Request for profile evaluation

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Request for profile evaluation

by Siddharth Bhadoria » Tue Jul 21, 2015 8:41 am
I needed to bring to your notice that I have undertaken a full-time advanced degree course called POST GRADUATE DIPLOMA IN INDUSTRIAL SAFETY AND ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT from NITIE which is one of the premier institutes of the country (India), with my focus being on 'Sustainability'.Prior to the degree I had done my Bachelors of Engineering in computer science and engineering from Rajeev Gandhi University.My percentage are as follows:
BE : 70.81 %
PGDISEM : 7.99 cgpa
I have a work experience of 58 months but the catch here is as you must have already noticed that my PG and UG are unrelated also my work ex prior to doing PG is in IT/ software and for the last 28 months I have worked in hard core manufacturing as manager environment, health, safety and sustainability.
Request you to please consider this for evaluation.
I am specifically targeting MBA programs with specialization in sustainability like UCLA, Cornell, Rotterdam Institute of management etc. However, I do not know if my total work ex of 58 months will be counted or whether my completely unrelated post graduate degree will have weightage in my final cgpa score.
Please note that my Post Graduation has subjects of general management and operations and I took the course purely out of my inclination towards it and due to the fact that I was seeking a career shift. I plan to give my GMAT in september. Any reflection over my profile would be really appreciated.

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by MargaretStrother » Wed Jul 22, 2015 2:50 am
Hi Siddhartha,
Your overall profile looks solid and professional, but without a GMAT score, or a clear sense of your international exposure and your leadership history, it's hard to make an accurate determination about which top business schools you are most competitive for. We'll want to see some international work experience or study overseas, and a GMAT of above 700, to make you strong for UCLA and Cornell. Rotterdam has much lower GMAT expectations, and they also offer a CV review, so you should definitely take advantage of that service.

Your work experience will all "count", but you will want to focus on your leadership of others when preparing your resume.

Good luck!
Margaret Strother
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by Siddharth Bhadoria » Thu Jul 23, 2015 1:19 am
Hi Margaret,
Thanks for the reply. It did help me in getting a few things clear in my head. Let me get back to this topic after getting a good score which would be my priority for now. Thanks for replying.
Regards,
Siddharth

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by Siddharth Bhadoria » Tue Dec 15, 2015 11:50 am
Hi Margaret,

Replying back after a long time.
I finally received my GMAT score of 700 (Q 49, V 37).
I plan to apply for second round at mccombs school of business, Texas at Austin and am interested in MBA with specialization in Business, Governance and Society. I am also interested in Operations Management & Ethics Concentrationa at Tepper, CMU.
Would request you to kindly re-evaluate my profile.

Thanks and Regards,
Siddharth Bhadoria

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by MargaretStrother » Wed Dec 16, 2015 7:20 am
With a GMAT of 700, you're on the dart-board for McCombs or Tepper, but just barely; so your goals and your research about each school will become very important in order to push you over the finish line. Invest well in getting to know the programs you're applying to, and really make a strong case for the "Why Our School" in each case; you should be competitive for these programs if your commitment is clear to the adcom.

Thanks,
Margaret Strother
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by Siddharth Bhadoria » Thu Jan 28, 2016 8:27 am
Hi Margaret,

I have received an interview invite from McCombs. While preparing for the application I learned a lot about my career goals. I always wanted to do my MBA in sustainability however I have realized that although immediately after my MBA I want to involve myself in strategy/finance related consulting roles in clean energy, in the longer run I want to work in policy making roles for governments/non-profits such a World Bank. Thinking about my goals I find McCombs a perfect fit, however I am also attracted to a few dual degree programs such as the MBA-MPP program offered by Darden which can be an alternative for me next year with a better GMAT score (although I found the program lacking the in-depth focus on clean-energy such as the one available at McCombs).
Also, I am contemplating if later in my career I could consider the MC/MPA program at Harvard to transition myself from consulting to government roles (In case I get through McCombs this year). Would love to hear your opinion about my situation.

Thanks and Regards,
Siddharth Bhadoria

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by MargaretStrother » Sun Jan 31, 2016 2:12 pm
Hi Siddharth,
Not quite sure what you're asking here, but since you've gotten the interview invite at McCombs, I say go for it. McCombs sounds like a perfect fit for your goals, and it's a terrific program. Yes, you could theoretically apply to other programs in the future, and you might retake the GMAT and get a higher score, but you also might have trouble getting a higher GMAT, or apply to those very elite dual-degree programs and not get in...and then you'll regret letting this one slip away. Since you have this opportunity right now, with this GMAT score and this school, my recommendation is to seize it!

Good luck,
Margaret Strother
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by Siddharth Bhadoria » Sun May 27, 2018 6:13 am
Hi Margaret,

Posting here after 2 years and a lot of struggle.
So in the past 2 years, I switched my job to the largest paint manufacturing company of India, got a promotion, received 100% salary rise and got to manage a team of 11. However, my gmat score even after 4 attempts remains at 700.
I was waitlisted by McCombs for 2016 program. I applied to MCombs, UNC, Tepper (MBA + Masters in Public Policy & Management ) and Cambridge for 2018 admissions cycle in round 2. Received a ding from all 4. Although I did manage to receive a call from Carnegie Melon Masters program in Public policy in manager, I did not pursue the same as I felt a dual degree from Tepper would have done more justice to my goals. In the past 3 years, I have lost a lot of time and effort in preparing for GMAT and spent a lot of money on the exam, its prep and in getting advice from consultants. So at present my profile looks something like this :

Male, Indian , 32
Graduation - Engineering from Rajeev Gandhi University in Computer Science (71%) 2008
Post Graduation - PG Diploma in Sustainability & Environment Management from NITIE (National Institute of Industrial Engineering) GPA - 8
Work Ex: Almost 8 years ( 5 years in Sustainability manufacturing sector, reputed companies), 2.5 years in IT (Before Post graduation)

Planning to apply for Canadian Schools (McGill, Rotman, Schulic) )with the same score in round 1 this year. I am still inclined to do an MBA as I feel only an international program will provide me tools to catapult my career to a different trajectory where I could make a greater impact and play a larger role.
Please suggest if my current profile would be competitive for these programs. I am eligible now for Stanford Sloan fellows program but consider that to be stretch with my current score.
PS: Schulic although has a great reputation in Canada. It does seem that University of Toronto and McGill are better known across globe. York University however has little global presence.

Regards,
Siddharth

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by MargaretStrother » Wed May 30, 2018 4:54 am
Hi Siddhartha,
Your questions are pretty specific, so the public board might not be the best place to explore them further at this stage. I recommend contacting our office for a free analysis: https://www.stacyblackman.com/
One of our specialists will sit down with your material and help you assess your next steps.

Good luck!
Margaret Strother
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