Profile Evaluation - Need Valuable Insight.

[ravjitg]

Hi,

I would to get an evaluation of my profile in reference to my MBA (Finance) application. Please see below a snapshot of my profile:

- My undergraduate degree was in Accounting & Management Information Systems. I graduated with a 3.9/4.0 overall GPA (while working full-time 3 out of the 4 years). Juggled work with heavy courseload and also participated in co-curricular activities on campus.

- I have been working with a big-4 accounting firm since obtaining my undergraduate degree (4.5 years ago). I'm currently working as a Manager and have a CPA as well. Obtained CPA license while working in a challenging work environment.

- Scored a 680 on the GMAT while maintaining a full-time work schedule.

- From a work perspective, I'm mainly involved in managing engagements/professionals, and doing consulting related work. Can manage good recommendations from partners/senior managers.

- I have also worked overseas while doing 2 expat rotations with the firm's India operations whereby I was involved in managing and mentoring professionals as well as providing relevant training.

I would like to get some expert feedback on my profile. I am aiming for the following schools - Wharton, Yale, NYU, London School of Business, Dartmouth College & Duke.

Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

Regards

-Rav

[Tani]

Hi Rav,

It is unclear whether you are a US citizen, or would be applying as a foreign national. Apparently you went to college in the US (based on your 3.9/4.0), but have worked in India as an ex-pat. As you probably know, the top US schools are flooded with applications from Asians with strong academic records and high GMAT scores, which can make admissions tough.

Your work experience and CPA will be very helpful, especially with the combination of US and ex-pat assignments. Your GMAT is good, but not great. Since you have a strong quant background I assume your verbal score hurt your overall. If there is a solid chance of getting that score over 700, it would be worth a try given your target schools.

On balance, you are certainly the type of applicant that should be looking at the schools on your list. That said, there are no slam-dunks. The schools you are considering attract the top applicants and still accept fewer than one in four. If you are determined to go to b-school next fall, you should think about adding one or two safety schools to your list. If you plan to stay in accounting, consider those schools which rank top ten in accounting, but somewhat lower overall. Those schools will still attract the best employers in your field when it comes time for internships and jobs.

Good luck,

[ravjitg]

Hi Tani,

I sincerely appreciate the feedback. I am a US Citizen. I immigrated to the US approx. 10 years back. I completed my undergraduate studies at a US school. I do realize that my GMAT score - 680 is decent but not as high as some individuals of Asian descent. However I believe that my work experience and CPA license, should make up for the 20 odd points that I'm short . Also it was my quant score and not my verbal score that hurt me. I did my schooling at a boarding school in India where there was heavy emphasis on verbal skills, therefore I feel that I do not completely fit into the profile of a typical Asian candidate. Given that I also did expat assignments in India should help me. In conclusion, I agree that my GMAT socre is competitive (maybe 10-20 points short), but given that i had a high undergraduate GPA and good work experience, do you think that I have a decent overall shot of trying for these schools?

Thank you once again for your feedback.

-Rav

[Tani]

Thanks for the additional information. Yes that helps. Your strong verbal skills will set you apart. A good AWA score can highlight that. Of course you have a decent shot, keeping in mind that the admissions process is not a science and surprising results (positive and negative) are common.

I advise all my applicants to ask themselves whether they are determined to go to business school in order to learn skills needed in their careers, or whether they are only willing to give up two years of their lives and several hundred thousand dollars (cost and lost income) if they can go to schools on a specific list. If the former, they need to apply to a range of schools including one or more "safety" schools. If they are not interested in schools outside that list, that is fine, but they have to recognize that there is a slight chance of not getting in anywhere. Once you answer that question, you can finalize a list of target schools and begin the application process.

As I mentioned, you are the type of applicant who should be applying to the schools on your list. Focus now on putting together a killer application with a compelling story about belong in that school's entering class.

Good luck,