Ask ARINGO

fuquahopeful wrote:This is straight from it's website and I highly, highly doubt that they will lie on it's website.

I have taken the GMAT and/or GRE several times. Which score does the admissions committee consider?

The admissions committee takes into consideration your highest test score. The Tuck application allows students to report up to two GMAT and/or GRE test scores. If you have scored better on one test in the verbal section and better on the other in the quantitative section, we will consider your highest quantitative and highest verbal scores. We will not, however, combine scores from different test to create a new total score. Please refer to Instructions for applicants for more information.

The most important part is in bold. This may help you achieve the coveted 80/80 split with two different tests, but won't completely compensate for a weaker composite score.

Is a CPA or a CFA helpful during the application process?

TexasCPA,

Thank you for your question. In short, yes, a non-academic distinction such as a CPA or CFA (or other certifications - e.g. professional engineer) can be helpful to a small to medium extent in the admissions process, all things equal.

What is also important is to provide context to the ad coms about your achievement in this area: Did you pass the first time (and what proportion do so)? Did you outperform XX% of your peer group?

In some situations, your certification(s) may not necessarily align with your career path/goals going forward, which is fine so long as it was presumably part of your prior career path. What you can also do is use that achievement as a way to point to your strong quantitative abilities and your capability in handling the rigorous load of a top MBA program - particularly if you have a lower GMAT and/or undergraduate GPA.

In many careers, one does not have an opportunity to have such a designation. If you are in this category, you should not 'fret' - instead, there's likely other opportunities in your profile to highlight your strengths and unique attributes that others don't have.

Best of luck,

fuquahopeful wrote:
This is straight from it's website and I highly, highly doubt that they will lie on it's website.

I have taken the GMAT and/or GRE several times. Which score does the admissions committee consider?

The admissions committee takes into consideration your highest test score. The Tuck application allows students to report up to two GMAT and/or GRE test scores. If you have scored better on one test in the verbal section and better on the other in the quantitative section, we will consider your highest quantitative and highest verbal scores. We will not, however, combine scores from different test to create a new total score. Please refer to Instructions for applicants for more information.

The most important part is in bold. This may help you achieve the coveted 80/80 split with two different tests, but won't completely compensate for a weaker composite score.

Bschool2013 (and likely Penn State alum, based on your avatar!),

Thank you for the comment here - I agree with your rationale and interpretation. This is indeed how we projected this candidate's chances.

Best,

1) What is the minimum GMAT score, which will make me competitive at Cornell, Duke, Yale, Tuck & CBS? (Provided that I have strong essays, recs and career goals). I am taking GMAT again before the Rd2 deadline. Is 670 sufficient? I am from an underrepresented applicant pool (all above schools have no current student from my country).

2) You mentioned that I should take extra class, but I have taken about 30 (Accounting/Finance/Stats) classes during my last 2 years of college and got either As or Bs. Should I still take another class or two?

3) What will Adcom think of my multiple GMAT attempts? 5+?

fuquahopeful,

Thank you for the follow-up questions.

1) Based on our experience and the profile that you submitted earlier, we would project that you would need roughly a 680 to be competitive at Johnson and Fuqua and a 710 to be competitive at Yale SOM and Tuck. Keep in mind, though, that there are other important parts of the application and those do assume solid recommendations and essays (which you point out in the question).

2) The comment about taking another class was about having it be a course that is heavy on exams so you can prove that you are able to succeed in a timed test environment. If you believe you have significant evidence of this from prior courses, that is fine. The challenge is that we have five GMAT scores that are more recent that indicate you are good, but not great, at taking tests.

3) They will think this is a person who tried mightily to improve his/her GMAT score but was ultimately unsuccessful in making a significant improvement. As such they will gauge your GMAT as a relatively accurate measurement of your abilities. At the level of 5 tests, I would just caution you about asking *too* many questions in any interactions with the ad com or students. Why? If you come across as too "pushy," we have seen situations in which the ad com labels a student as perhaps too aggressive for an MBA program.

