The Application Process

Here is my profile:

About Me: Asian (Indian), 20 years old.

Undergraduate Program: I graduated from a college in Asia, Majored in Commerce: Management Accounting (4 years)

GPA: 3.70

Work Experience: Self Employed as my dad owns a merchandising type of business. Currently working for 1.5 years, I will be taking my MBA after 1.5 years, overall 3 years of work experience.

Specific Task/s: Salesman, I trade several foreign currencies at a current market rate, I handle all the inventories of goods and the necessary accounting of sales.

Recommendations: Two Accounting Professors (CPA's) and I am sure to get a very good recommendation from them as I performed very well in Accounting subjects during my undergraduate studies.

GMAT: N/A but I am planning to take it this October. Studying as of the moment and am targeting a score of at least 700.

Target Colleges:

ESSEC, Singapore
INSEAD, Singapore

I can pay the necessary tuition fees and living costs in full.


I have two questions:

1. Regarding my work experience, I don't have anybody from the outside to evaluate me because my dad owns everything. Does that mean that my dad needs to evaluate my performance? And is that acceptable?

2. I came from a good college (not great and not that well known), does that hamper my chances in getting into the above mentioned colleges?

Thanks in Advance.

To answer your questions, first of all, you will need to have someone other than your father write your recommendation letters. You can find clients or other professionals that you come in contact with in a professional capacity (other businesses you trade with? customers? consultants?). If it is impossible to find a professional reference at your job, you could look to professionals in your volunteer or extracurricular activities. If you don't have anything yet, I suggest you get involved with an organization (and choose a recommender from this activity). I would not use a college professor. I'm not sure about the requirements for non-US schools, but, this would not be looked upon favorably in the US. You want LORs from people who understand how you perform as a professional and who can comment on your leadership ability and your teamwork, etc. and not just your academic aptitude.

As for your second question, the quality of the school will matter less than how you performed at school (you did well!) and the types of courses you chose (good grades in rigorous classes will be more important than the caliber of school). And, for business school, your work experience will weigh more heavily than if you were applying to graduate school straight out of college (in which case the caliber of school could become more important).

Good luck to you! I hope this helps! On a good note, you are very young have plenty of time to worry about getting the LORs and necessary experience in order. Most people entering business school are about 25 so you have time!