ISB in round 1 with current score or in round 2 with better

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Hello,

Considering all the factors, ISB fits aptly into my MBA plans.

Deadline for round 1 is 30th August : Due to commitments at work, I will not be able to retake GMAT before 16th Sept.

Please advise if I should apply to first round of ISB with my current score or should I retake GMAT for a higher score and apply in the second round ?

Profile :
GMAT Score - 660
Work Experience - 4 years 1 month
Professional Background - Currently working in Microsoft Hyderabad; 2006-2008 IBM, Bangalore
Education - B.tech in Computer Science, Avg GPA - 7.8

ExtraCurriculars - Highly recognized employee in my organization; College President; University Badminton and BasketBall player; Theatre at National Level;

It is very important for me to get into ISB 2011 - 2012 batch , please advise what should be my best course of action ?
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by Tani » Wed Aug 11, 2010 6:03 am
My experience with ISB has been that it is very competitive and you need your best possible score to get in. However, you need to ask yourself whether an improved score is likely. If you have identified areas of weakness and how to improve them, it should be worth retaking the test. If you are just going to do more of the same and hope to get lucky, it is probably not worth waiting.

In general, I do not advise my candidates to rush to make first round unless they have a solid reason. There are still many openings left in second round and many schools are careful not to take too many applicants until they have seen the second round pool. Either way, your best bet is to apply when your application is in the best possible shape. If you believe you can have a significantly higher score - say breaking 700 - in September, then you should wait.

You also have to ask yourself whether you want to get an MBA or simply want to go to ISB. If you are determined to get the needed education, you need to apply to more than one school, including at least one or two "safety" schools. On the other hand, if you are only interested in interrupting your career and spending a small fortune if you can go to ISB, then go ahead and apply to only one school, recognizing that top schools such as ISB have many more outstanding applicants than they can accept and there is a strong likelihood that any individual applicant will be rejected, however well qualified.
Tani Wolff

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by venmic » Wed Aug 25, 2010 4:47 pm
Hi

I currently have 7-8.5 years of work experience. I am in to IT.Work as a Lead
also worked earlier in 2 different industries one year in Managerial level but not highy recognised
I currently work in the US and interact with clients i.e International experience I have also worked in IT sales at the very minimal have awards and appreciations from Clients worked as a Business Analyst
Have a master in computer applications_PGDCA
Have done voluntary work but don't really want to use it - in several areas but do not hold like certificates etc...
Was in the National Cadet Corps - India.
I am aiming for the ISB and I think I wil be able to make it only to the second round
Dont have major extracurricular activites... but most it can be proven in voluntary work if need be
May not get a a very good score but my target school is ony the ISB not a very good strategy but want to ..
Please suggest based on my profile what do you think my score should be as in an acceptable score
Did nt run a spell check sorry about that
Thanks for your advice....

Tani Wolff - Kaplan wrote:My experience with ISB has been that it is very competitive and you need your best possible score to get in. However, you need to ask yourself whether an improved score is likely. If you have identified areas of weakness and how to improve them, it should be worth retaking the test. If you are just going to do more of the same and hope to get lucky, it is probably not worth waiting.

In general, I do not advise my candidates to rush to make first round unless they have a solid reason. There are still many openings left in second round and many schools are careful not to take too many applicants until they have seen the second round pool. Either way, your best bet is to apply when your application is in the best possible shape. If you believe you can have a significantly higher score - say breaking 700 - in September, then you should wait.

You also have to ask yourself whether you want to get an MBA or simply want to go to ISB. If you are determined to get the needed education, you need to apply to more than one school, including at least one or two "safety" schools. On the other hand, if you are only interested in interrupting your career and spending a small fortune if you can go to ISB, then go ahead and apply to only one school, recognizing that top schools such as ISB have many more outstanding applicants than they can accept and there is a strong likelihood that any individual applicant will be rejected, however well qualified.