Request a Profile evaluation

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Request a Profile evaluation

by seeker21 » Mon Apr 30, 2012 3:35 am
Hi All,

I have recently given GMAT a second time and I need some advice from the experts on the forum regarding applications and programs.

1st attempt : 680 (Q-44, V-40, AWA 3.5)
2nd attempt : 720 (Q-51, V-36, AWA 4.5)

Education:
- Bachelors in Information Technology from Indian Institute of Information Technology - Allahabad. [Institute ranks 9th in India ]
- GPA 7.5/10
- "A" in Business and Management Courses.


Leadership:
- Was Class representative at School.
- Career Expo (Placement) representative at Undergrad.
- Member and Secretary of the IIIT-A Program Management and Publicity Club.
- Member of the Innovation Accelerators group at Cisco.(To promote innovation, we successfully got a few ideas implemented.)
- Part of a team that was set up to suggest a new Rewards and Recognition framework at Cisco (in our Business Unit).

Work experience:
- 6 months with Motorola as an Intern at Applied Research and Technology Centre, Motorola India Research Labs.
- Have a patent application with US PTO for the research done at Motorola (Listed as the first inventor)
- 34 months working for Cisco. (Continuing now)
- Won 2 Cisco Star Awards (Best employee of the quarter)
- Got promoted in the 1st year of work at Cisco.


Others:
- Involved in various Social Initiatives at Cisco.
- Active participant in the School Adoption Program at Cisco. [ We developed the school with the help of funds received from colleagues and educate the kids]
- Was a member of Prayaas at college. [ Prayaas is a program we started to educate the uneducated kids in the slum near our college]

I am looking at programs with a smaller size and am interested in the following:
Haas, Tuck, Yale, Johnson, Stern, Ross, Tepper, Marshall, Kelley and McDonough.

Please let me know if there are any other good/better programs, I should be considering.

Also, please suggest some good programs being offered in Switzerland, Germany and Asia.

I have few questions as well:

1. Is giving GMAT twice going to hinder my prospects?
2. How much is my low GPA going to be a hindrance?
2. How is an international MBA different?
3. How good are the loan repayability prospects for European programs?

Thanks very much for all your guidance and help.

Sincerest Regards,
$33k3&

GMAT/MBA Expert

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by mbaMissionSusanK » Thu May 03, 2012 3:18 pm
Hi, Seeker21,

Thanks for your post. Taking the GMAT twice is certainly not a problem, and it is great that you showed so much improvement. Is your equivalent GPA a 3.0? If so, that is on the lower end for many of the programs you listed, however, it seems that you did well in business related classes. Also, your GMAT score balances your GPA somewhat. Is there a reason for your GPA? Did you show an upward trend in your later years? This may be something you can address in your optional essay. You will also want to highlight your work experience accomplishments and leadership roles in your various activities to balance out your application.

In terms of school selection, I would recommend that you think about the following. Where do you want to go in your career? What do you still need to learn to get there? Also, think about your other criteria for programs - geography, size, teaching style, alumni network, etc. Once you narrow down what you need from a business school, you will be able to better target the programs that are a good fit for you. For international programs, you will want to consider how well they fit this criteria and if they provide access to post-MBA opportunities where you want to be. There are many excellent international programs, but you need to find ones that fit your particular criteria.

Good luck,

Susan Kaplan
Senior Consultant
mbaMission
646-485-8844

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