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Please evaluate my profile and suggest some schools USA and UK for MBA or MS in management.

Nationality: Indian
Gender: Female
Age: 25
Expected start date: Fall 2016/Spring 2017

Graduation: Graduated with Bachelor of Engineering degree with majors in electronics and Communications engineering. GPA: 9.78/10

Work experience: 3.2 years in Mobile communications and software development and commercialization in a world renowned consumer electronics company based in Asia.
Strong quantitative, analytical, interpersonal and decision making skills.
Effective team player and led team on need basis.
Module leader in a project.
Mentored interns and new joinees in the team and provided on the job training.
Submitted a technical paper in IEEE conference.
Co-worked with teams in China, India, Vietnam, South Korea, USA and Europe on critical projects.

AWARDS AND CERTIFICATIONS
"¢ Employee of the Month winner (Twice)
"¢ Silver medal for securing second highest marks in Electronics and Communications Engineering in the class of 2012;
"¢ Distinction Certificate in Carnatic Classical music junior level from Karnataka State Government.
"¢ Secured the highest score in India for Kannada Literature in the class 10 CBSE Board exams, 2006.

Extra curriculars:
"¢ Trained in Indian Carnatic classical music for 11 years and still learning. Performed with my teacher in two concerts.
"¢ Played keyboard for a professional music group and have performed on various platforms at state level. Performed semi-classical and Indian folk music.
"¢ Participated and won several inter school music competitions.
- Avid traveler having traveled to 17 countries so far.

Goals:
1. Obtain MBA in international management with specializations in strategy, policy and governance.
2. After MBA, I intend to work in International business setup and contribute in strategy and governance.
3. I also intend to do PhD after gaining some work experience. Interested in pursuing research in the field of international business.

GMAT: Yet to take. Expecting a score of around 720

Please suggest some good universities in USA and Europe that are safe bets.

Hi,

I am looking to apply for fall 2016 entry at MIT Sloan, UCB Haas, UCLA Anderson, CMU Tepper, Columbia Business School. Could you please evaluate my profile for the same?

Full Time Work Experience:

3 Years of total full time work experience (at matriculation) across Hi-Tech/Semiconductors and Investment Banking in India broken up as:

1 year at National Instruments (an Austin based MNC, market leader) - Technical Sales & Marketing role: customer engagement, customer education, product marketing, sales support, represented National Instruments at several industry events

2 years at Kotak Investment Banking (a leading Indian investment bank part of a full fledged banking conglomerate) - Sector Analyst for the Technology & Consumer Internet sector coverage team: working across IPOs, M&A deals & fund raises in the sector, working directly with the VP & Director, client facing front office role

GMAT:
710 (91st percentile) - Q50, V35

Undergraduate Studies:
Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Gandhinagar - Major (B.Tech) in Electrical Engineering with a Minor in Management, GPA - 8.6/10

Extracurricular Activities:

At College (IIT):
1) Managing Co-Editor of the students' web blog and newsletter
2) Institute Mess Secretary (Student Government post)
3) Student Mentor for incoming freshman year students
4) Several event planning & management positions during college festivals

At National Instruments:
1) Program Associate for Planet NI (program reaching out to SMEs and helping them develop tech products via product discounts & technical expertise)
2) Program Associate for Webcast Wednesday (weekly product & engineering application specific webcasts)

At Kotak Investment Banking:
1) Program Lead for the Tech Daily (a technology & consumer internet focused daily curated newsletter circulated to top management)

Sports / Martial Arts:
8.5 years of Karate training - Black Belt holder

Social Work:
Mentor at MentorMeIndia: One on one mentoring for a 12 year old underprivileged boy in Mumbai.

Certifications - Coursera certified MOOC courses:
Wharton School - Introduction to Corporate Finance (97%)
Wharton School - Introduction to Marketing (95%)

Post-MBA Goals:
Short Term: Corporate Development at a top Technology / Internet company preferably in Silicon Valley
Long Term: Run a Consumer / Enterprise Internet business in India

Feedback will be extremely helpful!

Thank you,
Dhruv.

Thanks a lot Alex!
What according to you would help ensure that my profile is competetive for MIT Sloan, UCB Haas & UCLA Anderson? Would one more year of experience in investment banking have a significant positive impact on my chances? Also, which schools according to you would help get into technology investment banking / corporate development in technology roles (preferably in Silicon Valley)?