Best of luck,

Hi Brian/ Aringo,
I took the GMAT last week and got a 670( Q:50,90 %ile, V31,59%ile).
I want to do an MBA from the US and would like to know my chances in the following colleges:
1)Booth
2)Tuck
3)Columbia
4)Fuqua
5)Ross
6)North Carolina
7)Tepper
Profile:
* Indian, Age: 28yrs(male)
* Class topper in my tenth grade.
*B.tech in Mechanical and Automation engineering with an overall 74.4% (among the top 10% of the class )
* Worked as a Quality Analyst for 9 months in an IT MNC.
* Working as a Jr. Manager for the past 4 years in Steel Industry in a company which is the largest producer of steel in India. Was among the top 50 mechanical engineers who were recruited after a nationwide examination for which more than 1,00,000 candidates appeared.
* Currently in charge of a mechanical section, leading a team of 30 individuals and entirely responsible for the planning of inventory, management of spares and execution of all maintenance activity on the shop floor.
* Highly appreciated for my leadership, high technical knowledge, strong determination and self initiative & courage (supported with a couple of appreciation letters received from the top management)
* Leading a program in the department aimed at identifying the potential of individuals and enhancing their technical and leadership skills and preparing them to handle positions of greater responsibilities.
*Informally associated with many charity events aimed at improving the health and education of the people living in the nearby slums and active member of the local community centre.

dsfi2013,

Thank you for your profile submission. On the basis of the information as presented and under the assumption of strong essays and recommendations and a GMAT score of 670, our experience indicates you would be a stretch candidate at Booth and Columbia, between stretch and competitive (closer to stretch) at Tuck and Ross, between stretch and competitive at Fuqua, competitive at Tepper, and competitive to strong at Kenan-Flagler. You've chosen a reasonably good mix of programs from a competitiveness standpoint and relative to your profile.

On the positive side, the fact that you work in the steel industry in India is somewhat of a differentiator for you - so many male, Indian, engineers work in the IT sector. I like how you have given a lot of really good context for your academic and professional accomplishments - great job!

One aspect I find somewhat curious is that you mention you have been in the same role for the past four years at the steel company - I assume this is without promotion. I would make sure that you highlight the recognition letters from your management team, as well as performance summary details and any awards that you have been given. It is somewhat of a red flag if a young person has been in the same role for a period of three or more years in a given organization.

Beyond this, I would say to make sure that you articulate why MBA and what your future short-term and long-term objectives are post-MBA. For an engineer who has worked in industry like you have, there are a variety of career goals that can be plausible and that can be tied back to the skills that you have developed in your project work to date. Personally, I would be quite interested to hear you talk about how the nation of India could be competitive in the steel industry going forward and perhaps your vision of leading an organization to be able to compete with the emerging presence of China in this space. This is the type of point of view an ad com would expect of a qualified candidate who works in a given industry - so you might anticipate this kind of question from an interview in the MBA application process.

Best of luck,

application

10th - 87%
12th - 94% (11th Rank)
BE from top college in Mumbai
Executive Prog in Marketing - IIT, Mumbai
GMAT - 680
WorkEx - 6.8 years as of March 2013

3 yrs international workex
Consultant at TCS - won honors at TCS business excellence week
Consultant for Western Union - worked for Mobile Money for Haiti earthquake
Founded the Epilepsy Management Program in my state rural areas with reach of 25,000 patients
Headed campaign for Epilepsy Awareness -10km Marathon Race director of 3000 People across the state.

Schools -
Cornell Johnson
CMU Tepper
Ross Michigan
NUS Singapore
NTU Singapore
Rottman - Canada
University of Minnesota - Carlson
University of Illinois - Urbana Champaign
SMU

Thanks

ish84 wrote:10th - 87%
12th - 94% (11th Rank)
BE from top college in Mumbai
Executive Prog in Marketing - IIT, Mumbai
GMAT - 680
WorkEx - 6.8 years as of March 2013

3 yrs international workex
Consultant at TCS - won honors at TCS business excellence week
Consultant for Western Union - worked for Mobile Money for Haiti earthquake
Founded the Epilepsy Management Program in my state rural areas with reach of 25,000 patients
Headed campaign for Epilepsy Awareness -10km Marathon Race director of 3000 People across the state.

