Ask Veritas Prep Admissions Consulting

Hello,

I am pursuing Aeronautical Engineering in Anna University, India. My course is about to end. I strongly wish to do an MBA. I just wish to know my chances of getting an admit in Top B-Schools.

High School %: 95.58
Under Grad : 6.6 on a 10 scale GPA.
- Had been a House Captain in School.
- Brown Belt in Karate from Shito Ryu School of Martial Arts.
- NCC Volunteer in School.
- Student Editor of a Bi-Monthly in School.
- NSS Volunteer in College.
- Been the Coordinator of C-Coaching Classes and Secretary of Community Service division of Computer Society of MIT-AU.
- Marketing Coordinator of Athenaeum, a student cultural club of MIT-AU.
- Worked part time as a tele caller in a local BPO. ( Only for a two month period though! )
- Worked 2 years as a Self-Volunteer in a local Govt. School teaching Basic Computers.
- Working in Deepam, an NPO for educating local Govt. School children on basic Computers and English.
- Worked a Year as a Research Assistant for a Ph D scholar on a Transport Dept project.
- Had taken flying sessions in IIT-K.

And I have a bunch of certificates like, Finalist in Personality Search Event, First in Creative Writing, Aero-Modeling etc. Though lack a good GP, I think I have a better profile. Please review my profile and post your valuable suggestions.

Thank You.

Regards
Pranesh.

Hi Pranesh -

Many things in your profile look very appealing and I have no doubt that you would make a strong MBA candidate at some point. However, to gain acceptance to a top school in the US, you will need some solid work experience. Most applicants have about 4 years of solid work experience (track record of success, promotions, etc.).

So, my advice to you would be to work for a few years, study for and take your GMAT (aim for at least 700), make sure to continue with volunteer activities, seek out leadership opportunities and then consider an MBA.

Good luck!

Thank you for the reply Jessica.

But whats your comment on my Under-Grad score? I know I got a very less score (6.6 on a 10 point scale). Do u think I still got a chance against the Best B-Schools? What else can I do to improve my chances?

And am going to work as a Lecturer in a local college till getting into a B-School. Does that count as 'Professional Experience'? Or should I find a better job?

Thanks again for the interest!

Regards
Pranesh.

Undergraduate grades are only one component. Your grades will become less important the further removed they are (if you wait 6 or 7 years to go to school versus 3). You can mitigate the grades by taking some finance courses and performing well, or, a great GMAT can also help mitigate the negative impact of the scores.

I would suggest a "professional" job - something business related. It is hard to successfully convince an admissions committee that you want to go to business school if you have never worked in business!! In your case, if you want a shot at a good business school, you will need to have a strong business profession and strong recommendations from people who know how you perform in a business setting. Being in academia is great, but, not relevant for most business schools. Also, you should think about why you want to work in academia if your true interest is business. Unless you are teaching econ or something similar, I don't really see the relevance.

However, to answer your question on grades - there is no one element of your application that will get you in (or keep you out). Schools look at the whole package, but, you will need the rest of your application to be very strong if you already know that your grades are a weakness.

Hope this helps.

Thank You once again Jessica. I hope I would find a better job!

Regards
Pranesh

Hello again,

Finding a job in the business field with an Engineering major without a MBA is hard in India.

But am sorry to trouble u, what do u think of courses such as Engg Management, Financial Engg or Innovation and Technology Management?

Because am thinking of doing Engg Management in Duke or Cornell or Dartmouth, finding a job, working for 6 or 7 years and then applying for EMBA. Are those courses those courses good? Those courses dont demand a Work Ex except in Northwestern Univ.

Pranesh.

Hi Pranesh -

I don't know a great deal about those programs, but, I think that it could be an interesting option for you. However, I also think a job in engineering would be a good option. You have a degree so it makes sense to at least try working in that field. An engineering job is still a "professional" job and will give you experience. When I said "business", I didn't mean for you to infer that you had to work in banking or finance. Anything professional would be great (and I assume you could get an engineering job with an engineering major?). I only meant a job other than academia.

Hope this helps!

Thanx Jessica.

Thank You once again!

Regards
Pranesh