Hi,

It would be great if you could help me evaluate my profile:

My target schools: Kellogg, Stern, UCLA Anderson, Tepper

Experience:
3 years of work experience (on matriculation)
Decision Scientist at a Data Analytics and a Decision Science firm in India
Was appointed as team lead within 9 months
Currently working out of the clients office in Mumbai and managing a 6 person team at the head office

While at Mumbai I started taking interest in dad's business - (Multi-brand retail outlet - Men's Apparels)
- Run some analysis on stock
- Improved stock taking
- Put a system in place to collect customer data


Scores:
GMAT: 740 (49 quant, 40 verbal)
TOEFL : 112

College:
BE in Electronics Engineering , University of Mumbai (63% - Average across all semesters)

Extra Curricular:
- Won Gandhian Young Technological Innovation Award - created a prototype of a memory aid for the disabled
- Currently volunteering with Mentor Me India (Mentor)
- Have been a part of Leo Club in the past (Member, Treasurer)
- Organized various events at undergrad college

Post MBA Goal:
Short-term goal: Return back to India, scale the family business (More Brick and Motar stores and online store)
Long-Term: Introduce a private label clothing brand


I plan to apply to Stern, Anderson and Tepper in Round 1, and Kellogg in Round 2.
It would be great if you could also help me identify other schools I should consider.

Thanks,
Nirali.

Can you please evaluate my profile :

Qualifications: Bachelors in Electronics engineering. With 72% aggregate and 82% in Final Year
X %age : 85
XII %age : 88 (91% PCM group)
GMAT score: Yet to appear. Aiming for Dec 1st week.
Work-experience: 9+ Yrs in ERP consulting (Both technical+Functional) in HCM systems.
International experience: 2.5 Yrs in USA. as Onsite Coordinator and Project Lead.
Current Role : Principal Applications Engineer role
Companies : Oracle. Cognizant, Techmahindra.
Major achievements :
1) always achieved distinction during schooling
2) stood 3rd from college in HSSC examination
3) ranked in top 25 from college/ 3rd from section / 15 from branch in 1st yr BE exam
4) Successfully implemented Offshore-Onsite model at Medical devices company in US.

Answer to following questions that can would put some more light :

Why MBA? Why now?

I have a interest in working on business end of the Industry. Coding and programming is not something I enjoy.
My career with engineering is hitting a ceiling. An advance degree is much required.
I assume MBA would give me 360 degree aspect of the industry. This would enable me to decide how and where should my career go.
So I feel its now or never.
I sense an urgent need of skill update and MBA looks like something of my interest.

What MBA?
I don't want to change the industry profile. I would like to stay with technology even after my MBA. Looking for a job like that of CTO (may be not immidiately but down the line) who is in touch with the technology and also takes care of business aspect of it.

How can I succeed in your life w/o an MBA?
I cannot see any change in my job and role without an advanced degree.
Without an MBA, I have to be reliant on my fate and on my Seniors to get me an opportunity for a role that I desire and enjoy.
I would have to get a job opportunity in one of the developed countries like US to have a good living and future.
I would have to do certifications like PMI which can help me climb the the corporate hierarchy but it would again have a limit to which i can go.
This would be definitely slow and considering I am in the mid of my career, I need to work of things pretty swiftly.

How will an MBA accelerate/make it possible?
Again as I said MBA would give me 360 degree aspect of the industry.
MBA would give me credibility and brand equity as a business leader and analyst.
MBA from good school will give me credibility as a manager and as an executive.

Short term and long term career goals.

Short term :
To switch to business side of industry.
To get into any of the job role like analyst, strategist or a business consultant.
Not to stay too much dependent on specific technology in this fast paced world of technology.

Long term :
To assume a position as Business Leader/Executive. Someone like a CTO.
Lead/Head a business operation
Eventually be an entrepreneur of a self-sustaining business.

Short term and long term personal goal.

Short term :
Get a structured attitude towards life.
Be a person with a better decision capability.

Long term :
Have an illustrious and luxurious life.
To be respected personality of the society.


Some reasons (that linger in my mind) for not doing MBA are :

1) No major hobby and extra curricular. Though i can write some story about my penchant for watching movies of multiple languages. (Yes I watch Telugu, Tamil, Marathi, Hindi and English Movies).
2) family man with a working wife, kid and dependent parents. Here the cost of and ROI from MBA would play a major role.
3) Currently in a comfortable job, making good money.
4) A big number in years of exp field, which surpasses average exp of the class profile of every Bschool.
5) I don't have the names like IIT, NIT etc linked to my profile.

Confusions in my mind :

1) Even if it has been my passion for long time, would MBA be a good decision at this point of time?
2) What schools can do justice to my Profile?
3) People are telling for me it should be either Ivy leagues or none. Is it?

Some more Info :

I am looking majorly for US or an Indian MBA. My GMAT is on 2nd December 2015. Not sure if this is any indicator but I achieved a 660 GMAT Prep Test 1 a month back.