Profile Evaluation

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giggle1050: Junior | Next Rank: 30 Posts; Posts: 11; Joined: Sun Aug 31, 2008 1:28 pm; GMAT Score:620

by giggle1050 » Sun Nov 02, 2008 5:42 am

Hi Graham

Could you evaluate my profile:

Indian/Female/32 years

Bachelors of Arts (Maths): First Division/ Top 5 schools in India
Masters in Marketing Communications: GPA 2.9/ Highest rated communications school in India

Work Exp: Have been working in market research for 8 years. I have worked with both public and private sector clients. I can boast of of some big brand names like USAID/Levers/Nestle. I have led teams and made presentations at large forums. I have worked on a lot of international studies. I have worked for six years in the US and now I am working with a leading MR company in the US.

Awards: 3 professional awards in my belt

Extra Curriculars: Strong but not exceptional.
- Classical dancer
- District leader of women's division of a religious organisation promoting peace in 200 countries
- Painter
- Reiki healer

Sore Point: My low GMAT score of 650 (Q 45, V 33). I have taken GMAT twice and I am circling in the same range. My previous score was 620.

The schools that I am targeting are Kellogg (dream school), LBS, Cornell, Haas and Yale. Do you think I stand a chance? Or will I be rejected outright because I am an Indian. Do you think adcom will be aware of the Indian schools I have been to will be able to assess my academic capabilities from that? I can retake GMAT but with R2 deadlines approaching I was thinking of foscussing on my b school essays.

Can I counter my low verbal scores somehow? Any suggestions on doing that?

Your help is much appreciated.

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Source: Beat The GMAT — Ask Clear Admit | Sun Nov 02, 2008 5:42 am

GMAT/MBA Expert

Eliot: MBA Admissions Consultant; Posts: 193; Joined: Thu Sep 18, 2008 10:57 pmFollowed by: 2 members; Location: Philadelphia; Thanked: 22 times

by Eliot » Wed Nov 05, 2008 9:49 am

Giggle1050,

Thanks for your note. While you clearly have some impressive work experience in market research, I am worried about your academics.

While it appears that you did well in college (first division in math), I am concerned about your 2.9 gpa in your Masters program and your 650 GMAT. For top schools like Kellogg, you really need to be closer to a 3.5 gpa and a 700+ gmat score. The fact that you are below average in both categories will be problematic, especially since Kellogg will see many applications from very qualified indian applicants. The best way to address a low verbal on the GMAT is to retake the test and get a higher verbal score.

In addition, given your age (32), the full time programs might think that you would be a better fit at an eMBA program. Now, the European schools are a bit more open to older applicants.

Thus, I strongly suggest that you retake your GMAT if you want to be competitive at top 10-top 15 schools in the US. If you don't, I worry about your chances at top 15 schools - even schools like Cornell, Haas and Yale.

Sincerely,

Eliot Ingram
Clear Admit LLC

Eliot Ingram
Clear Admit, LLC
[email protected]
215 568 2590

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giggle1050: Junior | Next Rank: 30 Posts; Posts: 11; Joined: Sun Aug 31, 2008 1:28 pm; GMAT Score:620

by giggle1050 » Thu Nov 06, 2008 7:00 am

Dear Eliot

Thanks for your reply. I can retake GMAT, but that would mean missing out on the R2 deadlines because I don't think I shall be able to study for GMAT and work on my essays simultaneously.
Do you think applying to R3 with a better GMAT will be better than applying in R2 with a low score?

Thanks again for your inputs.

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Graham: MBA Admissions Consultant; Posts: 270; Joined: Thu Sep 18, 2008 2:20 amFollowed by: 17 members; Location: Philadelphia & Paris; Thanked: 35 times; GMAT Score:750

by Graham » Thu Nov 13, 2008 1:56 am

Dear Giggle,

Thanks for your follow up post. I've offered some quick thoughts below:

1) I do not recommend that you apply in R3. Given the current climate and increased application volume you will need to focus on R2.

2) While I understand your concerns about juggling the GMAT and R2 applications, this may simply be something that you have to do in order to increase your admissions odds.

3) One alternative would be to apply in R2 with your present score, including an optional essay that indicates that you will be providing another GMAT score in late January. You could then schedule the exam for mid to late January and send along the score as soon as you have it. To the best of my knowledge, all of the schools on your list will accept another score after the deadline (as long as you've reported at least one GMAT score by the deadline).

Best of luck,

Graham

Graham Richmond
Clear Admit, LLC
[email protected]
215 568 2590

Stay Informed with Clear Admit!
Read our Blog for daily MBA admissions tips and updates.
Follow us on Twitter for breaking b-school news.
Download our Publications on MBA programs and admissions strategy.
Visit our MBA Admissions Wiki to read and share application insights.

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