Kindly Evaluate My Profile: 690/Indian Female/IT-5.5 Yrs Exp

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Dear Experts,

Greetings! I am an aspiring MBA candidate and I want to start school in Aug 2012.I took my GMAT yesterday and I scored a 690. :( I wanted to cross the 700 mark very badly but missed it by 10 points.:( Now that I have got my GMAT score, the top question on my mind is what are my chances of getting in to my target schools ? Based on my GMAT score and profile, which schools I should be targeting? It will be great if you could evaluate my profile and enlighten me.

Kindly evaluate my candidacy as I am targeting top schools in the US. Here is a brief overview of my profile :

About myself: Indian female/29 years old / total 5.5 years Industry experience

GMAT: 690 (Quant : 46, verbal 38)

GPA/school: I hold a first class degree in Bachelor of Engineering (Information Technology) from the University Of Mumbai. I scored an aggregate of 61% in my bachelor's and I am not sure how this translates to the GPA. My official college transcript specifically says that GPA is not the achievement index for the student's academic performance in University Of Mumbai.

Target schools: Harvard, Wharton, Yale, Tuck, Ross, Fuqua, Columbia, Stern, MIT Sloan, Kellogg, Ross


Professional background: I am software engineer by qualification and profession. I completed by Bachelors degree in June 2004 and joined one of Asia's biggest software companies as a software developer. I worked with the same company for 5.5 years and during this period I have done many projects in which I have donned a variety of roles namely, software developer, business analyst, team leader, change management lead, tester and project manager. I have worked in multiple domains such as e-learning, finance and insurance. I have worked in the United States for close to 2 years while I was doing assignments for my company's American clients. My work has been highly commended by clients and I have been presented with certificates of appreciation in recognition of my contribution to the project.

Community Service: I was a volunteer for 1 year with a non profit organization which focuses on providing education to slum children. I worked as a mentor with a particular group that focused on mentoring teen aged slum children. The main focus of this mentor group is to keep these children focused on completing their education and help them deal with the problems they face in day to day lives due to their underprivileged socio-economic back ground.

Extra curricular Activities: At school level, I have participated in elocution, essay writing and quiz competitions and I have won numerous prizes. I have participated in such competitions at college level too but I have not won prizes. I used to be a member of the Toastmaster's club and I have attended several sessions.

Current Status: I quit my job in August 2010 (after putting in 5.5 yrs of service) as I got engaged to get married. I am not working at present. I live in Gainesville, Florida with my husband.

Area of interest: I am interested in pursuing a MBA in finance


Thanks a lot for all the help in advance !
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by Jon@Admissionado » Sat Sep 03, 2011 10:11 pm
Hey there darer,
Based on your GMAT and profile, the top schools on your list are a bit of a reach for you, esp. Harvard, MIT, Wharton. Doesn't mean you shouldn't apply to them though! Just means they are a bit of a stretch. Keep in mind that your list is made up of some of the toughest schools there are with a lot of Indian candidates, and especially IT people (although mostly male, so that's in your favor). What you will need to do is give them a good reason to choose you. Gotta find that unique value proposition for the Adcom, so that they will say to themselves "she's our girl!" It would probably also be wise to diversity for your list a bit and add a safe school or two.

Hope this helps!
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by ThinkAdmit » Sun Sep 04, 2011 6:06 am
Hi darendream009,

Looking at your GMAT score, your undergrad score and your industry (IT), the list of your shortlisted schools are a reach for you. As suggested above, you should add a few safety schools in your list too. You have to make sure you showcase your experience as not merely developing software applications, but show your leadership skills, professional maturity and other similar experiences.

You'll have to be careful while talking about your experience as there is a gap now. Even if you are involved with any community or other activities, it will be good to show those. In addition, you have to be very specific about your career goals and the need for an MBA. Your need for an MBA should not be seen as a route to enter the industry but a clear need should emerge and be related to your past experiences or your passion.

Hope that helps.
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by darendream009 » Tue Sep 06, 2011 6:27 am
Dear Experts,

Thanks a ton for evaluating my profile and providing me with inputs on which schools I should be applying to.

If I want to improve my chances of getting in to one of the top tier schools, what should I do to improve my candidacy ? I took my GMAT in 2008 and got a 680. I took my GMAT again last month and got a 690. Should I retake my GMAT with the aim of breaking in to the coveted 700+ bracket? What are the things I should be focusing on, other than my gmat, in order to be more competitive at the top schools ? Kindly advise.

Thanks once again for all the help and advice !

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by ThinkAdmit » Tue Sep 06, 2011 6:46 am
darendream009 wrote:Dear Experts,

Thanks a ton for evaluating my profile and providing me with inputs on which schools I should be applying to.

If I want to improve my chances of getting in to one of the top tier schools, what should I do to improve my candidacy ? I took my GMAT in 2008 and got a 680. I took my GMAT again last month and got a 690. Should I retake my GMAT with the aim of breaking in to the coveted 700+ bracket? What are the things I should be focusing on, other than my gmat, in order to be more competitive at the top schools ? Kindly advise.

Thanks once again for all the help and advice !
Hi darendream009,

Writing GMAT again would make sense if you can make a jump of at least 20-30 points. 680-690 and then 690-700 would be a drag, just a psychological booster.

apart from GMAT, as I suggested earlier, you should focus on utilizing this time productively. It is better not show a gap in employment. Even if there is, utilize this time to follow your passion or pick up some part time activity that contributes to your or your environment's development in an effective manner.
Nitin, ThinkAdmit

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Our GMAT Partner: https://www.edvento.com

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