Help with Profile Evaluation

[vijayallenraj123]

I recently took my GMAT and scored a 650 (V-34, Q-45). (V-68%, Q074%). I was planning to apply to some B-Schools. I haven't got my Essay scores yet. Though this might be a common question, I thought an opinion from an experienced person like you could help me get over my dilemma whether I should take the test again or continue with my application process.

So here is my profile:

- I have a total of 6 years of experience (Oct 04- Oct 10). I worked in Infosys Technologies as a Software Developer for 3 years. I then moved to Oracle Corporation as a Quality Assurance Engineer and have been working there since 2007.

- My Academic records are - 92.33% at high school. I did my Electrical and Electronics Engineering and scored 75%. I guess CGPA conversion would be 5 for high school and 3 for undergrad.

- My current activities other than work would be free-lance software development for some of the local clients in Bangalore, India. Also I sponsor education for two kids in Bangalore through a charitable institution. I also am involved with Volunteer activities for charitable causes within Oracle through its Ora Volunteers club.

- My past extra curricular activities would be that I trained in Martial Arts and also trained in Music - Guitar and Drums. I've also been a part of various cultural events at high school - theatre.

- I currently hold a Senior Member of Technical staff position with Oracle. I am lead for an automation tool that our organization and various other internal organizations use. Elaborating on this would probably be my pitch in the application when they ask about any leadership role that I have played in my profession.

Can you please let me know if:

1. My score is good enough to apply to universities that are ranked 25 and beyond? I understand that the Indian IT Male is over represented, but I just wanted to know if universities ranked 25 and beyond would be OK with this score.

2. Would you recommend me with my current profile to retake my test or continue with my app process.

I would greatly appreciate any opinions that you might have. Looking forward to your opinions.

[jkhousto]

Dear vijayallenraj123 -

Thanks very much for your question. You are truly on the cusp of the admissions statistics with your GMAT. However, I do not know how you studied and prepared for your first attempt at the test. If you took it "cold" without much preparation, studying to improve your overall GMAT score (and particularly the Verbal section) might really help you. If you studied for weeks on end and feel that you were in top form on test day, you may have done as well as can reasonably be expected. Just understand that a 650 as it stands now does not really help your case.

I am not exactly sure what you mean about schools that "are ranked 25 and beyond." I think that the top seven to ten may be a bit of a stretch for you. However, the schools ranked anywhere from 10-25 could be attainable. Or you might apply to schools ranked 26-40 if you want to have a safety school or hope to seek some scholarship money or pursue a niche program at a certain school that you find attractive.

I also want to remind you that you need to hone your story about your longer-term career and personal goals. Why b-school? What skills and personal/leadership training are you seeking to obtain? How do you lead now, and how do you see your leadership evolving to fit new challenges? Thinking through these dimensions can often make the difference between a middle-of-the-pack application and one that stands out.

Good luck to you -
Jennifer

[vijayallenraj123]

Hi Jennifer,

Thank you for you reply. What I meant by 25 and beyond is Universities ranked 25 and below. Given my score and given that I am an Indian IT Male, I dont think I have a chance at the say the top 10 universities.

Given my profile I would like to know how my chances may be for schools ranked 15 - 35. I plan to specialize in Brand Managment (Marketing) since I have been a Quality Assurance Engineer for quite sometime now, and I have met and interacted with customers and also pre sales folks. Since I am from the software segment, I would like to get into the software industry once again.

Texas McCombs, UNC Kenan-Flagler, Ohio State, Emory, Washington Olin, Wisconsin Madison are some of the school I have in mind along with SMU Cox, Vanderbilt Owen, and Maryland Smith. Can you please let me know if I have a chance at the schools? Also even If I do get an admit in one of these, can you please let me know what kind of records they hold in terms of course curriculum, placements etc?

Also, it will be helpful if you let me know if my chances are pretty slim, I will then decide to retake the test.

Thanks,
Vijay

[jkhousto]

Vijay -

Thanks for the clarification both on your target schools and your current role professionally. Both dimensions help me qualify my previous answer.

Like you did with me, be sure to explain your roles and responsibilities as a Quality Assurance Engineer to the Admissions Committee; the more leadership you can show, the better! Also a career change can be a major challenge, but be sure to show how you have a base of marketing knowledge and experience through working with customers, with sales, etc. Then tell the Admissions Committees WHY an MBA is a necessary next step in order for you to meet your career goals in brand management. Be specific about HOW their particular school is a fit for you and your goals.

You should be well situated to apply to many of the schools you specifically list. Texas, UNC and Emory are a bit more competitive than the rest of the pack, but I think you have a shot at them. Do your research and really try to figure out which schools have specialty programs to meet your needs, alumni bases that seem like they would be to your advantage, student/campus cultures that appeal to you, etc. I like your openness to an initially rather large pool of target schools, and with some due diligence, I am sure you will become quite keen on several of these schools! Most of the schools' websites can help you quickly become familiar with their programs.

Best of luck to you!
Jennifer

[vijayallenraj123]

Hi Jennifer,

Thanks for your reply. After a lot of thought, I have decided to go ahead and take a chance this year and apply to some b schools. Based on opinions from admissions consultants etc I have come up with the following:

Reach:

Texas mccombs
unc kenan flagler
emory
Indiana university kelley

Safe:

SMU Cox
Vanderbilt
Maryland Smith
Iowa tippie
washington olin
wisconsin madison

I have categorized schools into Reach and Safe. Like i said before I would like to get into brand management after I finish MBA, and that is my long term goal. Given my profile and my GMAT score, can you please let me know if the list of schools above that I have come up with are good? If not can you please let me know if the school list is fine. Also please let me know if some would be too difficult and if there are alternatives, and also if I have missed some good schools that might be possible for me. The specialization would be marketing.

Thanks,
Vijay