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Have a low GMAT but high aspirations? Far too many MBA applicants think that this is an obvious mismatch, but it may not necessarily be! This still does not mean that the doors to all top MBA programs are open wide for you, but it does mean that not all doors are closed either! Over the years, we have seen (and fashioned!) many low GMAT MBA success stories. This post is our attempt to explain what may be the possibilities if you have a low GMAT score but are still aiming for the top programs..Low GMAT MBA Success Stories
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The Analytics MBA may not yet be part of the common lexicon yet (like the Marketing MBA, Finance MBA, or Entrepreneurship MBA is), but Analytics is an area that is giving birth to a whole range of new opportunities for business graduates. In 2012, Harvard Business Review published an article asserting that the job of Data Scientist would be the ‘sexiest job’ of the 21st century. That apart, Analytics is an area that is equally interesting for business professionals, mathematics majors, and information technology majors alike. If you love mathematics, statistics, and interpreting data, this is a field you are going to love. Not just because of the analytical acumen that it involves, but also because the insights that you glean are impossible to derive any other way, and can often get to the root cause of pressing business problems quickly..Analytics MBA Programs and Opportunities
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Creating strong and compelling MBA essays that interest as well as impact MBA Admissions Committees is never an easy job. With multiple schools to apply to, and different essays for each, the pressure for putting in all the required elements and yet stick to the word limit can be immense. Of course, reviewing your essays multiple times and incorporating the feedback obtained from others also saps your energy. At this time, some applicants can feel fatigue and make the fatal mistake of looking for MBA essay samples online – some for outright usage, others for ‘inspiration’..MBA Essay Samples
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Every year, we have the opportunity to speak to a few bright and enterprising young men and women who have spent two important years of their life volunteering for Teach For India. They are looking at an MBA after Teach for India (TFI). We also occasionally come across people who ask whether a Teach for India Fellowship will help improve their chances for an MBA and differentiate their profiles. To those people, if they happen to be reading this article, here is our advice:
1. The TFI Fellowships are extremely selective (2013 acceptance rates were close to 7%) – much more than most MBA programs are. You are NOT doing a favor to a volunteer-strapped organization waiting for more hands on deck..MBA after Teach For India
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An MBA after a life in the Indian armed forces (Army / Navy / Air Force) is something that many officers consider after they leave the military. Your operations and administration skills are far superior to those possessed by people in civilian life. After all, as an armed forces officer you are a natural leader – you have commanded large groups of men in difficult conditions, and handled many emergencies. Now, an MBA can help you to further add skills and business acumen that can make possible the attainment of better positions in business and professional life..MBA Specialization
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GMAT vs GRE – this is a conundrum that is not uncommon among MBA applicants today. This scenario has developed fairly recently, but it is here to stay. 2011 onwards, ETS (Education Testing Service, the people who conduct the GRE) started pushing for wider inclusion of the GRE among business schools. According to a US News report, more and more business schools are now also accepting the GRE for MBA admissions. Before we can get to the question on whether one should take the GRE or the GMAT for B-school admissions, we first need to compare the two tests to point out obvious differences..GMAT vs GRE for MBA Programs
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The GMAT can be brutal sometimes. After months of preparing week after week, day after day, sometimes the result comes out to be significantly below your expectation. This can mean not just frustration and disappointment at not being able to reach a target score, but also concern around being able to muster your strength for a second attempt and do better next time round. Retaking GMAT is not about being disappointed, but about analyzing what went wrong, and then fixing it.. Retaking GMAT
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The MBA for Doctors is fast becoming a popular option for healthcare professionals who do not wish to stay with clinical practice or research careers. The landscape of opportunity for such programs used to be fairly restricted till just a few years back, but two particular trends have made this a top option now for doctors looking at careers in healthcare administration and business management. One, more top MBA programs have now started offering a healthcare focus or concentration. Two, there is an increased awareness in large healthcare institutions, hospitals, and pharmaceuticals companies on the need for experienced doctors who also have business education to manage the affairs of their companies.. MBA for Doctors
