Need help in deciding whether to apply for this year or not

[kbreddy]

I am an Indian/Male working in the US for past 2 yrs (came here 4 yrs ago).

I have a bachelors in Engg (chemical) from India
Masters Engg (Chemical) from one of the IITs in India
Masters Engg (Environmental) from a US univ (Actually came for Ph.D, decided its not the right path for me, so graduated with masters)

I took my GMAT yesterday got 690 (Q49, V35). I think I can definitely do better as this was with about 15-20 days of prep.

I am already 28 yrs old and have about 2.5 yrs experience. Worked 6 months in IBM India as an IT consultant. Now working as an Engineer in an Environmental Consulting firm. I interact with clients on a regular basis, go to their sites for Site assessments. Also worked as Research Assistant in both masters.

I am a planning committee member for one of the Environmental Engg Conference in Houston. Started a small group (kind of religious) who meet once a week do yoga and discuss current issues.

I want to do an MBA but not sure from where and when.

One of the interested areas in MBA is Energy (especially Clean/Sustainable Energy). I think my education also matches with this interest. My research in both masters was related to this.

One of the schools on my list is UT Austin McCombs as they have an energy concentration and also is in Texas (with big energy industry, I am in Texas too). I visited the campus for a full day info event.

I am not sure whether to apply for Round 2 (Jan 15) to UT only (I did not start anything on the application yet) or take the GMAT again, increase the number of yrs of experience, get a better GMAT and apply to 4-5 schools including UT for 2012 season.

Please evaluate my profile for UT, and also advice me on whether to wait another year or give it a try now.

Also any suggestions on other top programs with energy concentrations would be great.

Thank you in advance.

[Lisa Anderson]

Dear kbreddy,

With a great set of essays and recommendations, as well as a strong interview, you have a shot at UT if you submit your application by R2. However, I think the real question here is do you feel ready for business school now or do you think you need to wait another year. If you have just started thinking about an MBA and researching programs, then it might be better for you to take the time to explore programs, build a competitive profile and approach the application process with a strategy for R1 applications next year versus rushing to get one application in by January 15. However, if you are certain UT is your first choice and the MBA is the next step for you, not to mention you can pull together a strong application package, then you should apply now. Worst case scenario: you re-apply next year.

Good luck,
Lisa