomacy etc ) are not considered important to become an engineer. THis is valid as Indian engineering institutions are notorious for producing many graduates who are not well versed in different arts of communication and problem solving. The NIT MUN was a first in that regard among NITs where we could educate engineering students on developing other skills that can enhance their profiles . The event began in its first year as a Intra college event . The second year onwards we scaled up the event to involve students from other colleges around the country. By the time I graduated attendances for the MUN conference grew by more than 100%.

Leadership skills

I was elected the Headboy (Student president) of my school , which had around 10000 students at the time of my graduation. Also I was the first headboy to be elected to that position as earlier the head boy selection was completely under the hands of School administration. As the headboy I was in charge of a student body consisting of 8 secretaries and another 20 prefects . It was the job of my team to maintain discipline and run various school events. I was the face of the students whenever different dignitaries visited my school.

I ran the Model United Nations event and managed it with my colleague. We were able to kickstart an interest in an event that is not considered important in engineering colleges. We handled the collection of funds, getting sponsors and suitably marketing the event through both online and physical media.I handled issues such as red-tapism since government funded universities are infamous for having a lot.

Other details

I was brought up in Qatar , Middle east till the age of 18. In Qatar I was able to learn about people and cultures from different parts of the world. I have good knowledge of different aspects of life and in the Middle East because of this . I was brought up in a land where life was comparatively more ordered and systematic . I was exposed to different global values , trends and ways of business in those years in Qatar. My life was safe and secure in Qatar.

As soon as I graduated school, I went to study in India and I began to learn about things in lfe that were diametrically opposite to what I had seen in Qatar . In India I learned about various issues that human beings encounter. I saw chaos that I haven't seen in my life till then. I encountered corruption, betrayal by best friends, hazing/ragging and many other life defining moments while I studied in NIT Warangal, which is located in an insurgency prone area. I leanred a lot about how things in India work and moves along despite the inherent chaos one sees in the system. I leanred the values of frugality and how to work and live sustainably . THus the two different experiences I had till now taught me many things about life and business that I am applying in my life currently.

In short
Weakness IMO: CGPA
Strength IMO : Leadership experience and my extra curricular skills
So- So IMO : GMAT score

Please help me evaluate my profile and do correct my assumptions about myself.

Hi Eliot

Thanks for the candid response. It was a deeply insightful . Sadly after college I got too invovled in work and in pursueing new hobbies such as cooking, hiking etc. I couldn't find time for extra curricular activities . Will this limit my application ?

I am mostly aiming for a BSchools having rankings between 20 and 40 .

As of now I am planning to apply to these Bschools.

University of Texas - Austin - The Red McCombs School of Business - MBA, Full Time

Georgia Institute of Technology - Scheller College of Business - MBA, Full Time

University of Illinois - Urbana Champaign - College of Business - MBA, Full Time

Ohio State University - The Max M. Fisher College of Business - MBA, Full Time

Kelley School Indiana , Full TIme

Tepper School - Carnegie Mellon University, FUll TIme

Kenana FLagler - UNC

Can you give an advice on my chances ? If possible can you suggest other Bschools that is within the scope of my profile ?

No pressure . Thanks again.

VIncenM

Hello vincenm,

Thank you for your post! As you apply to MBA programs, there are a few things you will want to keep in mind.

You are right that your extracurricular activities and student leadership set you apart. The question becomes, what have you been doing since college in terms of your community leadership? Your college activities are impressive and support your interpersonal abilities, but the adcom will also be looking for current evidence of your skills and passions. More recent activities would also further support that you would be active on campus.

That said, 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. Unfortunately, with a sub-700 score, you will not stand out in this regard. Retaking the exam and scoring 50+ more points would certainly open more doors for you.

You noted an interest in marketing and HR. It would be useful to highlight the transferrable skills (e.g. leadership, creativity, interpersonal skills, etc.) from your current career to this new field. Switching careers is a feasible reason to pursue an MBA, but a common thread is always useful. At first glance, graduating from an Indian institution, being an Indian citizen and working in IT will put you in a very deep pool of common applicants. You'll want to try to emphasize the diversity of your industry experience, since that could help you contribute to classroom discussions. You'll also want to account for your teamwork and leadership experience in your current role.

If you'd like to discuss your applications further, please contact us directly at https://www.clearadmit.com/services/free-consultation/