Profile evaluation request for 2011 FT MBA applications

[atul0698]

Hi Stacy,

I would appreciate your help in evaluating my profile for 2011 application.

Personal: Indian Male; just turned 31; living in US for last 5 years

GMAT: 710 (V38/Q49); AWA 5.5

Education:

Undergrad in Mechanical Engineering from India; GPA 3.712 [Dept. Rank 1]

Dual MS in Industrial Systems Engineering and Engineering Management from one of the Big 10 schools; GPA 3.83 and 3.95 respectively

Work Experience:

2 Years in India for an Automotive Company as a production engineer
-1 year as a rotational training engineer and 1 year as a design engineer

2.5 Years in US in with heavy equipment [offshore rigs] manufacturing company as an operations expert
-Worked on several projects ranging from more than $20M of capital investment in different areas to project manager for a major software roll out

Worked on operations consulting project with 7 different small Midwest companies while in graduate school

Strengths:
Strong background in manufacturing/operations
Good/Decent GPA

Weaknesses:

1) Weak ECs: No community service in US but very active in training/educating employees at corporate level with good results to show. Some community work during undergraduate years.
2) Leadership Experience: Top performer in company but do not have direct reports. However, I work with several different groups on a regular basis.
3) Age: 32 at the start of college is above the average age for all schools
4) Manufacturing focused background.

Interested in: Stanford, Wharton, Booth, Haas, Columbia, Tuck, Yale

Post MBA I wish to work in the area of operations management or operations/general consulting

Given my background and the interest areas, my questions are:

a) What are my chances in each of these schools?
b) Will my work interest post MBA affect my application to a school which is well know for other specializations e.g. finance, entrepreneurship etc.
c) Is 7 too many to apply in the same round?

Thank You

[Stacey Oyler]

Hi,

Thanks for your post. Overall your profile seems quite solid. However, I would have to agree with you that the lack of extracurricular activities isn't ideal. Not only do extracurricular activities demonstrate to adcoms your likeliness to be involved in activities and clubs on campus, but they also are a great way to show that you can successfully balance both work and outside interests - something that is important in bschool. Lastly, extracurricular activities are a great way to demonstrate leadership and teamwork skills if those opportunities haven't presented themselves in the workplace. Perhaps you can find ways to get involved in outside activities starting now to help bolster your applications.

In regard to your school selection, you have picked extremely challenging programs and you may wish to consider diversifying your list to include programs that aren't quite as competitive for admission. In general I recommend applying to no more than 6 schools. Lastly, your goals are important in that they are logical and clear, not that they are geared to what a program is "known" for.

Best,

Stacey