Ask Veritas Prep Admissions Consulting

Hi,

My profile as it stands today is:

Age: 24
Undergrad GPA (BS Computer Science, 2008): 8.65/10 (Among top 5 universities in India)
Grad GPA (MS Computer Science, 2010): 3.75/4.0 (Among top 15 public universities in USA)
Work Experience: Started working as software developer in Summer 2010 for a global leader in healthcare software. I have a couple of internships also.
Extracurriculars: Department student representative in grad school


QUESTION: I am planning to do part-time MBA from either Booth or Kellogg. I will apply after 4-5 years. What all do I need to do apart from GMAT ?

PS: My intention in asking this question is to plan ahead and take up steps that make my application really strong.

You have strong grades and I am very impressed that you are planning so far ahead. My main advice to you would be to do a fantastic job in your current position so that you have a track record of professional success (promotions, increased responsibility, leadership, etc.). If you intend to apply to part-time programs, your LORs will be paramount. I assume you currently live/work in Chicago which will enable you to visit both schools and get a feel for the programs. Both are fantastic (I went to Booth, full time, and loved it!).

As for GMAT, I'd aim for 700. Of course it is great to have a score above 700, but, with great experience, grades, LORs and essays, you will be in good shape with 700ish.

Hope that helps!

Hi Jessica,

Thank you very much for the reply. I wanted to add some more info regarding my job and my career goals.

My current company develops software for healthcare organizations. My job role demands complete understanding of healthcare in USA. Also, as part of job I travel to client sites where our software is deployed to get a glimpse of how we are doing.

I am specifically targeting Health Enterprise Management (HEMA) program at Kellogg. Also my career goal is to be IT consultant in the healthcare industry. The reason why I want to do MBA is that, I have learnt how to develop software and have seen how people are using it in the healthcare industry. Now I want to complete the loop by understanding their day to day operations and the ecosystem in which they operate so that I can put my technical skills well aligned with the business goals.


I understand the importance of my current job and fortunately it offers enough opportunities to grow. I think I have a gap when it comes to extracurriculars.

How much should I involve myself in extracurriculars?

Do you see any other gaps in my application?

Also, do you think my career goals are realistic and well aligned ?

1) Extracurriculars - Business schools look for multi-dimensional candidates, people who have interests outside of work. It doesn't really matter what these interests are, it just matters that you have them. I could tell you to get involved in a world health organization but it would also be fine to get involved with mentoring high school students or playing a sport or an instrument. Generally, you want to show something that you have been involved in for a while but it needs to be something you enjoy and are passionate about. Maybe you design robots or take cooking classes, just find something you love - it will help not only your applications but your life in general .

2) I don't see gaps based on what you have shown, but, I don't understand why you want to go to school part time (v. full time), and, not exactly sure why you really need an MBA (you already have a ms and you want to be an IT consultant which is usually a non-MBA job - I appreciate your interest in understanding the business aspects but you could do that by taking a course or two, no need for a full MBA - you will need to explain to the Adcom why it is necessary).

3) Yes, everything "aligns", but, see above!

Thanks Jessica. By IT consulting, I meant strategic consulting which focuses on leveraging IT.

You may see the following links to get an idea of what I want:

https://www.boozallen.com/publications/article/40808278

https://www.boozallen.com/consulting/ind ... e/43034723


Regarding full time vs part time, I do not really have a compelling reason, except some financial constraints.

Yes, I was a strategy consultant and it is very helpful to have an MBA. However, be careful of the language that you use (which you will learn later) - IT consulting is completely different. Most firms do both. Strategic consultants are not involved in the implementation piece and often are not recommending these strategies at all. They are more involved with strategic (could be marketing/pricing/financing/partnerships) recommendations. Not sure if that is very clear, but, it will become more clear to you later.

Now, however, my questions is that, since you are switching fields, why don't you want to go full time?

I want to go for part time only because of financial constraints.

Okay, fair enough...but, just keep in mind that you may be able to qualify for loans or scholarships. I also considered going part-time but I'm glad that I took out the loans and went full-time. It may be more difficult for international students to secure the same loans and scholarships, but, it is worth considering. And, you do work during the summer so that helps with income. Since you are already planning far ahead, you may be able to save extra. Both programs are great and the quality of the instruction/education will be the same (for Kellogg and Booth) regardless of program, but, ft may give more flexibility with a job switch and better opportunities for internships and interviews (often the part-time students are staying with their current employer so the recruiting is a bit different).

Good luck!