career gap and MBA

[Skapila]

I am a prospective MBA applicant and would like to request for my profile evaluation.
I am an electrical engineer and have worked in Information technology sector for four years with IBM and Infosys.
I have had a good career progression and have performed at different roles within the firm. Worked at client locations in the UK and Switzerland in both technical and functional roles.

I have a GMAT score of 720 and a GPA of 6.7/10.

I had to move to US after I got married and since there were several limitations of VISA and other issues , I wasn't able to get a full time job in US. I was working part-time with a tutoring service and have worked as an instructor for GMAT and CFA for last year and a half.

During this period volunteered my services to American Red cross and The FreeGirl Foundation and contributed a lot to their marketing strategies .

It would be great if you can evaluate my profile and let me know if the career gap of two years would be a major stumbling block in my candidature for the B school.

I have shortlisted the following B schools:

1. Ross school of Business, University of Michigan ( Reapplicant)
2.Fuqua school of Business, Duke University( Reapplicant)
3.NYU stern
4.Yale University
5.Darden
6.Tuck
7.ISB ( Indian School of Business)

Thanks so much for your help,

Regards,
Shilpa

[Lisa Anderson]

Dear Shilpa,

It is possible the gap on your resume might affect your chances, but hard to know how much, if any. You approached the issue in a strategic manner by getting involved with some nonprofits and the tutoring service. In addition, you have a legitimate reason for the gap--you could not work legally in the US due to visa restrictions. So, I do think there are mitigating circumstances.

With regards to your profile, you have a competitive GMAT score and good GPA. The main issue I see from your post is that you are part of an over-represented group in the applicant pool (IT professional from India). I do think you have some things you can highlight to distinguish you from similar applicants. In light of the steep competition though, you might think about altering your school list to include more schools in the 15 to 30 range of the rankings. While you might gain admission to one of your top 20 schools, it is always good to have a back up plan.

Best of luck,
Lisa