Profile Evaluation and a query...

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Profile Evaluation and a query...

by darthsethius » Fri Aug 26, 2011 12:08 pm
Hi,

This is my first time posting here, though I have been here for the past one month soaking up on some great advice regarding the GMAT. Now that I'm through with the test (Aug 24), I have decided to concentrate on the R1 applications. Here's my brief profile,

Nationality: Indian

Education background:
1) B.E. (Hons) - Instrumentation & Control Engg: First Class with Distinction (76.2%, 7th position in class size of 110) from Top 10 institute in India
2) P.G.D.B.M. - Finance & IT (CQPI: 5.17/8.0) from Top 5 b-school in India
(Also note that I was 2nd in my school in the Class 12th Central Board examinations)

Work Exp - 42 months/3.5 Yrs (Will be 54/4.5 yrs if joining the Fall 2012 program)
1) 22 months - Goldman Sachs (Equity Research Analyst)
2) 6 months sabbatical post layoff (Recession 2009)
3) Currently 20 months - Top Financial KPO (Investment Banking Consultant for a bulge bracket IB, working on live deals with my client. Also lead a team of 10 members)

GMAT - 690 (49Q / 34V) Studied for only 15 days, still awaiting my official/AWA score. Mostly likely will score above 5.5 and hence will most likely not reconsider giving the test again, since I want to concentrate on working on my applications)

Intended MBA Specialization - Finance / Strategy / Entrepreneurship

Goals: Since I already have a perspective of Investment Research/Banking area, I would like to get some more exposure in the industry hopefully PE/Hedge Funds (to make my experience more diverse) post MBA and then open my own financial services firm soon thereafter.

Targeted B-schools: Harvard, Wharton, Stanford, Sloan, Booth and Stern

An opinion/advice on my profile will be much appreciated. Also, if someone wishes to give me some pointers to keep in mind while writing my essays for these schools, I'll be highly obliged.

Also, I have a query. I must admit one area I didn't bother to research about during the past year was the self reporting of GPAs in the application stage. I always believed that GPA were calculated on relative basis rather than absolute terms, so when GMAC asked for my undergrad GPA while registering for GMAT (I assumed 90 to 100 percentile represented 4.0 on their table) I entered 4.0 since topper had 84% percent ~ 91 percentile. Now that I have gone through some of the schools' conversion tables and some forum threads here, I'm not sure anymore. Was I right in my prior assumption? I will be addressing my academic accomplishments, absolute score and rankings, in my essays anyways, what should I do for the GPA report part of my applications?

Thanks for your help in advance and also for taking the time to read this. (I just realized that I might have been verbose)
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by Jon@Admissionado » Fri Aug 26, 2011 9:25 pm
Hello there,
Hmmmm. with your stats and background I'm afraid that your chances will be slim indeed if you limit yourself to applying to Harvard, Wharton, Stanford, Sloan, Booth and Stern. You are at the bottom edge of the GMAT range for most of these schools, and given the wealth of candidates with similar IT/Finance background from India, who maybe even graduated from the more prestigious IITs you are in for some stiff competition. It's not impossible of course, but you are gonna have to have some super amazing stories in your profile that are beyond what you have done at work. I dunno maybe you have some side family business or you have founded an NGO with 300 volunteers, or something that is really really strong.

If your intention is to absolutely go to Bschool this year, you will probably have to change around your school list, applying to maybe two or three of the schools on your current list, and two to three that would give you better chances.

Hope this helps you out good sir,
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by MBAPrepAdvantage » Thu Sep 01, 2011 6:29 am
I feel you might wish to reconsider taking the test again. A 690 GMAT is very low for someone applying to your target schools from India. Remember the schools only factor your highest score.

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by darthsethius » Thu Sep 01, 2011 7:42 pm
Thank you Jon and Michael for your feedback.

I have been thinking the same thing for past one week. Is 690 enough? I had only prepared for 15 days. I'm reconsider giving it again now since I was scoring 680-740 in my practice tests. My only query is that since I will take some valuable time to give GMAT again and in that event if I postpone my application submission from R1 to R2 for some of these colleges, is it going to affect my chances ?

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by Jon@Admissionado » Thu Sep 01, 2011 11:02 pm
Well, time is of the essence. The thing with the retaking the GMAT is can you get that score? And are you prepared to delay your application for a year if you don't? OR do you want to compromise on your schools? The main things to consider are:
1. How much higher you really believe you can get (and only you know this)
2. How much effort it will take
3. How much time it will leave you for applications.

Look you are at a level, where if you get a 730 its a total game-changer, so if you naturally test well and believe you can get a much higher score with relative ease, then yeah! If however you have really tough times with tests, and it will take you soooo much work to get that score, then maybe not. Round two chances are close to the same as round one, although there may be significantly less money rolling around for scholarships.
"Hands down the best MBA admissions consulting firm of all-time, and boy, what an incredible founder!" -- Raj Patil, Founder of Admissionado

Something for everyone:
https://admissionado.lpages.co/admissio ... nter-2018/
https://admissionado.lpages.co/50-essay ... ked-vol-4/
https://admissionado.lpages.co/case-studies-lp/
https://admissionado.com/mba/reviews/
https://www.glassdoor.com/Reviews/Admis ... 700945.htm

Reach out, and let's gab. Our only requirement is that you don't prefer warm milk over cold milk. Everyone else, 100% welcome.
Email: [email protected]
Phone: 866-409-4753
Hit us up on WhatsApp.
Ping our satellite: 0884#&@-2#101101
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Mostly, email Claudia.

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by MBAPrepAdvantage » Tue Sep 06, 2011 8:04 pm
I agree with Jon. The only thing I will add is if you do not retake the GMAT before applying take it again after you submit your applications. If you get waitlisted you can submit the higher score which will increase your odds of getting off the waitlist. Also, I have had applicants who immediately submitted their scores to the schools and those new higher scores were factored into their acceptance (but don't count on this).

Good luck,
Michael Cohan
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