School Choices/Rounds/Female Applicant Effect

[chocoswiss]

Hi Consultants,

I just gave my Gmat last week and scored 700 (37v 48q) and have registered for the GMAT again in late October where I aim to and hope to score ard 750.
I am feeling overwhelmed with the options and decisions (as am sure everyone else is too )
Quick profile:


Indian F, 24, residing in Singapore (not sure if there is Any subtle impact of living outside India)
Grad from Spore Uni, Borderline Honors deg in chemical/biomolecular engg
Work Exp so far: 1yr 2mnths in a Global Investment Bank, Product Control division
CFA Lvl2 Candidate
Working on Lean & Six Sigma project as well in office, to learn the methodology and gain a Green Belt
I don't have stellar extra-curricular in some focused clubs/groups but I do have a variety of interesting activities that I took part in College


I know its a very generic profile that I have given and my questions are also generic:

1) I have heard that Female applicants have it easier that Male applicants, is it really true?
2) Given that many R1 deadlines are in early/mid oct but my Gmat is in late oct, I was wondering If I should go head and apply with my current score at some schools and rest in R2
3) I know given my less work experience and less than stellar gpa, US colleges are pretty much out of reach at this stage, but still would there be any you would recommend me trying? What about European colleges?
4) My work hours have been very very long usually (compared to many of My peers here) and it leaves me very little time to pursue post-collegiate activities though I want to to strenghten my profile. How can i mitigate this in my applications?

Thanks!

[Tani]

Hi,

As I am sure you know, there are many exceptional males from India applying to top US schools every year. There a many fewer females and that should give you a slight advantage. Your work in Singapore should also help because it speaks to experience in the rapidly growing Pacific Rim. Your 700 is a solid score, although a 750 would of course be stronger. You need to be sure you have identified specifics in your 700 performance that can be corrected before you retake the test. Most people who retake from your score level get lower scores. If you know of specific areas that you have shown significant improvement it is worth taking the test again, but don't expect the score to go up just because you have spent a few more weeks studying.

Your work experience is slight, but the Lean & Six Sigma training will look good on your application.

The best time to apply is when your application is in the best possible shape. A strong application in round 2 is a far better bet than a weak one in round one. Also, you should consider both response and commitment dates before spreading your applications between two rounds. I have seen applicants get into their second choice school and be required to commit (including a substantial deposit) before hearing from their first choice schools. That is a tough situation to be in.

I would not say US colleges are out of reach. There are plenty that would be interested in your international experience and solid GMAT. Do you know what you want to do upon graduation? You should focus your research on identifying schools that offer specific courses and concentrations that meet your career needs. If you can tell a convincing story of why that particular school is best for you, your chances should be very good.

An interesting approach is to go backward. Identify companies you would love to work for and then research them to see where they interview and hire their entry-level managers. Most schools will tell you who interviews on campus and where their graduates end up working.

The European schools are probably a weaker option simply because most of them look for even more work experience than do the US schools.

There is probably little you can do for your extracurricular profile at this point. Any last-minute activity looks more like resume-boosting than commitment. If you do try, you should look for something to which you can contribute meaningfully, not just as one of a slew of volunteers. Is there a group to which you could contribute your six-sigma or financial skills?

The one-year work experience will be an issue, particularly since your references will necessarily be limited to short-term observations. You are very young relative to most in the entering class and would find your profile much stronger by postponing your application for a year. This is not arbitrary. Schools rely on their students to contribute from their experiences and their managerial knowledge. An applicant with 1-2 years brings significantly less to the discussions than one with 3-4 years.

Good luck,



Good luck,

[chocoswiss]

Hi Tani,

Thank you for your insights.
I Just retook my Gmat and scored 720 (not a Big improvement but def not retaking anymore!)
Looking at ISB/HKUST/NUS/NTU in Asia and still researching on Europe (IESE/ESADE) and USA (probably the toughest to figure out)

I was wondering if you (or any of the other consultansts) know abt the IESE program. I had two questions:
Their website indicates that 80% of the mba class is international however I also noticed that Business Spanish is compulsory. Am a little apprehensive as to how difficult is it to pick up the language, but given that a huge proportion is also probably Non-Spanish speaking, there should be enough resources at hand right

IESE website also has this 'Feedback on your Profile' feature. What do you know abt this/such university administered profile evaluations. Will this hurt or boost my chances in anyway given that my particulars will be stored in the uni data base and If i decide to apply anyway even if i don't receive a great feedback.


Thanks!

[chocoswiss]

ANyone has insights into IESE?
thanks a lot

[Tani]

Although I don't speak Spanish, I have studied Italian and therefore understand a lot of Spanish. I know that the grammar and pronunciation are more standardized and therefore probably easier than English. I suspect that if you have handled English well you will have no problem with Spanish.

Everything I have heard from my clients and research says that IESE is a great program. It is certainly highly-ranked.

I haven't had any experience with the profile. If the feedback is less than glowing, the reaction to your application will most likely be similar. Therefore, the risk of having the feedback out there seems low. On the other hand, if it is constructive, you could end up producing a much more effective application, thereby enhancing your chances. You might see if they have a student blog or chatroom to get "insider" feedback.