Amy-Need Advice!!!-adding to existing post.Last post has de

[GMATDUD]

HBS requires 3 recommendation letters. I am an independent consultant . I have requested letters from the 2 clients I work for and report directly too.

for the third letter I need some advice:

A)Do I ask someone on my team who has been on a lot of projects with me ?
B) Ask a person I mentored on the client team
C) Get a recco from the ex-president of the social club I lead.

Option A,B have worked with me for over 3 years. Option C knows me for 4 years , but as an officer of the club for only a year.

Any inputs what would add more value. Last but not the least : Recommender 1 is a executive in a top 5 telecom company and is focusing on the communication , objectivity, and goal oriented characteristics. Recommender 2: will reflect on leading teams on critical projects, and all the blah that goes with leading and following.

For recommender 3 : I am thinking personality - outside the work focus. Help guide me pick the rite person ..

P.S- Going to take the GMAT in a week . 650 will be an achievement. Have strong experience and looking for good recco's to complete my profile.

cheers,
T

[andreg]

Hi,

I am self employed so I have asked two clients and my mentor.
Best,
Andre

[Amy]

Hi GMATDUD,

Is option A one of your employees? If so, I would avoid that choice. I think either B or C would work, though I lean towards C because it's generally better to have a peer or supervisor instead of someone more junior than you are.

Good luck!

Amy

[GMATDUD]

Thanks AMY.

Option A is one of the clients I mentored. Technically as a consultant I dont hold a official rank at the client site. Its just been a long association and a unsaid position I hold.

Option C , is a social club , while the interaction is always fun as no one has anything to loose, I am skeptical on the value that will add . Any thoughts on that .

Also , since 2 of the recommender are from the professional world , I am very confused how to channel the recommendations from them . The projects are the same . One holds the office of a director and the other manager. Any suggestions on how I should request the reco to be crafted . Should the director focus on certain areas and the manager focus on certain areas? I am stressing out about overlap as I have been directly involved in all the projects with both these people as direct supervisors.

cheers,
Dud

[Amy]

Hi Dud,

I would avoid a recommendation from someone you have a purely social relationship with, like the social club.

If the two other recommendations are people you worked on the same project with, you'll have to be creative to think of different aspects of you they may have observed. People often notice different factors even in the same situation. I would suggest having a discussion with both of them and suggesting different examples they could use.

Good luck!

Amy

[GMATDUD]

Hi Amy ,

I took the GMAT yesterday and it was a disappointment. Q 46, V 22 - 560.
The first diagnostic when I started prep was far better. I have never seen such a low verbal score in any of my practice tests including the tough MGMAT and KAPLAN. With 2 weeks to go for the round 2 deadline , retaking the GMAT is not possible .

I need advice on should I go ahead and apply for round 2 or hold off until round 3. The schools I am looking at are Harvard and Darden. The earliest I can retake the GMAT is Jan 17th. I am uncertain if taking a stab in round 2 will be better than waiting for round 3 , when the competition is stiffer and slots are limited or mostly filled.

My profile:

Indian/ Male

04 -current.. [business consultant thru Accenture consulting]
Work as a program manager at a top 5 telecom company in the US. Avg size of portfolio managed - 9 - 12 mil $ a year.
The benefits delivered - helped move the company from its # 2 standing to #1 on the web . Cost saving of 20 mil a year and improved customer experience. Avg size of project team 60 - 80 members distributed over US,Europe and Asia.
I have seen 4 promotions in the last 4 years (As of Dec 07).

Participated in a 17 billion dollar merger. Was part of the handpicked team of 200 from a company of 10K plus employees.


03 - 04 : Worked on research projects to enable first generation 9-11 service on .

00-02: Part time teaching assistant . Average class size - 25 - 30 student.

Academics :

Masters in electrical engineering 00- 02 - SMU, Dallas Texas: GPA 3.65


Bachelor in electrical engineering 95 - 99 - India. GPA ~2.8 - 3.2

Extra-curricular:

President of a local toastmasters club (A communication and leadership club). Been a member for over 4 years.

