Greetings from India. I am planning to apply for an international MBA next year, so want to start early. My target schools are Fuqua/Yale/Anderson/Johnson/Ross/Kenan-Flagler/Tepper/McCombs/INSEAD/LBS/IE/OxBridge/HKUST/NUS/CIEBS and Wharton/MIT (I know I have zero chances here but it's just that they have been my dream for so long. Atleast want to fill-up their form). With that in mind, I appeared for GMAT and scored a decent 750 (V40 Q51 AWA 5 IR 8), will reappear once more aiming for a higher score (since I have heard from seniors how most B-Schools are willing to look beyond your weakness if you have a jaw-dropping GMAT score like 780). Hopeful, I started reading up. However that hope was shortlived. Got to know from leading gmat-related websites like poets and quants etc that (i) US B-Schools don't usually prefer candidates in their early 30s (I will be 30 when I join, 31/32 when I pass-out, so I totally fall in this category) and (ii) the Indian + Male + IT professional is the most over-represented demographic in the applicant pool & that makes us undesirable. Took up a free consultation in a local center which advised me to focus on US B-Schools in the #30-40 range (in which I have no interest). That has left me demotivated & confused on what to do in the road ahead. Could really use some experienced advice to zero in on whether to march ahead or fall back.
My profile reads something like this-
ICSE (Our Standard-X Board Exams)- 92%
ISC (Our Standard-XII Board Exams)- 91.25%
B.Tech in Electronics & Communication - 81.3%
M.Tech in IT - 85% (one of the toppers)
Work Ex- 45 months (at the time of joining), in Tata Consultancy Services as a Software Engineer
ECs- above average, nothing jaw-dropping though.
Community Service- Have done my fair bit - from organizing blood donation camps TO distribution of blankets to the poor during winters TO taking over the education of an underprivileged child for 4 yrs.
Major hole in the CV- have a gap of 1 year before my M.Tech, when I was back-packing through certain parts of Africa (absolutely love wild-life. Don't really feel guilty about this break though, inspite of knowing that it will be a burden that I will have to bear for the next 5 yrs atleast)
Now I would really like a preliminary holistic analysis from an expert on where my profile stands in their esteemed estimate & whether such a profile can arrest the attention of ANY Adcom from my target schools. Going ahead will require an expenditure of 200,000 INR atleast. So, can really use an honest comprehensive analysis. Thanks in advance.
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Surging_Ahead
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MargaretStrother
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Hi there, Surging_Ahead!
I love that you have researched top mba programs so thoroughly, and you are so honest about the issues. Here are few quick points of feedback:
1. GMAT: 750 is super - a higher score won't make as much difference as you might think.
2. You're right about the over-30/Indian male IT professional demographic - it is considered "over-represented ". That said, lots of great people with that profile get into top business schools every year. What will help you stand out from the crowd? You have a few assets you can mine, for example that time you spent back-packing in Africa. This is an area where an experienced consultant can really add value.
3. Finally, I'd recommend maximizing your efforts by focusing on the best MBA programs that will reward your efforts. For example, Oxford and Cambridge might be a great "stretch" option for you, whereas Wharton might be less of a fit. Personally, I like to see you narrow your list to no more than six schools, spread over two rounds. Pick high AND low: one stretch school (how many times in life do you get a chance to go for your dream?), but also some schools where your stats place you at or above the median in the class profile - you can research each school's website and/or Bloomberg to find those stats.
4. I'm curious about your post-MBA goals. What industry are you targeting, and what role? Why do you NEED an MBA for that role? Particularly for the over-30 applicant, this question has a lot of strategic power.
Hope this helps, for a start. Good luck with your MBA journey!
Margaret Strother
I love that you have researched top mba programs so thoroughly, and you are so honest about the issues. Here are few quick points of feedback:
1. GMAT: 750 is super - a higher score won't make as much difference as you might think.
2. You're right about the over-30/Indian male IT professional demographic - it is considered "over-represented ". That said, lots of great people with that profile get into top business schools every year. What will help you stand out from the crowd? You have a few assets you can mine, for example that time you spent back-packing in Africa. This is an area where an experienced consultant can really add value.
3. Finally, I'd recommend maximizing your efforts by focusing on the best MBA programs that will reward your efforts. For example, Oxford and Cambridge might be a great "stretch" option for you, whereas Wharton might be less of a fit. Personally, I like to see you narrow your list to no more than six schools, spread over two rounds. Pick high AND low: one stretch school (how many times in life do you get a chance to go for your dream?), but also some schools where your stats place you at or above the median in the class profile - you can research each school's website and/or Bloomberg to find those stats.
4. I'm curious about your post-MBA goals. What industry are you targeting, and what role? Why do you NEED an MBA for that role? Particularly for the over-30 applicant, this question has a lot of strategic power.
Hope this helps, for a start. Good luck with your MBA journey!
Margaret Strother
