Request for Profile Evaluation

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Request for Profile Evaluation

by divsragha » Sat Apr 15, 2017 8:04 pm
I would like to request a profile evaluation to help me come up with a plan.

28 years/ Indian/ Female / Background in Technology

GMAT : 690 (Q:49 V:35)

Will be applying in 2017 Round 1.

Education/University/GPA :
Masters in Computer Science/3.5
Bachelors in Computer Science / From a decently ranked university in India / 3.7

Experience : (5 years)
Product Manager at a late stage tech startup. I am the lead product manager for platform and have some interesting leadership experience driving innovation in a small setup(1 year)
Previously a Software engineer at a well known tech company with a good career progression ( 4 years)
Been active in volunteering for organizations that encourage women in tech. I also run a meet-up network of 150 women organizing events in Bay area

Post MBA Goals :
Product Management or Entrepreneurship

Target Schools :
University of Pennsylvania, Wharton School of Business
University of California, Berkeley, Haas School of Business ( Part time MBA program)
Stanford GSB
INSEAD
University of Michigan, Ross School of Business.

GMAT/MBA Expert

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by MargaretStrother » Wed Apr 26, 2017 6:36 am
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
Margaret Strother
Senior Consultant
Stacy Blackman Consulting

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