Thanks for your post--sorry you were disappointed in your score, but what this typically means is that you can do better, so revel in your disappointment and try again. A 660 is a good GMAT score and demonstrates plenty of aptitiude for b-school, but your application pool is deep and wide so you will need to stand out any way you can. Sounds like your work experience is unique, and if you lead a team of four, you will have more bonafide leadership experience than the typical engineering grad has. Being a leader can also show up in your activities outside of work, so think about how you have impacted your community or other groups you're involved in elsewhere. Don't leave out the lower half of the top 25 schools--an MBA from a top 25 school will help you achieve your post MBA vision, which by the way, needs to be compelling and passionate in your essays. LEt us know if we can help.

Hey Bryant,

I recently took the GMAT for the second time and this time I scored 660. That's a 210 point improvement from my previous attempt. Q48, V32.


During graduation: A couple of friends and I setup this practice pad for burgeoning bands on the scene to practise in an environment conducive to making music. We shut it down after 7 months or so since we were low on money and since the other guys moved away to different cities. I myself played for a band for a while, writing original compositions.




After graduation:

I've been working ever since I graduated from college in 2011.

I started off working at an Audi dealership in Mumbai but soon figured that it wasn't cut our for me (read: I simply did not enjoy the job). 4 and a half months later, I quit.

Then after a month or so, I joined Standard Chartered Bank in Mumbai in the operations department. IT was the same old story here. I simply did not enjoy working here. So after 7 and a half months I quit.

Then came something worthwhile. I joined a start-up. A marketing start-up to be precise and it's here that I discovered that I had a real flare for writing copy for brands on any medium. I was also slated to work out of Outlook magazine India's offices for 3 months to work on their social media handles during this time. I finally knew something that I was good at and was finally doing something that I enjoyed. This particular job tenure was 18 months long. I decided to join a new place since I wanted to work for bigger and better brands and learn more.

Fast forward to today and in another 2-3 months I'll have completed 3 years of work. I'm planning to apply for the 2015 intake so by the time I apply I'll have 4 years of work experience.

Do you think my profile is strong enough for the top 25 B-schools? What are my chances? I'd be thankful if you could help me out here.

If you can weave a narrative together with a believable theme which ties into a compelling short and long term vision, you should have a shot at top 25. Right now your story is coming across as a little disjointed, but what I like is that you had a defining moment which provided clarity toward your talents and what you enjoy doing. The key will be in everything you have done since this defining moment and how intentional and strategic your plan has been since then. I would definitely make sure to stay put through the application process and not change jobs again since what's lacking right now is commitment to something. The good news is, you like what you do and have found your "calling" so to speak. If you can convince them you have made a turn towards something great you will have won half the battle. Focus on leadership opportunities in your job and speak to the teamwork required. Let us know if we can help.