Schools -
Cornell Johnson
CMU Tepper
Ross Michigan
NUS Singapore
NTU Singapore
Rottman - Canada
University of Minnesota - Carlson
University of Illinois - Urbana Champaign
SMU

Thanks

I also wanted to know how the placement stats are for Carlson and UIUC for consulting profile post MBA. Thanks.

Hi Aringo,

I would really appreciate it if you could provide some insight on my situation.

I have posted this on Gmatclub so copying and pasting some info from there and providing additional information.

Profile:
Year planning on applying: class of 2017 (2 years from now).
GMAT: 710 (47Q, 41V). Planning on taking it again.
Ethnicity: Indian
Undergrad: Uc Irvine / UC Davis / UCSD. 3.6 GPA (Computer Science)
Job: Management consultant (accenture/deloitte/pwc) - 2 years (mostly m&a - includes international experience), up for promotion this year. Have managed teams of up to 4. Have created and installed business processes at clients who ventured into new businesses in different geographic locations. I expect to gain more management experience in the coming year.

MBA goal: Have worked in consulting - had some exposure to Finance related activities. I'm now interested in taking a deeper dive and switch to investment banking (m&a). Therefore, need MBA to make the switch (possibly to top tier i-bank).
Extracurriculars: Help an organization plan housing for under-privileged communities. Soccer league. Extensively involved in family business - invest in distressed real-estate.
Undergrad: President of entrepreneur club on campus, competed and won first place in multiple entrepreneurship competitions (met with VCs).

Target school (Finance):
Wharton
Booth
Columbia
Sloan
Haas
Stern
Stanford (already know chances here are low)
Harvard (already know chances here are low)

My biggest concern is that nothing in my profile stands out. Would this "average academic profile" be a hurdle in terms of admissions to the schools mentioned above? Should I re-take the GMAT? Especially since I'm pretty confident that I can improve my quant score (no guarantees on Verbal whether it'll go up or down).

Please advise. Appreciate your help.

Thanks.

Hi Arigo,

My GMAT is less than 720
I am thinking of applying for US B Schools for fall 2013 admit. I started late and hence could not gather much info. Before its too late, I need some input so that I can apply before Jan deadline.
Here is my profile..
I am an Indian IT Male J

Acads:
10th - 91.18% (Top 5 in the school)
12th - 96% (Top 10 in the school)
Engineering - 75.4 (First Class with distinction)
GMAT - 690 - Q48 V37

Work Ex:
"¢I have been working with an Indian IT Services company for the past 6 years.
"¢In my Current role as SME, I am mentoring a team of 15-20 members across different geographies
"¢I have been a module lead
"¢Have a couple of awards at my workplace. One of the youngest to get star of the month award.
"¢Have an international experience of 11 months. Have interacted with people from different cultures throughout
"¢Have been recommended for client facing role by each of my managers

Extra Curricular:
"¢Passed the HSK Level 2 Listening and Reading (an internationally recognized Mandarin Language Certification). This is equivalent to A2 in CEFR for languages. Also passed HSK Beginner spoken test
"¢Have worked with an NGO. Was the Centre Head for a team of 20 volunteers and 25 students
"¢Was the Vice Captain of Inter Corporate Cricket tournament
"¢Represented college in zonal level football competitions

Goal: To Switch from IT to Consulting
I have the following questions
1.Please evaluate my profile for UT Austin, Indiana Kelly, Emory, Kenan Flagler, USC Marshall.
2.What are my chances of scholarship at the schools mentioned above?
3.What are the other schools I should try?

Thanks.

georgepaul0071987 wrote:

georgepaul0071987 wrote:Hey Brian ,

Thanks for your reply ! One quick question - My verbal percentile on the GMAT is 74% , do you think that will be an issue because it is below the 80% percentile ? Should I retake the GMAT to improve my verbal score or is it fine ?

BrianW@Aringo wrote:

Hey Brian ,

I was just wondering if I could get your input on my profile .

