Hello experts,
I NEED HELP!
First, my profile:
28/F/Asian origin/US Citizen
GMAT - Take 1: 650 - Q48, V31, AWA 6
GMAT - Take 2: 690 - Q46, V38, AWA (n/a yet)
Undergrad GPA: 2.9 - Comp Eng, with Minors in Biomed Eng and Management (I ended up not having an aptitude for the major I chose - I plan to explain this in the optional essay. I did go to Graduate school to rectify this)
Masters GPA: 3.6 Biomed Eng (completed degree in 10 months with a simultaneous part-time internship)
Work Experience: Engineering & project management - 5 years in the non-profit, healthcare industry
Other: Extensive & current organizational and leadership extracurricular experience including extensive fundraising, marketing, international project and volunteer management; love traveling; run half marathons; avid hiker and crossfitter; love painting on varied textures and oversized canvases; love food especially croissants..
Target school: INSEAD (obviously, for more than unrestricted access to fresh croissants)
Plan post MBA:
Short term goal - strategy consulting with a focus on non-profits.
Long term goal - Start up a similar healthcare institution in Asia - thus INSEAD will help me establish the network I need, and provide a good transition platform
After my GMAT retake yesterday I went through several cycles of frustration, depression, disappointment, dejection, self-doubt, solitude and introspection (yes, all in one day - it probably says something about how ready I am for another one-year program given that I can talk myself into pursuing my dream after giving up hope completely within a 24-hour period - although this is not an impressive essay story, and probably should not even appear on these posts).
After browsing online for hours and hours, the INSEAD blog posts on BTG inspired me to do some serious introspection on whether MBA was the right choice, and if so, would INSEAD be a "good fit". I jotted down some points and started typing away into the PDF version of the INSEAD app which I have been revising and revisiting one short essay at a time - I still strongly feel this is the right school for me.
Anyway, I was not impressed with my performance on the GMAT, so how can I expect the admissions committee to be? And even though I still want to pursue my goal, the doubt has slowly, but surely crept into my psyche about my ability to submit a competitive and convincing application given my current stats.
So the question is, do I re-retake the GMAT in hopes of making it into the elite 700-something bracket?
Or do I try to erase the scarring GMAT memory, focus on a stellar app and reccos (I know they will be), take a chance and try my luck at R1 (looming deadline of April 11)! What seemed like a good strategy, I had planned my GMAT retake so I would have three weeks to work on the first draft of my essay for my recommenders (currently on standby) - clearly have so much to learn in terms of factoring in contingencies.
I realize working on my essays and studying to re-retake the GMAT is probably going to end up being somewhat of a halfhearted attempt at both, placing me back at square one.
Your advice will be greatly appreciated!
Thank you for taking the time to read this long, discombobulated post, and for your help in advance!!
Will be sending good karma vibes your way for helping me sort through this!
I NEED HELP!
First, my profile:
28/F/Asian origin/US Citizen
GMAT - Take 1: 650 - Q48, V31, AWA 6
GMAT - Take 2: 690 - Q46, V38, AWA (n/a yet)
Undergrad GPA: 2.9 - Comp Eng, with Minors in Biomed Eng and Management (I ended up not having an aptitude for the major I chose - I plan to explain this in the optional essay. I did go to Graduate school to rectify this)
Masters GPA: 3.6 Biomed Eng (completed degree in 10 months with a simultaneous part-time internship)
Work Experience: Engineering & project management - 5 years in the non-profit, healthcare industry
Other: Extensive & current organizational and leadership extracurricular experience including extensive fundraising, marketing, international project and volunteer management; love traveling; run half marathons; avid hiker and crossfitter; love painting on varied textures and oversized canvases; love food especially croissants..
Target school: INSEAD (obviously, for more than unrestricted access to fresh croissants)
Plan post MBA:
Short term goal - strategy consulting with a focus on non-profits.
Long term goal - Start up a similar healthcare institution in Asia - thus INSEAD will help me establish the network I need, and provide a good transition platform
After my GMAT retake yesterday I went through several cycles of frustration, depression, disappointment, dejection, self-doubt, solitude and introspection (yes, all in one day - it probably says something about how ready I am for another one-year program given that I can talk myself into pursuing my dream after giving up hope completely within a 24-hour period - although this is not an impressive essay story, and probably should not even appear on these posts).
After browsing online for hours and hours, the INSEAD blog posts on BTG inspired me to do some serious introspection on whether MBA was the right choice, and if so, would INSEAD be a "good fit". I jotted down some points and started typing away into the PDF version of the INSEAD app which I have been revising and revisiting one short essay at a time - I still strongly feel this is the right school for me.
Anyway, I was not impressed with my performance on the GMAT, so how can I expect the admissions committee to be? And even though I still want to pursue my goal, the doubt has slowly, but surely crept into my psyche about my ability to submit a competitive and convincing application given my current stats.
So the question is, do I re-retake the GMAT in hopes of making it into the elite 700-something bracket?
Or do I try to erase the scarring GMAT memory, focus on a stellar app and reccos (I know they will be), take a chance and try my luck at R1 (looming deadline of April 11)! What seemed like a good strategy, I had planned my GMAT retake so I would have three weeks to work on the first draft of my essay for my recommenders (currently on standby) - clearly have so much to learn in terms of factoring in contingencies.
I realize working on my essays and studying to re-retake the GMAT is probably going to end up being somewhat of a halfhearted attempt at both, placing me back at square one.
Your advice will be greatly appreciated!
Thank you for taking the time to read this long, discombobulated post, and for your help in advance!!
Will be sending good karma vibes your way for helping me sort through this!