Ran the Marine corp marathon '07. Motivated and led a group of 7 people .

IEEE affiliate.

Member ASHA for education- non profit org.

I have been involved with negotiations and running a family business from the age of 12 .


Based on the above description , I would like your objective view .

Thanks in advance for your support.
cheers,
Dud.

[Amy]

Hi GMATDUD,

I'm confused - as a consultant for Accenture, don't you have an immediate supervisor at Accenture?

As for your question about R3, I would avoid it at all costs. Typically I would advise preparing your application for R2, submitting it and then sending the GMAT when you take it, so at least you will be in the game for R2. Unfortunately HBS is quite strict about additional material so it will not help you there.

I would seriously consider modifying your school list and adding a few lower tier schools. This is an incredibly competitive year and the top tier is going to be a long shot.

Good luck!

Amy

[GMATDUD]

Hi Amy ,

Thanks for the prompt response. I am an independent contractor and I don't report into Accenture. I only represent them at the client site. I have led multiple Accenture teams as an independent.

What parts of the profile do you suggest I improve to make it seem less like a "long short"? Harvard and Darden are the only two programs I like and make sense in justifying the opportunity cost of a full time MBA. I do understand the competition is tough and I am confident I will make a mark if I can cross the hurdle and get an interview call.

Your advice is greatly appreciated.


Happy Holidays.
Cheers,
Dud.

[Amy]

Hi Dud,

The advice I would give you is to try for the GMAT again and raise your score as much as possible, which you are already doing. You will want to make your essays as compelling as possible. Try to differentiate from your pool of consultants and your demographic pool.

Good luck!

Amy

[GMATDUD]

Hi Amy ,

The analytical writing score just came in : 5.5 (83 percentile). My hope is that the analytical writing will help balance the negative offset ( 28 percentile in verbal )and help create the doubt in the adcom's mind and get me that interview call.

The holiday spirit is so high that I could not help but get excited about the 5.5. Just goes to say how bad the GMAT score got me. Would love to hear your interpretation and P.S- I am looking for the candid comments that helps set the expectations straights.

cheers,
Dud.

[mjjking]

Hi Amy,
merry Xmas first of all!
Secondly... is this year really being A LOT competitive for admissions? I mean, even more than last year, which has already been A LOT competitive??! It seems that my 680 score is really irrilevant at this point...!!

[dmagnia]

MJ,

I am not an admissions rep or claim to have any solid knowledge on the MBA admissions process so you may take this with a grain of salt if you like...

That being said, you can comb through all of these evaluation requests and find a common belief from Amy and others that the process is holistic. Bottom line...GMAT score is not everything! A 680 is a damn fine score so concentrate on crafting some great essays and rounding out your academic/professional experiences with social ones such as volunteering etc.

If you are from an overrepresented population (male Caucasians, I-banking etc.) then go ahead and shoot for an 800. Just understand that the perfect GMAT score will not guarantee admission!

Check out admissions411.com and you will see what I mean.

[Amy]

Hi GMATDUD,

Daniel has a good point that admissions is holistic. Unfortunately, the AWA isn't a huge factor. It's great to do well if you speak English as a second language, but isn't really considered as an important factor in your overall GMAT score.

I don't have all of the data, but if R1 applications to the top tier was any indication, this is an especially competitive year. I have heard rumors of application volume up as much as 40%. As you are no doubt quite aware, Indian males with an engineering background are overrepresented in the admissions pool, and therefore you have a hurdle to differentiate yourself. I don't think your GMAT score especially helps you when looking at the top tier.

I would definitely advise widening your school list. It's great to try for your dream schools, but if you need to an MBA for professional advancement it's best to apply to a range of schools for the best chances of admissions. That goes for any applicant, as there are no guarantees at the top programs.

Good luck!

Amy