Academics :

Xth Grade - 91% ( Overall )
XIIth Grade - 90% ( Overall )
Bachelors' degree in Telecommunication Engineering
Overall GPA of 8.4/10 - First Class with Distinction ( The highest possible class that can be achieved ) . I was in the top 5-10% of my class.

GMAT - 710 ( Q50,v35 ,AWA 5.5)

Work Experience -
1.5 years as Business Analyst / QA Engineer at Societe Generale . The project I worked on mainly dealth with Fixed Income Products and Forex Markets . The software was a monitoring tool that was used by the bank to track it's activities in these domains . My roles included speaking to the end user ( requirement gathering ) and acting as a middle man between the software developers on the team and the end user .

1.5 years as a Sales and Marketing Manager at my family business . The family business is a pharmaceutical company with a wide range of patents for a number of products . It is a well established business with clients all over the world . Right now I manage a team of about 30-40 people . I was instrumental in setting up markets in the US and Australia and the revenue for the company from these markets has increased exponentially since I joined the company .

My main aim is to do an MBA and then come back and take over the family business . I feel like doing a course that emphasizes leadership would really help me . Once I take over the business I would need to be in a position to lead a team of about 100-200 people .

My target Schools - HBS ( Leadership ) , Wharton ( Finance ) or Kellog ( For Marketing ) . Although I feel HBS would be the best fit because I would be taking a leadership role once I return to the family business after my MBA .

Extra Curricular Activities -

Captain of the College Football Team
Participated in an International Salsa Dance Congress
Was instrumental in Setting up a school for underpriveleged children in a village that was near the factory of the family business . This school provides free education for children from the age of 2 to 12 .

georgepaul0071987,

Thank you for your profile submission. On the basis of the information as presented and under the assumption of strong essays and recommendations and a GMAT score of 710, our experience shows you would be between a stretch and competitive candidate (closer to competitive) at Harvard, competitive at Wharton, and between competitive and strong (closer to competitive) at Kellogg.

Your profile is strong in general, as you have a solid GPA and GMAT, gain points for being associated with a name-brand firm, and strong leadership and management responsibility with your current role in your family business. And, business schools, in our experience, love to receive applications from situations in which the applicant is going to be taking over the family business - especially when that family business is already a success.

A couple of items to keep in mind during your applications:
- Talk about your performance and standing at Societe Generale prior to your leaving the firm. Ad coms would want to know that you had good performance reviews and in general left the organization on good standing.
- Mention the size and growth rate of your family business, along with the initiatives that you were part of that helped to drive this recent growth. Discuss some of the challenges that you see the organization facing in the future and try to tie this to areas where an MBA would help you manage those topics going forward.
- Research your schools of interest further. At this point, because your profile is generally strong and well-rounded, you can transfer most of your efforts to working on a solid application. When I see applicants who associate Harvard with leadership, Wharton with finance, and Kellogg with marketing, that is perhaps only scratching the surface. I would encourage you to keep learning about the relative culture at those schools and their learning and teaching styles. Beyond this, I'd encourage you to research the entrepreneurship and more specifically the family business initiatives that your target schools offer, as you'll want to craft your essays around describing how these can help you and your family's company.

Best of luck,

Hi ,

Just an update to this thread :

I wrote the GMAT again today and scored a 670 . I'm really disappointed with this score . Will this lower score have an impact on my application ? Or will schools just look at my previous score of 710?

Hi there,
Sorry for the delay...
In most cases (unless specifically stated otherwise by the school), the lower scores have relatively low (or zero) impact, and the higher score counts the most by far.

Good luck!
David
Aringo.com

ish84 wrote:

ish84 wrote:10th - 87%
12th - 94% (11th Rank)
BE from top college in Mumbai
Executive Prog in Marketing - IIT, Mumbai
GMAT - 680
WorkEx - 6.8 years as of March 2013

3 yrs international workex
Consultant at TCS - won honors at TCS business excellence week
Consultant for Western Union - worked for Mobile Money for Haiti earthquake
Founded the Epilepsy Management Program in my state rural areas with reach of 25,000 patients
Headed campaign for Epilepsy Awareness -10km Marathon Race director of 3000 People across the state.

