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IT backgrounds

by joannabanana » Thu Feb 10, 2011 2:14 am
I've read through this (and other) MBA forum a lot and keep seeing male Indians with IT backgrounds being labelled as "over represented". I'm wondering if it's just this combination that is over represented, meaning to only male Indians, with IT backgrounds have tougher chances of getting into the good schools? Or is it that all applicants with IT backgrounds are over represented? How about females with IT backgrounds? Is that a benefit or hinderance? There are a lot of IT people around but few of them are women.

Just curious what people's thoughts are :)
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by paulsbodine » Thu Feb 10, 2011 8:55 am
joannabanana,

Female Indians with IT backgrounds are not "over represented." They are not exactly unusual though, so a female IT applicant from Uganda, Indonesia, or Romania (to name three countries that don't send a lot of applications to business schools) would have a much bigger 'diversity advantage' than a female IT applicant from India. As long as women comprise less than 50% of the typical business school class, their gender will be an asset to them. So you are correct that a female IT applicant from India does not face anywhere near the competition level of a male IT applicant from India.

Hope this helps,
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by joannabanana » Thu Feb 10, 2011 9:04 am
Yes, that's an insightful perspective, and helpful to an IT female like myself :)
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by bizschoolprep » Fri Feb 11, 2011 10:30 pm
There are lots of Indian female IT aspirants who apply every year to business schools. It may not be close to the males but still significant. Only difference between a male Indian It and female Indian IT is the gender. Both belong to the same sector, same country and same kind of work experience, so do not bank too much that being a female will be too much of an advantage, especially from IT sector.

Also see it this way, most of the females who apply from India to the business schools are from IT.
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by joannabanana » Mon Feb 14, 2011 11:24 pm
Oh, I'm not Indian, didn't mean to imply that. But I do have an IT background. I was more interested in whether the whole package of "Indian IT male" was over represented or whether the IT industry was generally over represented.
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by paulsbodine » Mon Feb 14, 2011 11:48 pm
Both are overrepresented but the 'male Indian IT' is significantly more overrepresented IMO.
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by eclipse » Fri Feb 18, 2011 7:12 am
Speaking of IT Backgrounds and Indian Males, I am one of them. I have my MS in Electrical Engineering and actually did the dual roles of a Semiconductor CAD engineer and an IT personnel. After 8 years, now I am with a new employer working as an IT guy. I am 33 and would like to pursue an MBA degree. I am in the Boston area where there are a lot of top Business schools. Do you think I will have a chance of getting into any of these schools (HBS, Sloan, Tuck, Yale) considering my age and my IT background? Also, does the fact that I did my Masters almost 10 years ago, have any kind of negative impact on my application. I definitely am not looking to change my career toward Finance or Banking. I am looking to major in Operations, Technology, and Strategic Management. I am aiming to get a 700+ score and want to apply for the program this Fall in round 1 of admissions for the classes starting in 2012. Any suggestions as to which schools should I be looking at or if I should even consider getting an MBA will be greatly appreciated.

Thank you!
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by paulsbodine » Fri Feb 18, 2011 10:19 am
eclipse,

Your master's in EE would be no impediment at all to applying to an MBA program. A great many applicants have previous master's degrees. (If your previous master's were an MBA it would be a different story.) Even assuming a 700 or higher GMAT score, HBS (in particular), Yale, and Tuck will be difficult for you given your age and profile. (You didn't mention leadership, for example, which is a key requirement.) Yale and MIT would be more doable than HBS and Tuck but still definite reaches based on the info you gave me.

I do think you could get into the following Boston-area business schools: Babson, Boston College, Boston U., U. Mass. Nearby, you could look at U. Conn. If your goal is to stay in the Boston area then MBAs from these local schools can be effective for you.

Hope this helps,
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by eclipse » Fri Feb 18, 2011 10:52 am
Hi Paul,

Thanks for the prompt reply! Below are my extra curricular activities:

1999 --> Student Senator at Texas A&M University Kingsville
2000 --> Treasurer, Indian Student Organization, Southern Illinois University, Edwardsville
2006 --> present --> One of the five Board of Directors for the condominium association with 90 Units handling and managing a budget around $200K every year.


I am not sure if any personal achievements would count as leadership achievements but I have a few to mention in my personal life.

Also, I was worried about the rankings of the Business schools. I do not want to switch careers to accounting or finance. I am interested in Technology, operations and management strategy. I currently work for a company that provides software solution to Emergency Departments. I like the work that's being done and hence was also looking at a school with a good Health care management program. My initial thought was that if I am spending the same amount of money for the program, why not try to get into a top 10 school.
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by eclipse » Fri Feb 18, 2011 12:05 pm
I apologize for abruptly ending my previous post. My windows PC crashed! But my main concern was the value of the degree. I have talked to a few friends of mine who did their MBA at Babson and BU and told me that since they have graduated, 3 years ago, that nothing changed in their career, whether it was reaching a higher level in the same company or getting offers from a different company. I understand that there are a lot of factors that contribute to the situation of theirs. Honestly speaking, most of these guys seemed to lack the confidence that you would expect to see in a Business Graduate. You don't usually see that in someone that graduated from a top 10 B school. Hence, I am really unsure about BU or Babson. I have high regards for those schools no matter what! But like you said, considering my age, I think I'd have a better opportunity to compete against others with a degree from a Top 10 school. I am an amateur in this regard, so please feel free to correct me and give me your guidance. Are these rankings just there to confuse us or do they really mean anything in practicality? I was also looking at the Accelerated MBA from Cornell or Kellogg. Kellogg requires that the applicants complete their core courses before applying. So I'd be 34 when I will be applying for the program. I can apply for Cornell for Classes starting next year. Any suggestions on the one year program will be greatly appreciated too! Also I was looking at the MBA math class from mbamath.com (Tuck does the same program as a Pre Orientation class for a week) and may be take a few basic classes in accounting and Finance that would help me with the core courses. Would any of these be helpfull at all? Is it tough to get into one year programs too?
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by paulsbodine » Sat Feb 19, 2011 12:38 am
eclipse,

I would need to know your profile better to comment on your chances at Cornell or Kellogg etc. I do agree that there is a significant difference between the career boost that a top-ranked school can give you versus a lower-ranked program. Feel free to send me your CV, and I'll get a better sense of your chances.

--Paul
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by bizschoolprep » Sat Feb 19, 2011 8:57 pm
eclipse wrote:Speaking of IT Backgrounds and Indian Males, I am one of them. I have my MS in Electrical Engineering and actually did the dual roles of a Semiconductor CAD engineer and an IT personnel. After 8 years, now I am with a new employer working as an IT guy. I am 33 and would like to pursue an MBA degree. I am in the Boston area where there are a lot of top Business schools. Do you think I will have a chance of getting into any of these schools (HBS, Sloan, Tuck, Yale) considering my age and my IT background? Also, does the fact that I did my Masters almost 10 years ago, have any kind of negative impact on my application. I definitely am not looking to change my career toward Finance or Banking. I am looking to major in Operations, Technology, and Strategic Management. I am aiming to get a 700+ score and want to apply for the program this Fall in round 1 of admissions for the classes starting in 2012. Any suggestions as to which schools should I be looking at or if I should even consider getting an MBA will be greatly appreciated.

Thank you!
With this profile and no desire to change career direction, you should definitely consider the accelerated / 1 year MBA program.
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