Please Help: Profile Evaluation & MBA College Shortlisti

[Iceman1294]

Hi,

I'm from India, I have a work ex of almost 5 years and a GMAT score of 650 which expires in 2013.
I will be turning 26 this year in november.

I feel the time is now right for me to go ahead with my plans for an MBA. I am looking to apply for the Fall 2012 session. However, I am a little confused about a few things:-

1) Is my GMAT score enough to qualify for one of the top 25 colleges (as per FT ranking) in the U.S. I know a GMAT score isn't the only thing, but if i'm not wrong it is used as some sort of a qualifying criteria
2) My Overall percentage during my undergrad is just about 60% (An average of all three years). My undergrad specialization was Hotel Management.
3) I started off my career in Hotel operations but realised after a year and a half that this was not the place for me, so I decided to move on from there. i was working in an NGO for a little more than a year, before I joined my current workplace. for almost 2 years now, I have been working in the BTL arm of Grey Group, i.e. G2 Worldwide. I am currently into Account Management, and my company provides BTL solutions like, Brand Activations, Retail & Exhibit Design, Events etc. I am currently working here in a key accounts profile and handle tow of our most important clients who are from the automobile & two wheeler sector

The thing that i need help with is how to shortlist colleges for My MBA and also if you can suggest some colleges to which I can apply to. So far, I am looking at 2 colleges in India to apply to i.e. ISB & Great Lakes. These colleges are a joint venture of various eminent US universities.

Would appreciate if someone could help me out on this or show me as to how to start shortlisting my schools.

I need to be very precise with my selection, as I want to apply to only 10 schools, where 3 would be aspirational schools (dream come true to get in), 4 would be Good schools where I have a realistic chance & 3 safe schools.

Really need some help on this!

Thanks

[mbaMissionJessica]

Hi Iceman and thank you for your question.

I think the biggest challenge you're going to face is a combination of three factors: a relatively low GMAT, combined with relatively low grades, and being from a demographic (male Indian, although you're not in technology which will differentiate you) that is over-represented and that tends to score particularly high on the GMAT. I think that combination makes a top 25 school challenging for you.

My best advice would be to go through whichever ranking system you prefer (I tend to use BusinessWeek because I like the format, but the other ranking organizations are fine as well) and look for schools where your GMAT will not be a weakness. For example, at UT-Austen, currently ranked 25th on the BusinessWeek rankings, the middle80% of GMAT scores range from 620 to 730. While your GMAT is still lower than UT's mean (684), you're within the middle 80% which means the GMAT no longer stands out as a problem.

As you note, GMAT isn't everything, but it's the combination of factors that guide me to suggest you select schools to some degree based on where the GMAT will not be an issue.

There are other factors which you have not mentioned but which you need to consider in determining your competitiveness. First, your career goals. It sounds like you have done some soul-searching and switched careers before finding yourself where you are now. That's great - but be sure that when you write your career essay you demonstrate a logical flow from what you have done to where you are going and why you need the MBA. Articulating that story will be very important in helping convince the schools that you belong there and will benefit from it.

You also have not mentioned anything about your performance/accomplishments in your career. Have you demonstrated leadership? Shown initiative? The job title alone isn't really enough for me to assess your competitiveness.

Finally, how have you shown leadership outside of work? It's important to the schools to understand who you are and what you have accomplished, not just at work but outside.

I know I haven't given you the specific answers you wanted, but I hope I've give you some guidance on how to go about putting together your list of schools, and also helped you think about some gaps in the profile you gave me and how to position yourself in your applications.

Good luck.

Jessica