Profile Evaluation--GMAT 700,24 year old Indian

[prachich1987]

Hi,

My profile is as below.I am planning to apply for fall 12 intake.

24 year old Indian female
GMAT: 700
Toefl : not taken yet
Work-ex : 37 months (unfortunately no managerial experience)
B.Tech from one of the top institute in India (Average : 61.54%)
Extracurricualars :Ok Ok

I have gone through the sticky for selecting the schools.
I have shortlisted below schools.This is not a final shortlisting & I would be grateful if you can answer to below queries of mine.

Texas A&M,HEC Paris,NUS,NTU,HKUST,ISB,Rice,Emory,HKUST,CEIBS

1)What do you think about the schools I have shortlisted?What are my chances of getting into them especially into HEC Paris,Rice,Emory & Texas A&M because I will be appying to these schools first since they have deadlines prior to the other schools listed above.Please let me know if you suggest any other school apart from above.

2)I want to come back to India after completing my MBA.So I don't want to take huge loans.
Hence I would give preference to schools which can offer me substatntial scholarships.Please let me know such schools & also the chances of getting outside scholarships.I understand that we should not select schools based on the scholaships provided.But I would like to take it from this angle too.

2) My extracurriculars are not very great & I have heard that if we do something in the last hour it raises a red flag.In most of the cases I have done volunteering which doesn't show any leadership qualitites.Please let me know if I can do anything now.

[Lisa Anderson]

Dear Prachi,

I think your school list is reasonable and an appropriate mix for you based on your profile, assuming these programs offer what you seek in terms of curriculum and resources. It is important that a school make sense for you based on your career goals and be a good match for you in terms of culture. How strong your overall application package is will determine your success in this process, so be sure to thoroughly answer the essay questions, select recommenders that truly know you and will say positive things, and craft a resume that accurately reflects your professional accomplishments and skills. With regard to your extracurricular activities, it is a positive that you have been volunteering--a leadership role might be better, but the fact you have continued to be involved after college is important. Unless you can take on a leadership role with an organization you are currently involved with, I don't know that joining something new at this point will have a significant effect.

As for scholarships, schools vary in their scholarship budgets and policies, and those are generally not publicly known. If you are an above average applicant to a program, then it is likely you will be considered for any scholarship award where you match the criteria. Some schools have specific awards you can apply to separately, so be sure to look for those opportunities as well.

Good luck,
Lisa