The Application Process

Hi guys ,

Just gave my GMAT two days back , got a 760(Q-51 , V-41).

Have a few questions about my applications , anyone in the know or alumni pls help me out :

1. Is a high score (presume mine is high) a downer - as in , ive heard that people with high scores are regarded as geeks and therefore people with high scores 760 and above are frequently rejected. Hopefully this is just a myth ????

2. My background is asf :- 7 years work ex as an officer on board a ship(seafarer) with 2 years as senior management. 1 year part time work ( while on leave ) with an Environmental Consultancy / Initiatives organisation focussing on waste management and rain water harvesting and have spent the last 6 months as QA manager with a company involved in Ship Simulations and Training.
Master's License in Shipping &
Bachelor's in English Literature.

I'M AIMING FOR A PLACE AT ANY ONE OF THE TOP TEN INSTITUTES IN THE WORLD, PRIMARILY IN HARVARD , LBS AND INSEAD.
Is this a far cry or is it do-able.

3. Any other tips/guidance to further my applications would be gratefully accepted.

4. What are the chances of getting a scholarship and how should i go about it.

Until now was focussing solely on the GMAT , so at present am clueless about the above.

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks guys and Best of Luck to all of you out there.

1. If you're a geek, then you'll be regarded as a geek. If you're NOT a geek, prove adcom so. You get very good opportunity & plenty of room in your essays.
I think you've fantastic score.
I would do some research about my desired b-school programs especially their application essays. As they eats of lot of your time for brainstorming.

Chances of getting scholarships are higher when: you apply early, have higher GMAT score, higher GPA, sometimes your backgroud (minority?) plays important role as well. It depends on which scholarship/fellowship you apply to.

All the best.
guess you've a lot of research to do.

Hey R,

Congrats on your score!

No, AdComs will not reject your application because you have a high GMAT score. They will look at your entire application... this includes undergrad GPA, WE, LORs, Essays, Interview

One thing to consider, you are (unfortunately) in one of the most competitive applicant pool - Indians applicants . Therefore your biggest challenge is how to best differentiate yourself. What makes you different from the thousands of Indian applicants that will apply to the same schools with similar GMAT scores. That said, your shipping industry experience is quite unique and my guess is you have a lot of interesting leadership experience from it.

Also, many top schools are trending downward in terms of age. I am not sure how old you are, but candidates with 6+ years of experience might find it more difficult to get into top MBA schools (particularly HBS or Stanford).

Scholarships at US schools are very difficult to get, esp for international candidates. I would encourage you to contact each school's Financial Aide office for more information.

BTW - You should also check out Veritas Prep's School Selector tool. This is a great way to get a sense of what schools you might be competitive in. Here is the link www.veritasprep.com/selector

Good luck!

NP

BTW -

Since you are still learning the MBA admission process, I strongly urge you to pick up an MBA Admissions book.

I am a big fan - they give you a great overview of the admissions process. My favorites are:

How to Get Into Top MBA Programs by Richard Montauk

or

Your MBA Game Plan by Omari Bouknight (full disclosure - I work with Veritas Prep, which is affilated with the book)

NP

hey guys ,

thanks for the info

Well VP i guess you've raised a point i haven't thought about before !! Well i guess age is a consideration , although hopefully at 28 im not too old .
However would appreciate it , if you could give me a general idea of what age would the schools be looking at !! I know there's no hard and fast rule , but since you mentioned it , just thought you might have a figure in mind.

As regards my work ex etc. thanks for the encouragement guys and i guess both of you are spot on. I need to do loads of research and planning before i proceed any further. Ya , selling yourself is important !!!

So till then ill stay off the posts , but will keep checking in at the site.

Would really appreciate any further inputs if you have them.

Thanks guys

ciao

Sorry Raj,
I was under the impression that you were in your mid-30s. My apologies!

Regards,

NP