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Thousands of Indians apply through the GMAT route to top MBA programs in the US, Europe, and Asia every year. While many make it, there are also many others who have nothing to show for their efforts but their disappointment. The MBA application process is not always easy, and sometimes it can be plain brutal for those who are not prepared. Taking the GMAT and doing well on it, preparing insightful and interesting essays, and doing well on the interviews are obvious common denominators. Indian applicants, especially those from over-represented backgrounds like IT services, need to focus on a number of factors to create a differentiated and winning application. GyanOne lists some of these factors below..MBA Admission Consultants India
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We have written about Akshay Gupta earlier. A former GyanOne client, he worked with us on his applications to top MBA programs in Asia, finally choosing to attend ISB. Akshay excelled at the ISB program, finishing just below the top 10% (Dean’s list) of the class, and achieving a very high GPA on Finance courses. ISB fascinated and excited Akshay, and he even wrote a guest post for us on life at ISB. Simultaneously, though, Akshay felt a longing to go deeper into his chosen area of study – Accounting – than an MBA would allow. He longed not just to study and apply, but also research in the area. He therefore set his sights on the ISB Fellow Program in Management (FPM), targeting admissions immediately after completing his ISB MBA, and contacted GyanOne for admissions consulting on this..ISB FPM Admissions
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A PhD in Management in India is not an option that most people who wanted to teach/research in India took even a decade back. A PhD from a top school abroad was considered to be the holy grail of academic excellence which would help top professionals find the best teaching opportunities in India. Further, not many institutions in India really offered true research opportunities, leading many to believe that the best opportunities for professional growth after a PhD in Management lay outside India.
Over the last decade, things began to change. A lot many more professionals began to realize the value offered by top programs for PhD in Management in India..PhD India
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Consulting after MBA seems to be the preferred career choice for the vast majority of MBA applicants today. For some, it is an escape from the comparatively monotonous corporate life they have had so far. For others, it is a dream that involves getting the chance to work on new projects frequently, travelling, and helping clients fix their companies. Whatever the allure, the fact is that consulting after MBA forms the predominant career choice for B-school applicants when they apply..Consulting After MBA
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The question of how to finance your MBA in USA can be one of your biggest worries even after getting the prized admission letter. With the top US MBA programs costing well in excess of $100,000, the decision to attend one is not just based on career needs but also financial resources. How can one get a loan? Where should one get the loan from – the USA or from one’s home country? Is a co-signer required? How long will it take to pay the loan back? All of these are questions that race through the minds of successful applicants, often dampening the celebration of having gotten the admission in the first place. For some, worry on how to finance your MBA in USA becomes a bigger issue than planning their career and deciding on how to make the most of the time they have. With proper planning and research, though, each of these concerns can be fully addressed. Funding your MBA is a critical part of deciding to go, so planning for it is important..How to Finance Your MBA in USA
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An MBA or a Masters in Management? This is a question that almost every college senior comes across at some point of the application process when deciding on the future. The dilemma is clear: MBA vs MiM is essentially about whether one should one opt for the Masters in Management immediately after the undergraduate program or wait for a few years to apply for the MBA (For those wondering if there are any options to go for an MBA right after college, the answer is YES – see the post for more details).
Outside the early entry options to top MBA programs, applicants therefore have two clear options – an MiM now or an MBA later..career counselling
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The Johnson Cornell MBA, with strong employment statistics and support, boasts of a rich student life too. GyanOne interviewed Saniya Gandhi, a current student at the Johnson Cornell MBA program, to get her first-hand perspectives on Cornell MBA student life. Saniya also shares her perspectives on the Cornell community, studying in Ithaca, and academic specializations such as Real Estate that can be taken up as part of the Cornell MBA..Cornell MBA student life
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