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Help with profile evaluation: 730, 6.5 yrs IT

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Help with profile evaluation: 730, 6.5 yrs IT

by bschaspire » Wed Apr 06, 2011 11:42 pm
Hello Folks,

Can you please evaluate my profile based on the information provided below and suggest me the level of colleges I can safely focus on? Here's a brief about my profile:

GMAT 730 (V 43, Q 47) AWA - 4.5 (37%) -- appeared in mid 2009.
Experience: 6.5 years into IT sector. (with roles such as Programmer, Designer, Team Lead) + (Significant overseas exposure)

Graduation - B.E. (ECE) -> 76%, MD University, India
School - X -> 76%, X+2 -> 77% (CBSE, India)

Involved with some extra curricular and social activites since school.

Career Expectations: Career growth in my current field. i.e. IT sector

I have few questions:

1. How would my percentage at Graduation (76%) convert to the GPA? What would be my approx GPA at this %age?

2. Though I have done fairly well in my professional career and am recognized by managers and clients, I do not have any letters of promotion or "written" client appreciations to show as proof to the admissions committee. Can this pose a problem? How can I circumvent this?

3. Is the low AWA score (37%) a cause for concern? Do business schools pay significant attention to AWA as well?

4. What kind of schools should I target? Are global top-10 or top-20 a reasonable target?

I really appreciate your responses.

Thanks in advance.
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by Tani » Fri Apr 08, 2011 9:11 pm
Your GMAT is certainly strong and your AWA, although not exceptional is in the ballpark. You might think about taking a business writing course to both improve your skills and demonstrate your commitment to preparing yourself for the MBA classroom.

I have seen real inconsistencies in the way Indian grades are translated to the 4-point system. You have a couple of options. You can check with your undergraduate institution. Your school has undoubtedly had many requests for grades for application to US schools and may have developed their own translation standards. There are also professional firms that will translate grades for a fee. You can check with your target schools. It is possible that they are sufficiently familiar with the Indian grading system that they don't require grades to be translated.

Admissions committees do not look for existing letters of appreciation or commendation. Instead they ask for recommendation letters that answer specific questions with respect to your application. You need to be very careful in selecting the individuals who will respond to these questions. The most important factor (other than their positive attitude) is that your responders know you well enough to comment intelligently on your performance and your potential. You should begin to think about who might be able to answer in depth questions about your work skills. Remember, a recommender's knowledge is far more important than his or her title.

Top 20 schools are certainly in range, but you need to recognize that those schools routinely turn down exceptional applicants. Candidate self-select so that the pool for a top ten school is very strong. It also includes a high percentage of skilled engineers and IT specialists from India. All this means that while you may be very well qualified for a top-ranked school, it would be prudent to select one or more "safety" schools to round out your target list.

Good luck,
Tani Wolff
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by bschaspire » Sun Apr 10, 2011 8:05 am
Thanks Tani for the feedback. Your response is certainly fruitful and has boosted confidence.

Can you please suggest a few business writing courses you are referring to? Also, please suggest if taking TOEFL is mandatory for applying to US/UK B-schools considering that I have completed my Education in English language, have worked in US for a significant period, and have a valid GMAT score.

Thanks
Kapil
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by Tani » Sun Apr 10, 2011 7:50 pm
Each school sets its own standards for TOEFL and IELTS. You will need to check their websites. Most will waive test requirements if your undergraduate degree (not necessarily your graduate degree) is from an institution that teaches exclusively in English.

You should check your local colleges or universities to see whether any of them have a course in business writing, not necessarily one for non-native speakers. You are not looking to build credits, simply to increase your facility with business English. If there is a good MBA program near you, you might ask the admissions department for recommendations. You will undoubtedly be asked to write regularly in your MBA course, so becoming more confident in that skill will help you through the program and beyond.
Tani Wolff
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