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Choice of schools given my profile

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Choice of schools given my profile

by sudhanshoo » Tue Aug 31, 2010 9:56 am
Hi

I would like to have your feedback on my chances of making it to one of the following B Schools: Harvard, Wharton, Columbia, Chicago, NY Stern and Stanford. I have a very clear focus of pursuing a career in the fund management business. I am very happy with my current job and I wish to do an MBA to network with students from across the globe and continue to explore further opportunities in the line of business I am already in. My profile:

"¢ Indian, Male, 28 years
"¢ GMAT - 710, Q50 V36. Waiting for essay eval. I will live with the score and taking gmat again looks like a painful option to me.
"¢ Bachelor + Master in Computer Science from IIT Bombay (7.0/10)
"¢ CFA Level II Candidate
"¢ Work experience - 5 years (6 years by the time I get an admission)
(Oct 07 till date): Analyst in a start-up hedge fund based in Mumbai with a mandate to invest in global equities. Member of the founding team. Performed each and every role one is expected to do in a start-up: Recruitments, creating systems, meeting people, setting up office, etc. Met hundreds of top industry leaders (CEOs, CFOs) from India and US.
(Feb 06 to Jul 07): Senior Analyst on the derivatives trading desk of Lehman Brothers. Led a team of 25 analysts. Only person in the team to get the highest internal company evaluation.
First job (Jul 05 to Feb 06): Deputy Manager at the Commodity Derivatives Exchange in Mumbai.

"¢ Other highlights:
(a) Co-founder of a company during college days. The company is a going concern.
(b) Conducted research in Indian rural areas along with a prof from UMich

I need your guidance on the following aspects:

1. Am I too optimistic in my choice of B Schools? My current work profile is such that I would not pursue an MBA unless I get an admission in one of the top schools. I think any mediocre school MBA may not add value.
2. If I do have a chance, what should I focus on most for my applications?
3. I have very little time on my side if I need to apply to a couple of these schools in the 1st Round. How should I proceed with the application process - which schools to prioritize?

Any other top global school that is worth considering as per my profile?

Please let me know, if you need any more information. Any suggestions and comments are welcome. Thanks in advance for your inputs!

Best regards
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by Tani » Wed Sep 01, 2010 7:48 am
Your profile is strong and your work experience is particularly interesting - especially your work with a start up, your team leadership and your having founded a going concern. You are certainly the type of candidate who should be applying to the schools on your list.

As you must know, the competition for those schools is fierce. They have many more outstanding applicants than they can accept and much of the decisions process centers around balancing the class. That unfortunately, will not work in your favor. Those schools will literally have thousands of Indian males with strong technical backgrounds, good grades and strong GMAT scores applying. You will have to tell a very strong story to break through the noise. An experienced admissions consultant can make a huge difference there.

At this point I usually ask applicants whether they are determined to go to the best school they can get into, or only those on a short list. You have already answered that question. So my response is, yes, apply, work hard on your essays and references and put your best foot forward.

One last point. There is significant debate over whether to apply first or second round. You have clearly heard that it is better to be in the first round. Some feel that second is better because the admissions staffs have a good idea of the volume and quality of applications and are less concerned about holding back slots in case more appealing candidates appear. Some people also question whether the first round might be the toughest because the most prepared and focused applicants target that round and the competitive pool is stronger.

Either way, don't rush it. The best round to apply in is the one you are ready for. You are far better off to apply in Round 2 with killer essays and well-prepared references than in Round 1 with a less-than-perfect application. I have counseled students to wait until Round 3 and seen them accepted to HBS. Remember, schools wouldn't have a second or third round if they didn't anticipate taking a significant number of applicants from those pools.
Tani Wolff
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