Profile evaluation request

Hi Arjun,
Top MiM programs are looking for well-rounded young applicants, and your resume and essays will give you opportunities to display your strengths in many different areas. I don't have enough information about you to give you more than a quick summary -- your numbers are good, and of course you want to apply with a GMAT at or above the school's current class average. But other factors are important as well. Leadership is always #1, so if you have greatest achievements that have a leadership/impact component, those are the achievements you should highlight. If you're asked about other interests or activities, showing breadth of interest -- sports, music, cultures, cuisines -- will make you even more appealing as a prospective member of their community.
To sum up: balance. Be outstanding, focus on how you impact others, and show that you bring a wide variety of interests and activities to your class.

Good luck!
Margaret Strother

What should you do next? That depends on what you hope to get from your studies. If you are committed to these specific programs, you might want to take the road most traveled and work for a couple of years before you apply. If you're committed to starting your studies immediately, it's best to focus on schools that are most responsive to applicants with your overall profile.

I don't recommend trying to be an "exception" to whatever a program's acceptance patterns are, i.e. trying to get into schools that prefer applicants with two or three years of work experience when you don't have that yet, because that might indicate that you're targeting the wrong program for your actual needs. Many schools build their teaching on the assumption that students bring a certain level of experience into the classroom, and you might not get the developmental support you need at this stage from a program like that.
In other words, best to be realistic about where you are and what the school offers.

Good luck!
Margaret Strother