Profile Evaluation - GMAT 740 - Prod Mgmt/Entrepreneurship

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Hello,

I plan to do an MBA focused on Product Management. After MBA, I want to work in a technology company as a product manager, either helping build and launch new products in a large company or helping start/grow an entrepreneurial venture.

I am considering the following programs that provide tracks/electives in areas of Innovation, Entrepreneurship and Product Management:

1. Tepper, Carnegie Mellon - Management of Innovation & Product Development MBA Track
2. Stern, NYU - Product Management Specialization
3. Kellogg, NorthWestern - Entrepreneurship and Innovation Program
4. Haas, UC Berkeley - Electives in Management of Technology
5. Kelley, Indiana University - Entrepreneurship & Corporate Innovation Major

Please let me know your opinion on my candidacy in these schools and programs? Also, can you please recommend me some other programs that I should consider?

Thank you,
Anand


------------
Profile:
------------

GPA
3.11, Computer Science, India
Had a couple of average semesters ( ~2.7) and one particularly poor semester (1.9) in first 2 years.

GMAT:
740 (Quant: 49, Verbal: 45, AWA: 6)

Resume highlights:
- Total work experience of 4 years as of today.
- Currently working in India for a Canadian software company as a Senior Engineer leading a team of 6 developers responsible for building new products.
- I had joined this company straight after my undergrad. After a year, I resigned and joined a 4 member startup (location-based services in areas of mobile marketing and enterprise workforce management) as a Product manager.
- The startup had to discontinue operations within a year and I returned to work with my previous employer with a promotion.
- I have also helped incubate 2 startups - conceptualization, defining product strategy and business development

Extracurricular involvements /Leadership:

-At my workplace, sold the idea of a Knowledge management framework for our product to top management and worked towards putting it together. The system is actively used by 250 team members spread across the globe.
- Involved in a number of activities in undergrad days.
- Started a campus newspaper, acted as corporate liaison for IEEE Student Chapter, and managed campus Intranet services.
- Raised 7 figure amount in corporate sponsorship and was 1 of the 4 overall coordinators of campus's first major technology event.

Awards, publications:
- Publications: 3 technical papers based on undergrad work in proceedings of reputed International conferences.
- Recognized several times for my contributions to the company
Last edited by a21 on Wed Sep 08, 2010 11:37 am, edited 1 time in total.
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by Tani » Wed Sep 08, 2010 11:29 am
Hi Anand,

You should be able to put together a strong application based on your profile. You have a good combination of product management and technology schools and should be able to answer intelligently when asked why that school. I have worked with several students who have gone to Indiana for the Product Management program and they have been very happy.

Your work experience is good and the fact that you have been working in Canada should help to distinguish you from the enormous number of technical people from India who will be applying. Be sure that you clearly explain your leaving and then returning to your current employer. In my corporate experience, the ultimate compliment is to rehire someone who has left, so that is a very impressive point in your favor.

You show excellent initiative/innovation in both your academic and professional careers. That should be a major theme in your application, especially since you are targeting a field that relies on innovation. A seasoned admissions consultant can guide you through the process making sure that you capitalize on your strengths.

Overall, this is an excellent profile. The schools you are targeting are, of course, very competitive, but if you tell your story well you have a very good chance. That said, you are in a competitive applicant pool and have targeted very selective schools. Nevertheless, you are the type of candidate who should apply. There will likely be disappointments, but overall you should be in great shape.

Good luck,
Tani Wolff

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by a21 » Thu Sep 09, 2010 2:36 pm
Thanks Tani.

I've been looking at a few other programs and I think I should also consider applying to UCLA Anderson and McCombs, UT-Austin.

Do you think these two will be good options and are there any others that I should look at?

Thanks,
Anand

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by Tani » Fri Sep 10, 2010 8:00 pm
Both are fine schools and reasonable ones given your background. One other that comes up in discussions of product management is Wisconsin.
Tani Wolff