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Need help with Profile evaluation. GMAT 760 low GPA.

Figure out where you wish to apply
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Need help with Profile evaluation. GMAT 760 low GPA.

by penguinphobia » Thu Dec 08, 2016 11:13 am
Hi all,

Thank you for visiting this post.
I need some help with evaluation of my profile and choice of target MBA schools.
Below are some of my background.

Asian, 25 years old
Born in US, raised in Asia(10~11 years), immigrated to Canada(now).
GMAT: 760 Q50 V42 (took twice)
GPA: Not sure how to convert. Graduated from top University in Canada with major in Cell Genetics and minor in Commerce.
To compare, class average is around 73~75%, my overall is around 70%.

Additional Course after graduation: Harvard CORe online pre-MBA program. Passed with honor.

Certificates: Passed CFA level 2

Work experience: Weak.
- Started as Teller after graduation (8 months)
- Currently working in retail credit facility sector of one of the biggest international retail bank.(2.5 years)
- Reason for the slow progression is that I was studying for exams and certificates. Not as easy for someone with Biology background to change to Finance

Internship during university:
Internship at a local private bank in Singapore (travelled there) for 2 months

Extra/volunteer: Weak to mediocre
- Volunteer as business analyst for local small business for about a year or so
- Provide pricing strategy, marketing campaign
- Speaks Chinese and English fluently. Conversational level of Japanese.

LT goal: Financial consulting Entrepreneur
ST goal: gain consulting experience


Target Schools:
- INSEAD
- Columbia
- Chicago Booth
- NYU
- Cornell Johnson

I want to know if my target school range is reasonable. I have strong passion for INSEAD because my father went there too. I enjoy travelling and have visited numerous countries since I was a kid (China, Korea, Japan, New Zealand, Australia, US, Greece, Italy, Spain...)
However, I don't want to limit my choices and would like to know some estimation for my chances.

Thanks a lot!
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by VantagePointMBA » Thu Dec 08, 2016 12:17 pm
Hi there,

Happy to provide a few recommendations and thoughts on your profile! Overall, there's no doubt that you can handle the academic rigor of a top MBA program based on your GMAT, CFA level 2 achievement, and what I'm estimating comes out to a 3.0/3.1 GPA in a very challenging major. (You'll probably want to address the GPA in an optional essay, though, since it is below average.) And that's great because those are things you often can't change. However, your work experience and the value of the perspective that you would bring to the classroom from that experience (which is what the adcom is looking for, together with leadership) unfortunately may fall short for many top programs based on the information you provided. Is there a reason why you're applying this year? I'm asking because you are on the young side for both US and European MBA programs which average 5 and 6 years, respectively, of work experience in their incoming classes. It may be worth delaying your applications for a year or two and buckling down on further building your resume - by getting a promotion, leading a project at work, or even securing a more rigorous job outside your current employer. In cases of weak work experience, the adcom will also look to your extra-curricular activities for evidence of leadership. There you have another opportunity to strengthen your profile either by further engaging in your current ECs or seeking new opportunities to contribute to your community and make an impact. Your small business consulting role sounds interesting - perhaps there's more you can do there?

In terms of your school selection, I would say that your current list may be a bit ambitious with your current profile. Not impossible but odds are not in your favor. However, with a bit more time and effort on your part, I think you could definitely get there and be a competitive candidate for your dream schools. INSEAD, in particular, skews a bit older so you definitely have time to make some improvements. If, on the other hand, you're focused on applying this year no matter what, then I would encourage you to consider some less competitive programs as well so you're reducing your risk. A program like Georgetown, which has a strong global focus, could be right up your alley.

I hope that was helpful and gave you some things to think about! Best of luck!

Kindly,
Melody
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by Edison@VeritasPrep » Thu Dec 08, 2016 2:39 pm
Thanks for sharing.

Agree with the above advice that your academic capacity to keep pace is there. For INSEAD, in particular, you also have the international exposure the school looks for, you can leverage this to show open-mindedness and ability to work across cultures.

You would need to demonstrate how you have done well at work, and have progressed over the years. Consider gaining more work experience and being more involved in extracurricular activities. Gaining more experience handling complex and critical responsibilities, while working with teams and handling challenging situations will be good for you and for your chances of admissions.

All the best!
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by Edison@VeritasPrep » Thu Dec 08, 2016 2:42 pm
You may also find some of the tips from the blog entry below useful:

https://www.veritasprep.com/blog/2016/0 ... ss-school/

Should You Wait One More Year to Apply to Business School?

"Should I wait another year?"

This is a common question among many MBA aspirants. On the one hand, you are raring to achieve the goals that have inspired you to consider business school in the first place; on the other, however, you are wondering how much another year of preparing and additional experiences might help your admissions chances. And of course, your other life priorities - such as personal and family relationships - are also major considerations.

You may find yourself feeling impatient with the desire to move forward, while battling your nerves to leave your current path and start anew. Managing your emotions to think clearly and objectively is important in making this critical decision. (Treat this also as good practice for more life-changing and career-defining decisions later on.)

So, what should you consider in deciding whether or not to wait one more year before applying to business school?

