Ask Stratus Admissions Counseling

Hello,

Can someone please comment on my profile?

Indian Female Entrepreneur working in a family firm.
Age: 25

ACADEMICS:
1. GMAT - 650 (after 3 tries) - Q46, V34
2. Graduated Undergrad with First Class (Distinction) and a GPA of 80/100 (Computer Science Engineering)
3. School GPA - 87% both in 10th and 12th CBSE

WORK EXPERIENCE:
1. Worked for 1 year in Software Development.
2. Switched into a family firm in real estate consulting, for a total work ex of 4+ years currently. Will have 5+ at matriculation next year.
3. Family business environment, leadership experience and initiatives on marketing projects, with digital marketing expertise.
4. Short term goal: Pursue a Digital marketing manager position in a technology/e-commerce company, or a Marketing Consultant role.
5. Long term goal: Set up a Digital Marketing consultancy focused on helping small businesses succeed online with their growth strategies.

EXTRACURRICULAR AND OTHER INTERESTS:
1. Was active in Sports during school and college, interested even now. Enjoy Strength training at the gym and very involved in fitness.
2. Deeply passionate about Baking as a hobby, and part of a women's entrepreneur bakers group and regularly get involved in organizing bake sales.
3. Pursuing some Internet Marketing certifications.

I have applied to ISB, and I want to also target Kenan Flagler (EA Round 1), Indiana Kelley(R2), NUS (R1) and also one other school strong in Marketing (R2).

Please advise on which schools to target?
Thanks!

Hi Hifunda,

Thank you for submitting your profile. I am happy to suggest some target schools for you.

In addition to ISB, Kenan Flagler, Indiana Kelley, and NUS, you may also wish to consider applying to McCombs (University of Texas) as it has a highly-ranked Marketing specialization. A stretch school to consider is NYU Stern; it has an excellent Marketing program.

If you would like to strengthen your profile to be a competitive candidate at top-tier business schools, there are a few areas I can point out that if fleshed out can greatly benefit your admissions chances.

You undergraduate grades are strong, but if you can get your GMAT up to 700 that would open up a lot of doors for you. I know you have taken it three times, but with commitment and one-on-one tutoring, you may reach a higher score.

Your work experience is great, and I am so glad you have outlined your short- and long-term goals. Many applicants are uncertain about where they want to go and it sometimes shows in applications.

Your extracurricular activities are good, but you may wish to take on more leadership roles outside of work. For example, if you initiate and lead those bake sales, be sure to mention that. A lot of your interests are solitary activities, so if you can cite examples of team building, whether during work or extracurriculars, that would certainly go a long way in your applications. An action you could take now to build out your profile is, since you love to exercise, organize a walk or run to raise money for a cause that is important to you.

If you can embellish any or all of those areas, it can counteract the fact that you come from an overrepresented background. The fact that you are female will make you more competitive, but because business schools receive countless applications from Indians with Engineering backgrounds, standing out in other ways such as those outlined above can greatly help.

I hope that was helpful! You may also be interested in an article I recently published on Forbes with tips for Indian applicants applying to US business schools. If you have any further questions, feel free to reply to this post or shoot me an email at [email protected]. I recommend getting started ASAP for your R2 applications - my clients at Stratus Prep that start the earliest generally find the most success.

Thank you so much! I think your reply was the best and most useful of the lot here! Really appreciate the suggestions Shawn!

Glad to be of assistance! Best of luck with your applications.

Shawn