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Profile build up for Top MBA colleges in US

by mba.uj » Sat Dec 06, 2008 11:51 pm
I am a 20 yr old Indian.
In the final yr of my graduation in Business Management from a top grad colg of India.
I hv very good academic performance in school and average in colg.
Average extra-curricular.
I am targeting a GMAT score of above 720 which I believe is well within my scope of aptitude.
1 drawback I have heard is that I hv 15 yrs of education provided in India as opposed to the requisite 16 yrs demanded by American Institutes. How far is this statement true? How can I take a recourse against this sitation?

My main question is - What route should I take from here on to build up an formidable profile in the next 3-4 yrs for Colleges of the reputation of HBS, Wharton, Stanford and Kellogg?

Also as my grad is ending soon, i hv 2 options in front of me - shud i join some consultancy, or start up a venture on my own? What would count more in ur view?

Thanks a lot in advance. Smile
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by Jay Allen » Sun Dec 07, 2008 5:39 am
First, I want to applaud you for thinking ahead. With several years to go, you will be able to think strategically. When you get ready to do your applications, give us a call--in the meantime, here's some free advice that will help you understand how we think about preparing an application.

By far, the most important job choice is to do something you love. I don't say that as a pat answer: MBA programs are looking for people that attack their career with passion. If you love your job, you'll work harder and achieve more. And it will be obvious.

More tactically, you want to position yourself to be unique within your cohort groups. Each school will have a target admission % of students from India, students from a certain industry, students of a certain gender, etc. You will be categorized into your cohort group and then judged against them. You should be looking for ways that you stand out versus your specific cohort group. For instance, an engineer that had taken pains to show outstanding communication and teamwork skills would stand out. Similarly, a non-profit candidate with demonstrable quantitative skills would surely stand out.

Even more specifically, you want to make sure that your are competent across 6 key admission categories. You want to have specific stories that can be plugged into each category:

LEADERSHIP
TEAMWORK
ANALYTICAL ABILITY
ETHICAL VALUES
CULTURAL DIVERSITY
GENERAL MANAGEMENT PERSPECTIVE

I would systematically keep track of your experiences and make sure you have a quality story for each category.

Finally, you need to aggressively attach your weaknesses. If you think your recent academic history will raise a red flag, than attack that weakness by taking a few extra business courses now. Schools want to know if you're going to struggle in class. If you take an accounting and macroeconomics class now, you'll be able to demonstrate that you have the ability to succeed in your MBA classes.


Best,

Jay
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by mba.uj » Mon Dec 08, 2008 4:56 am
thanks a lot jay.
it was a really helpful post.
1 thing I really want to know is that which colgs would require 16 yrs of education as a compulsory condition, as i have 15 yrs of education behind me?
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by Jay Allen » Mon Dec 08, 2008 6:19 pm
I can't think of a school that mandates 16 years. The 15 years of education question will be lumped together with the general age/maturity question. Your academic aptitude is not questioned, so proving your maturity and ability to relate to your classmates will be more important.

Best,

Jay
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