Profile evaluation (of a somewhat unusual profile) and do I

[bcube]

Hi Jon,

Let me begin by thanking you, in advance, for your advice.

I will be applying for MBAs this fall. I took the GMAT recently and scored a 720 (Q44 (only the 57th percentile) V45) IR 7. Clearly, the IR and quant score are pretty abysmal and both are because I managed my time poorly. My scores on the official practice tests were 710 (Q42 V45) and 780 (Q49 V51). The first one was a diagnostic test, before I had begun studying. I spent about a month studying using the MGMAT books and practice tests.

The schools I am targeting are INSEAD, Oxford, Cambridge, Yale, and Haas. I have 4.5 years of experience. The first year was spent teaching mathematics at a university (makes the bad quant hurt even more). For the last 3.5 years I have worked with one of the most well recognised international organisations (a multilateral development bank to be specific). I want to work in the social sector, on education in post-conflict scenarios; I have significant experience in general education policy, along with some experience in post-conflict areas. However, all this experience has been in my home country, so I do lack international experience. I think I have a good story on how I came to realise an MBA will help with my chosen career and what I plan to do after finishing. My undergrad and masters GPAs were very good, and I received several academic awards (again, ironically, in a very mathematics heavy field). My letters of recommendation from my bosses will be very strong, and they are all people who have achieved a great deal in their fields.

Also, I have taken the GRE twice previously, before my masters. I had a perfect quant score both times (and a perfect overall score the second time). Both those scores have now expired. Will telling schools this help with the poor quant score?

I have two principal concerns. First, of course, the GMAT and whether I should retake it. Second, I have been on a contract which makes my work appear part-time, even though I have worked pretty much full-time. This is standard for my organisation, but I'm not sure how it will be seen by business schools (this will be apparent to schools because of my designation). Is this likely to be a problem?

I would be very grateful if you could help me answer these questions, given the schools I am targeting. Thank you, again, for taking time out to help.

Best,
B

[Jon@Admissionado]

Hello there B,
Good to hear from you!
So let's start with the GMAT thing - a 720 is pretty darn good, but if you are pretty sure you can get higher, it may be wise to retake. No one will care about test scores that have expired, so I'd just skip that if I were you. Here's an article specifically written about Indian candidates who retake the GMAT and I think it may help you: https://admissionado.com/mba/to-retake-o ... n=mba_blog

As for your work, actually it seems very unique and interesting, and the good news is that I think you should not have so much trouble building a unique story here. I wouldn't worry too much about the type of contract, as long as the work is full-time.

I don't yet know enough about your profile to proceed to a full-on evaluation, but if you wish to get one, feel free to drop us a line here: https://admissionado.com/free-consultati ... n=mba_blog

Best,
Jon

[bcube]

Hi Jon,

Thanks so much for getting back to me. I'll fill in the evaluation form over the weekend, I look forward to hearing your views.

Thanks again,
B

[Jon@Admissionado]

Awesome!