Request for Profile Evaluation

Hi Divsragha,
It appears that you've got a lot of great stuff to bring to your MBA applications: experience/education in India and the US, strong community involvement, start-up leadership and employer brand-recognition.

But you know what I'm going to say: for the schools you're targeting, I would love to see a higher GMAT. Given your tech background and your demographic pool, you're vulnerable to getting pushed out by similar applicants with higher numbers, particularly for small-class programs such as Stanford. At age 28 and five years of professional experience, this is definitely your year. But I would urge you to apply with a 700-plus GMAT, ideally 720. It looks like you've tackled a great many challenges in your life so far; this won't be the hardest you've ever taken on -- it would be a shame to let one little number restrict your chances.

So my recommendations for an application plan:
1) Retake the GMAT
2) Add at least one school that has an average incoming GMAT of 690 (i.e. hedge your bets)
3) Post-MBA Goals: pick a lane and deep-research each school's offerings for that career direction
4) Schedule an official visit to every school you're applying to; while you're there, talk to current students with similar goals to learn how the program is helping them prepare for their post-MBA careers.
5) Find a consultant that really "gets" you, and be sure you're getting the best advice. We offer a free consultation, which you will find very helpful: https://www.stacyblackman.com/contact/

Good luck!
Margaret Strother