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Nick@VeritasPrep
- MBA Admissions Consultant
- Posts: 2
- Joined: Tue Oct 30, 2012 1:13 pm
- Thanked: 1 times
Hello Hkshimanshu,
Your demographic is very common to the pool of candidates applying to top business schools. Please allow me to explain why and then let me propose a recommendation:
-First and foremost, you are Indian. Business schools have many Indian/Indian-American candidates applying. Most of them have far higher GMAT scores than you do. Many also have multiple degrees, including one or more graduate degrees
-Secondly, your field of study is non-unique. Most Indian/Indian-Americans applying to business schools are coming from hard science endeavors. This puts you even more into the common category.
-While you may have done ok or well in Computer Science & Engineering, it does very little for your chances of getting into a top tier school
-Also, your short stints at various corporations and projects will not bode well when telling a story to the admissions committee of where your passion lies and how your short term (consulting) and long term (Private Equity /Venture Capital) will align. The admissions committee will perceive your application as non-genuine and untrustworthy
With that being said, you have some key strengths in your candidacy and should further develop them
I propose the following:
-Be truthful with yourself and why you want the MBA - this honesty and passion will resonate throughout your application and to us on the admissions committee
-Focus on your diverse international work experience. Write about your 2 years in the European Pharmaceutical Giant and focus not on your technical capabilities, but more on your interpersonal, change management, communication skills - remember there are many technologist applying to business school, but only some of them are charismatic leaders - be a charismatic leader through your words
-Also, focus on the 8 months in the US. Explain the challenges that you faced and how your charisma, communication, ability to facilitate problems worked for you. Do NOT speak of how you used technology to solve the problems - this will work against you, as I already have a picture of who you are - you must break my perception of you and tell me a story of a future CEO, without telling me that you want to be a future CEO and tell me why you will fit into the fabric of the school, not how great you are at programming languages
-Your 10 months as a volunteer in a medico-economic foundation is great - speak of that, where was it? Was it in an exotic location? Was it cold, hot, what did you do? Did you sacrifice to do this role or was it simply there? Demonstrate that you took initiative and that you did everything that you could in your power to be great at it.
-Also, focus on Hockey - show your all roundness - you are an academic but also a social being
In closing, we have accepted people below 610 and rejected those with GMAT's over 750 - why? Because those with 610 and below promised innovation, creativity, honesty and charisma. Some of the 750 and above promised only great scores, but arrogance and lack of commitment. Point being, that you should not lose hope at all; however, you must focus on what makes YOU----YOU. Do not fall into the easy route and simply tell me that you want to be a consultant and then in Private Equity. Who doesn't want to do consulting and then become very wealthy or manage very wealthy people's money? Very simply, it is okay to want this, but you must have a very good story, a true story that expresses how you get to there, from where you are at, and why business school makes the logical sense for you right now. I can say, that if I were the admissions committee member, and I have been for hundreds of people, I would reject you, flat out - why? Because you are trying to be someone that you believe that we want. We do not want another Indian/Indian American male from the IT industry with a high GMAT skill set, only to entire a consulting profession, just like many other Indian Americans graduating from business school do, only to enter the PE/VC world, just like so many other of your peers have done. What we want is ingenuity, creativity, leadership, honesty. Someone who will change the world in a way that no one imagine. Someone with a potential that is just waiting to be unleashed. Focus on your strengths, you have many. Write about your Indian heritage, it is a proud one. Be passionate about your culture, for it is diverse and ancient....however, distinguish yourself from the herd, and go on to pursue the dreams that you really want for the sake of the pursuit, not for the sake of monetary gain. If there is any arrogance to your application or a sense of non-altruistic goals, it will enter into the deny pile - quite simply, a 750 is only 1/8 of the overall package. Make the other 7/8 just as AMAZING. Good luck.
Your demographic is very common to the pool of candidates applying to top business schools. Please allow me to explain why and then let me propose a recommendation:
-First and foremost, you are Indian. Business schools have many Indian/Indian-American candidates applying. Most of them have far higher GMAT scores than you do. Many also have multiple degrees, including one or more graduate degrees
-Secondly, your field of study is non-unique. Most Indian/Indian-Americans applying to business schools are coming from hard science endeavors. This puts you even more into the common category.
-While you may have done ok or well in Computer Science & Engineering, it does very little for your chances of getting into a top tier school
-Also, your short stints at various corporations and projects will not bode well when telling a story to the admissions committee of where your passion lies and how your short term (consulting) and long term (Private Equity /Venture Capital) will align. The admissions committee will perceive your application as non-genuine and untrustworthy
With that being said, you have some key strengths in your candidacy and should further develop them
I propose the following:
-Be truthful with yourself and why you want the MBA - this honesty and passion will resonate throughout your application and to us on the admissions committee
-Focus on your diverse international work experience. Write about your 2 years in the European Pharmaceutical Giant and focus not on your technical capabilities, but more on your interpersonal, change management, communication skills - remember there are many technologist applying to business school, but only some of them are charismatic leaders - be a charismatic leader through your words
-Also, focus on the 8 months in the US. Explain the challenges that you faced and how your charisma, communication, ability to facilitate problems worked for you. Do NOT speak of how you used technology to solve the problems - this will work against you, as I already have a picture of who you are - you must break my perception of you and tell me a story of a future CEO, without telling me that you want to be a future CEO and tell me why you will fit into the fabric of the school, not how great you are at programming languages
-Your 10 months as a volunteer in a medico-economic foundation is great - speak of that, where was it? Was it in an exotic location? Was it cold, hot, what did you do? Did you sacrifice to do this role or was it simply there? Demonstrate that you took initiative and that you did everything that you could in your power to be great at it.
-Also, focus on Hockey - show your all roundness - you are an academic but also a social being
In closing, we have accepted people below 610 and rejected those with GMAT's over 750 - why? Because those with 610 and below promised innovation, creativity, honesty and charisma. Some of the 750 and above promised only great scores, but arrogance and lack of commitment. Point being, that you should not lose hope at all; however, you must focus on what makes YOU----YOU. Do not fall into the easy route and simply tell me that you want to be a consultant and then in Private Equity. Who doesn't want to do consulting and then become very wealthy or manage very wealthy people's money? Very simply, it is okay to want this, but you must have a very good story, a true story that expresses how you get to there, from where you are at, and why business school makes the logical sense for you right now. I can say, that if I were the admissions committee member, and I have been for hundreds of people, I would reject you, flat out - why? Because you are trying to be someone that you believe that we want. We do not want another Indian/Indian American male from the IT industry with a high GMAT skill set, only to entire a consulting profession, just like many other Indian Americans graduating from business school do, only to enter the PE/VC world, just like so many other of your peers have done. What we want is ingenuity, creativity, leadership, honesty. Someone who will change the world in a way that no one imagine. Someone with a potential that is just waiting to be unleashed. Focus on your strengths, you have many. Write about your Indian heritage, it is a proud one. Be passionate about your culture, for it is diverse and ancient....however, distinguish yourself from the herd, and go on to pursue the dreams that you really want for the sake of the pursuit, not for the sake of monetary gain. If there is any arrogance to your application or a sense of non-altruistic goals, it will enter into the deny pile - quite simply, a 750 is only 1/8 of the overall package. Make the other 7/8 just as AMAZING. Good luck.
