Indian IT Male - 640(Q-49,V-29) + 6 Yrs WE - McGill or Wait?

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Hi

I am Male, 29, Indian IT professional with 6 years of experience (programmer/team lead) :
4 Years in Computer Sciences and Corporation(CSC) for a fortune 500 US client (1 year from TN, US) and 2 years in top Indian IT company, Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) for 2 big Indian clients.
Prior to this, I did B. Tech. in Computer Science engineering from a premier institute (NIT) scoring 7.2/10. My Community service and extra curricular are good.

I want to move into strategic consulting with specialisation in IT.

After preparing 3 months on my own, I wrote GMAT this Feb end, got just 640(Q49, V29) but applied nevertheless (R3 Fall 2013) to McGill & Schulich in Canada and (owing to my low GMAT,) some Tier II US schools. Two US schools I have got admit from are not really of my priority and are on the expensive side too. So, for US, I would have to wait another year for better schools/scholarship there.

Since financing my MBA is a concern for me, the only offer I can consider is from McGill with $8000 entrance award.

Now, any suggestions on my below queries would be highly appreciated:

1. [Most Important] My dream schools are some of the high end Tier II schools from US (Fuqua, Darden, Tepper, Owen) but they have an average GMAT approaching 700 or more. I want to go to either of these schools not just for the brand name, but because I really want to study with the best out there. I have studied in one of the top engineering colleges in India, and know what kind of incredible people you see in the top schools. But since I am 29 already and will turn 30 this sept.(already above avg. age at most schools), Would it be worth waiting another 1 year and applying next year with GMAT 680-700? (this seems achievable in 2nd attempt with better verbal score as I was getting 35 in Verbal Mocks.) I don't think there will be any other significant addition to my profile in the coming year other than around 50 points in GMAT and one more year of IT experience.

2. Please throw some light on how Canada can prove out to be equally good/better (if at all) MBA destination than US? (4-5 years down the line, I plan to either head back to India or move rest of my family with me.)

3. How about job prospects after graduating from McGill with twin specializations in either of below combinations:
a) Technology & Innovation Management, and Global Strategy & Leadership.
b) Finance and Marketing (I might consider a career switch after completion of 1st year of MBA).

4. McGill definitely is a great brand as a university but their b-school doesn't rank that well and I am not sure if one should go for a parent university brand or a prestigious MBA brand. Can you share your ideas on this?


Thank you very much for your time. I would really appreciate your advice and guidance.

Cheers,
Munish
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by CriticalSquareMBA » Tue Jun 11, 2013 6:24 am
Hi Munish,

I'm going to reply to your comment using the 4 sections you've used below as guideposts. If you have any questions, comments, etc. please don't hesitate to reach out! I'm happy to help how I can.

0) Ok, you didn't have a 0 but I wanted to talk GMAT. A 680 - 700 range is a good target but target 700+. Given your age range, background, experience, etc. you need this box checked thoroughly. Essentially, even a 700 might prove a speed bump because an adcom will wonder why they should let you in versus someone with a 720 who will have probably identical credentials. You're right to focus on verbal so, if you can crush that, you should be able to get into the 7s.

1) Yes, you're a little older, but these Tier II programs will let that slide if the rest of your application is spot on and you can provide a compelling reason about why you should join the class. However, when it comes to the GMAT, see point 0 above. I agree with your reasoning for wanting a higher ranked MBA and fully support that.

2) If you are coming to North America for an MBA and paying tens of thousands of dollars for it, come stateside. Canadian MBA programs, generally speaking, have weaker brands both in NA and globally. If you get a Duke MBA and move to Toronto, they'll know where you went. If you get a McGill MBA and come to the South, no one will have any idea where you went to school. That's just the honest part of that. Do they have great programs? Sure, but you're going for brand.

3) Your specialization combinations make sense. For your story (why MBA) you should talk about A and leave B in the back of your mind for yourself. A 31 year old graduate who has only done IT finding a job in Marketing is a stretch and it might raise the collective eyebrow of the adcom.

4) Go for brand. Always go for brand. Within brand, you can differentiate between culture, fit, etc. But first and foremost, brand. This is a business decision - get the most for your money you possibly can!

Bhavik
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by Munish Sahni » Thu Jun 13, 2013 11:39 am
Thank you so much for taking time to answer all my queries!

I am sorry I couldn't reply early (I was hoping I will get an email notification when someone replies to my post but didn't get any)

Yes, If I stay back, I would be targeting 700+ but some of the points concerning me right now are:
1. the age factor (like I explained earlier)
2. 3 year Canadian work permit as compared to 1 year in US (+ easy PR in Canada)
3. Like I told earlier, financing would be a problem but the schools I hope to get into are all on the expensive side and difference with McGill stands more than $20K.


Does the MBA brand still hold much value if I get to work (1-2 years) for some big names after graduation?

Appreciate all your help.


Thanks!

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by CriticalSquareMBA » Thu Jun 13, 2013 4:29 pm
Hey there,

The short answer is yes. Nowadays it seems everyone has an MBA. It's a requirement to merely get a promotion and most people knock it out at local college or university part time. However, a GREAT MBA is worth every penny. I know the money adds up. I know it's a lot. But if you're paying some, to pay a little more for an exponential increase in brand, it's worth it. And yes, having a few years after a great MBA with a great company is a career accelerator. It gives you in 2-3 years what most average people would get in 5-6.

I know there is a lot to consider between ease of PR, work visas, and money, but I strongly believe in the value of a great MBA. So yes, I would still suggest pursuing brand.

Let me know your thoughts!

Bhavik
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by Munish Sahni » Sat Jun 15, 2013 11:27 am
Thanks Bhavik,

I totally understand your point and was equally passionate for a bigger brand but waiting one year at this stage and the other two important points I mentioned in the previous post aren't making me feel like risking it all for somewhat better brand.

But I totally value your honest opinion alot.

Appreciate all your help!


Regards,
Munish

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by CriticalSquareMBA » Sat Jun 15, 2013 3:06 pm
My pleasure and I definitely understand where you're coming from. You're going to have a great experience regardless and I wish you the best of luck!

Bhavik
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by MBAPrepAdvantage » Wed Jun 19, 2013 7:21 am
Munish,

I think your decision is a little more complicated. Assuming you are unable to improve your scores McGill university is a good MBA school for those scores. The visa situation is easier there and top companies like Microsoft recruits for their Canadian office at McGill. Do extra due diligence to see which companies recruit at McGill.

With a 700+ you are competitive for Fuqua and Darden; a 680 you are competitive for Tepper. So, if you knew for certain you could improve your score substantially then applying to these more highly ranked schools could be worth it for you. The difficulty is ascertaining the probability of significantly improving your score.

Good luck,
Michael Cohan
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