Research MBA Programs

Hi Chzd,

I'd like to thank the other posters to your thread and some of what I write below will agree and expand upon what they wrote. Some of my notes below are distinct and I hope you find them useful.

1) Work Experience: There are certain components of your work experience that are a plus (e.g. Fortune 100 company, etc.), however, it is the general nature of your profession that would require close attention. As an Indian male in the IT industry, you are probably aware your competitor pool is significant. Therefore, I would urge you to view your work history as a story. What does that story tell others about you? What does that story tell others about where you are headed? If the answers to those questions aren't exactly clear, or aren't as strong as you might hope for, that's an indication that you should assess your work history honestly. To speak candidly, 2 years is generally considered on the low side. Schools look to fewer years of work experience when the experience is accelerated (e.g. investment banking or consulting).

2) Academics: It is great that you went to a top 10 Computer Science school - clearly, you know what you're doing behind a computer! However, your GPA is not a differentiator and places you below the 50% mark for each of the schools you have listed. Therefore, your undergraduate experience is not going to particularly strengthen your application from a purely academic stand point. However, there is much more to college than just grades. How involved were you? Was there a trajectory there or a unique experience that sets you apart? Or a passion that you have continued long after matriculation? If so, those things can be woven into your story.

3) GMAT: A goal of 650 to 700 is going to put you, once again, in the bottom 50% of GMAT scores to most of the schools below. Please don't get me wrong, a 650 - 700 is a great score and definitely one that takes hard work but, once again, it won't be a differentiator in your application. In other words, it won't cause a school to view you as a top candidate (on its own merit). As a tip, focus on your Verbal section to drive your score higher as linear improvement in Verbal has a disproportionate impact on your total score. A note of caution: most schools do look to your Quant score so the overall story should leave no doubt in their mind that you are quantitatively solid (4 of your 5 schools offer Quantitative Analysis / Statistics & Ops Research as a concentration).

4) High School: As the other posters have mentioned, High School is generally out of the question. Some schools explicitly state any examples must be from the past 3 years, for example. My advice to my clients is that high school should only be used to establish a trajectory or history. For example, perhaps in high school you became very involved in Habitat for Humanity which you continued throughout college and ended up as a junior board member last year. In that instance, high school experiences are relevant. However, for grades, coursework, etc. they should not be considered. Keep in mind, you are applying against others who have years more work experience and just as diverse experiences at college. The burden to stand out is on you and you need to pick examples that truly showcase leadership and passion. Chances are (and I could be wrong but generally speaking) those experiences aren't from high school.

5) Rankings: While factors others than ranking are important, I would like to emphasize they exist for a reason. You are paying a lot of money for the experiences, network, and prestige you need to further your career. Another poster mentioned culture, fit, etc. and I would agree whole heartedly. Within the top 20, look for programs that fully align to your goals and personality.

Generally speaking, I would recommend strengthening various components of your application in the next year or two before applying but if you were to apply now, I am not saying your chances are zero. If you would like to discuss this in more detail, either send me a private message or sign up on our website. Sometimes having a conversation can help you determine where you want to go and how best to get there.

Best of luck!