Schools -
Cornell Johnson
CMU Tepper
Ross Michigan
NUS Singapore
NTU Singapore
Rottman - Canada
University of Minnesota - Carlson
University of Illinois - Urbana Champaign
SMU

Thanks

I also wanted to know how the placement stats are for Carlson and UIUC for consulting profile post MBA. Thanks.

Hello,
Sorry for the delay...
Based on the stats that you provided, it looks like you've got a pretty solid case for the MBA programs that you mentioned. In fact, a strong application to complement those stats may win you admission to some better-ranked schools than those that you listed (should you be interested). I strongly recommend getting in touch with an application consultant such as Vocaz to find out how they can help you achieve that.
As for the placement stats about which you inquired, unfortunately I do not have any data to provide you. I suggest contacting those schools directly.

Good luck!
David
Aringo.com

topspin360 wrote:Hi Aringo,

I would really appreciate it if you could provide some insight on my situation.

I have posted this on Gmatclub so copying and pasting some info from there and providing additional information.

Profile:
Year planning on applying: class of 2017 (2 years from now).
GMAT: 710 (47Q, 41V). Planning on taking it again.
Ethnicity: Indian
Undergrad: Uc Irvine / UC Davis / UCSD. 3.6 GPA (Computer Science)
Job: Management consultant (accenture/deloitte/pwc) - 2 years (mostly m&a - includes international experience), up for promotion this year. Have managed teams of up to 4. Have created and installed business processes at clients who ventured into new businesses in different geographic locations. I expect to gain more management experience in the coming year.

MBA goal: Have worked in consulting - had some exposure to Finance related activities. I'm now interested in taking a deeper dive and switch to investment banking (m&a). Therefore, need MBA to make the switch (possibly to top tier i-bank).
Extracurriculars: Help an organization plan housing for under-privileged communities. Soccer league. Extensively involved in family business - invest in distressed real-estate.
Undergrad: President of entrepreneur club on campus, competed and won first place in multiple entrepreneurship competitions (met with VCs).

Target school (Finance):
Wharton
Booth
Columbia
Sloan
Haas
Stern
Stanford (already know chances here are low)
Harvard (already know chances here are low)

My biggest concern is that nothing in my profile stands out. Would this "average academic profile" be a hurdle in terms of admissions to the schools mentioned above? Should I re-take the GMAT? Especially since I'm pretty confident that I can improve my quant score (no guarantees on Verbal whether it'll go up or down).

Please advise. Appreciate your help.

Thanks.

Hello there! Great to hear from you, sorry for the delay...
First of all, since you already know where you are aiming two years ahead - that's fantastic! Gives you time to beef up your management experience.
I wouldn't necessarily say that nothing in your profile stands out. From the brief summary that you provided, it seems that a good application consultant from a company like Vocaz could surely help you "bring out" some great points in your profile, such as your involvement in the family business.
As for retaking the GMAT - the answer is easy. While 710 is a great score, if you're pretty confident that you can increase your quant score - then go ahead!

Good luck!
David
Aringo.com

dare2try wrote:Hi Arigo,

My GMAT is less than 720
I am thinking of applying for US B Schools for fall 2013 admit. I started late and hence could not gather much info. Before its too late, I need some input so that I can apply before Jan deadline.
Here is my profile..
I am an Indian IT Male J

Acads:
10th - 91.18% (Top 5 in the school)
12th - 96% (Top 10 in the school)
Engineering - 75.4 (First Class with distinction)
GMAT - 690 - Q48 V37

Work Ex:
"¢I have been working with an Indian IT Services company for the past 6 years.
"¢In my Current role as SME, I am mentoring a team of 15-20 members across different geographies
"¢I have been a module lead
"¢Have a couple of awards at my workplace. One of the youngest to get star of the month award.
"¢Have an international experience of 11 months. Have interacted with people from different cultures throughout
"¢Have been recommended for client facing role by each of my managers

Extra Curricular:
"¢Passed the HSK Level 2 Listening and Reading (an internationally recognized Mandarin Language Certification). This is equivalent to A2 in CEFR for languages. Also passed HSK Beginner spoken test
"¢Have worked with an NGO. Was the Centre Head for a team of 20 volunteers and 25 students
"¢Was the Vice Captain of Inter Corporate Cricket tournament
"¢Represented college in zonal level football competitions

Goal: To Switch from IT to Consulting
I have the following questions
1.Please evaluate my profile for UT Austin, Indiana Kelly, Emory, Kenan Flagler, USC Marshall.
2.What are my chances of scholarship at the schools mentioned above?
3.What are the other schools I should try?