1) Reflection on Personal Goals
Many applicants, especially younger ones, are unsure of their current paths, and thus, they pursue business school as a chance to open up potential career opportunities. However, you would do well to learn more about the possibilities that will actually be available to you post-MBA before applying.

How realistic are your target goals given your background, interests, and skills? Is this really the job that you want to hold long-term? Taking the time to answer these questions by researching, networking, and reflecting on yourself could go a long way in making the most out of the time, money, and effort you will be investing in your MBA plans. Afterwards, if you still feel uncertain, it would be best not to rush into applying to business school.

2) Improving Your GMAT Score
Candidates whose GMAT scores are way below their target school's average need to reconsider retaking the GMAT if they want to increase their odds of acceptance. Depending on your assessment of how much higher you can score, and the amount of time needed (and available) for studying, waiting one more year to try and score closer to the school's average could be a good reason to defer your application.

3) Accelerating Personal Development
What does your next year look like if you don't go to business school? Would there be great opportunities to take on large-scale responsibilities at work? Or unique experiences to gain? Or a potential promotion to earn?

If the answer to any of these is "Yes!" then it could be worth it to stay another year, as these possibilities can fast-track your career and development. They might also result in stronger recommendation letters from your superiors or cement your reputation as a high potential executive in your company or industry - all factors that the Admissions Committee will notice when reviewing your future application. And depending on where you work, this may even lead to your company offering sponsorship for your MBA when you decide to pursue it later.

Weigh all of these considerations carefully, as they could affect not only your chances at achieving your MBA, but also your future career prospects afterwards.
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by penguinphobia » Thu Dec 08, 2016 2:49 pm
Hi Melody,

Thank you for your reply!

I wasn't expecting someone answering so fast.
I actually understand that age and lack of work & life experience are going to be my shortfall on my application, especially seeing that European MBA schools generally admit older students. The reason why I want to apply is because I find it relatively difficult to step into the industry I am really interested in, which is consulting, based on my profile and background.
I wanted to do MBA at this young age because if I really want to start my own business, I will definitely need to accumulate experience, connections, and wealth as soon as possible.

I think I didn't mention about my family business experience as I thought it might be a conflict of interest or serve as a dis-favor to my application.
My father actually went to INSEAD for executive MBA. His description of the rewarding experience is one of the major reasons that I want to join INSEAD as well.
Would INSEAD consider this as a plus?

Later, he quit the firm and started his own business.
I was the intern and assistant of the family business for a couple of months. I assisted to draft a couple of project to improve efficiency and factory production, resulting in higher yield and lower error rate. The reason why I am not returning to family business and want to start my own is because we decided to shut it down due to some private reasons and that my passion isn't in that field.
Should I include this experience?

Lastly, assuming I apply this year and get rejected, would this hurt my future chance when I apply next year? I understand that some school treat re-applicant differently. For example, they won't allow re-applicant to write the same essay and can only submit the "what have you done to improve" essay.

Thank you and everyone for replying.
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by VantagePointMBA » Fri Dec 09, 2016 9:58 am
Hi again,

Your reasons for pursuing an MBA sooner rather than later make sense in the short-term. The way I see it, though, gaining additional experience in the financial services sector could both help you in pursuit of your long-term goals and help you be more competitive for the top MBA programs. One could argue that the ROI from a top MBA program one or two years later may exceed the value of an early start via a less competitive MBA. But ultimately the decision of when to apply in only yours to make. You'll just have to convince the adcom to get on board with you :)

The downside of applying this year, getting rejected, and then re-applying in a future year truly depends on the school and the circumstances around your re-application. As you said, some schools only accept "update" essays from re-applicants whereas other programs give them a clean slate. I suggest doing your research and understanding what those implications are for your dream schools. Most often, when I work with re-applicants, I urge them to consider new programs and not only re-target the programs they have applied to previously. With that said, I have seen re-applicants successfully gain admission to a program the second time around so it really depends on the strength of your update. In your case, if you're really focused on going back to school ASAP, then you should certainly try applying to a couple of schools now and see what happens. You'll never know for sure until you try.

Re: your father, the online application will typically ask you if you have any family connections with the school. That's where you can input that your father attended INSEAD for his EMBA.

Lastly, I see no reason why you shouldn't include your family business experience in your apps, particularly if it helps fill some gaps in your resume. Every bit of experience helps. (I'm not sure I follow your fear of a conflict of interest.)

Best of luck to you!

Kindly,
Melody
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by CriticalSquareMBA » Sat Dec 17, 2016 8:37 am
Hi there,

Thanks for sharing your background. Congrats on a killer GMAT score! At the moment, however, I think it makes sense to build your work experience along with your community involvement and give some of the top programs a shot next year. I just don't see it happening from what I see at this stage. That's not to say that you don't have what it takes, because I think you have huge potential. What is your role in your current job? What can you do over the next year to take on more leadership opportunities? What can you get involved in locally to make a difference in your community? These are your greatest weaknesses now, and given your age, I think it's worth putting some time to grow these experiences for a year and then go after your dream schools. When the time is right, we'd love to chat on how to best position your story. Best of luck!
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