Thanks.

Hello and thanks for posting! sorry for the delay...
Based on the information that you provided, it seems that if you present it in a strong application, with compelling essays and solid recommendations, you should have reasonably good chances for admission at the above-mentioned schools. Significant merit-based scholarship will be more of a reach.

Unfortunately, you are late for a Fall 2013 admit at Emory and UT Austin. You can still apply to Indiana Kelley, UNC, and USC Marshall if you are very, very quick. If possible, however, I would recommend holding off until the Spring semester (where relevant) or next Fall, where your admissions and scholarship chances should improve considering that you can apply in an early round and after having spent enough time on perfecting your application. I would recommend using an application consultant such as Vocaz to assure that you are highlighting to the admissions committees your best attributes and most significant experience while minimizing any "liabilities".

As for other schools to consider, the areas considered most relevant for strategic consulting are general management and strategy. I am unfamiliar with any in-depth ranking of MBA programs in respect to "consulting". I believe that programs considered strong in the areas of general management/strategy match your field of interest.

Good luck!
David
Aringo.com

Hi,

I came across this thread while doing research on whether I should take the services of an admissions consultant or try applying on my own. I got a score of around 67 on Aringo's calculator. My profile is as given below

GMAT: GRE score of 1450/1600 which converts to a GMAT score of 710 (Using the official conversion Matrix)

Ethnicity: Indian

Undergrads: Bachelors in Electrical Engineering From a private university in Pune, India. Secured first class with distinction as my graduating grade.
Worked with a top IT company for 2 years and was promoted once.

Graduate Degree: Masters in Industrial Engineering( GPA: 3.94/4.00)from North Carolina State University. It is a highly reputed engineering school and the Industrial Engineering department was ranked in the top 10 till last year.
While at school:

Completed a 3 month summer internship at Bank of America as a business analyst intern
Completed a 3 month part time internship at GKN driveline as a manufacturing intern

I am currently based in USA and am working as a Global logistics Project Leader at a fortune 200 engine manufacturing company. Am leading projects in India, CHina and US. I have completed APICS CSCP certification and will also complete six sigma certification (offered by my company) in the next few months. This is faster than anybody else I know in the organization since usually people take over 3 years to complete the training and the 3 projects you have to finish before you can be certified.

By the time I will join school Ill have over 5 years of FT experience and most probably I would have been promoted at my current organization.


I do not have a lot to show as far as community service is concerned. But, I was the cultural President in my high School's student government (second highest office bearer), marketing head during my undergrads for national level technical fest and at grad school, I was the vice president of a nationally recognized honor society.

As far as extra curricular activities are concerned, I have been involved in a number of cultural events. The most recent being that I am a bronze level dancer at Fred Astaire Dance studio. Before this I have represented my grad school in Squash competitions, was the lead guitarist of my high school's band, head of debating society in HIgh school and a few more.

My family faced a lot of hardships after my dad passed away when I was just 17, and that has played a major role in shaping my personality. My father was a high ranking official in one of India's most reputed Public Sector Companies and my older brother is a very high ranking official at P&G (HR Country head)

The only school I am looking at is INSEAD
Because of my Engineering background , I have a very strong quantitative skill set. I want a business degree to learn General Management and Strategy and try breaking into the operations consulting Realm.


I plan to join school in Dec 2015 and want to apply before R1 deadline ( March 2014).I will be 28 by the time I apply. If I do not get INSEAD, then I will do a part time MBA from Kellog or Booth for which I dont think I need help preparing my application.

Do I stand a chance at INSEAD? if I do, then I want to start early on my applications. Let me know when I should get in touch with Aringo and apply for the Lese discount?