GMAT - Now what?

[maxonline]

i just gave my GMAT today. I scored a 680 with 46 Q and 36 V. Although, I am not too happy with my score I don't want to retake GMAT again. I am planning for a 1 yr MBA as I have around 7+ yrs of experience in the field of product development. I am looking at 1 yr MBA progs in India and Europe and would like to know which are the schools that I have a relatively good chance of getting in.
Pls advise

A snapshot of my profile is as below.

7 yr International work experience
Nationality: Indian
Current City: Singapore
Domain: Engineering Services (Product Development)
Present Co: HP
Career Path Post MBA: Product Management
Undergrad: 3.6 GPA (Unknown State Engineering College in India)
Grad: Grade A (Relatively known university in Singapore)
Extracurriculars: Strong involvement - Fund raising for a well known NGO in Singapore.
Other certifications: PMP (2010)

[arun@crackverbal]

I think if you tackle that 680 well you should have a decent shot at most Bschools. My suggestions:

1. ISB

2. IIM-A PGPX

3. IIM-B PGPX

4. IIM-C PGPX

5. INSEAD (<- should be a top choice for you)

6. Said - Oxford

7. Judge - Cambridge

Apart from this there are various great courses in continental Europe but I am not sure you want to go to a non-English speaking country. A few good courses would be IESE, IE, ESADE, and HEC.

Product Management is a pretty standard post-MBA goal for people with fewer years of experience. So perhaps you should focus on what you would learn with an MBA that would make you a better product manager.

Arun

[maxonline]

Arun,

Thanks for your reply. The question is ' how to tackle that 680 '. Is it by retaking it (not sure if adding + 20 / +40 points will make a difference) or by focussing on essays now. I agree with the schools you have mentioned. I have IMD, IE, IIM A, IIM L on my list too.

Cheers,

[essaysnark]

Hi maxonline, we agree with arun@crackverbal, he's offered a great list of schools for you. The 680 might be just fine for an older candidate going for a 1-year program (we think you possibly could be 'too old' however for the main ISB program - don't they prefer that those with more work experience go for the PGPMAX track?). These 1-year programs tend to have a little looser ranges on GMAT score. So your existing 680 *could* work out fine for you based on everything else.

The main reason we're offering that as the opinion is because you've got a) great brand-name companies on your resume; b) solid work experience in an engineering capacity which likely will help the adcom see that you can handle the quant material; c) differentiation against other candidates due to current geography plus the biggest differentiator is your ECs with the nonprofit work, which not many candidates from your part of the world would have (as long as it's more than "just" fundraising however - you'd need to show more direct involvement and evidence of impact for this to be noteworthy for you).

The missing element in your profile is what you want to do with the MBA. I didn't see you state that you want to STAY in product development (which, BTW, is *not* the same as "product management"). Your choice of school might hinge more on what you want to do post-MBA, than geography, though that's obviously going to matter a lot for you, too, in terms of not only the experience of bschool but the opportunities you'll have access to coming out.

Hope this helps!
EssaySnark

[maxonline]

hi Guys,

I got through the IIM Lucknow, IPMX program and am waitlisted for the SAID Oxford program.
I am quite in a fix whether to accept the IIM Lucknow offer or wait for Oxford.

Any thoughts

Cheers,

[arun@crackverbal]

Congratulations! When is the Oxford result out? Do you need to make any payments to IIM-I before that?

Also is there a way in which you can request them to defer your admission till next year?

Arun

[essaysnark]

Most schools have a pretty strict policy of no deferrals - mostly because of situations just like this! They want to avoid getting cherry-picked.

The strategy of paying the deposit at your sure-thing school, and possibly forfeiting it if the much-preferred school comes back with an offer, is solid. It may feel like an expensive way to go but it is certainly prudent, if you definitely want to be headed to school in the fall, and plus, in the grand scheme of things and how much the education will cost in the end, it's not really that big of an investment or risk.

maxonline, congrats on getting into IIM and hopefully Said will also come back with a 'yes' for you!

EssaySnark

[maxonline]

Hi Guys,

Thanks, I agree that in the grand scheme of things I could probably go ahead and pay the acceptance fee by Jan 3rd week and then wait till feb before I have to pay the 1st installment. The oxford 2nd deadline is on 20th jan and the 3rd deadline is in march so I am not sure when they will confirm candidates from the wait list. Anyway, having said that I think SAID is a better school in terms of the global nature of the MBA and the brand value. Although it might be a travesty of fate if I let go IIM lucknow and then miss out on other schools (no doubt that IIM Lucknow is also a hard earned admit for me).

Like to know how will you rate IIM L's IPMX program. Any feed back.

Cheers,

[maxonline]

hi guys,

Finally beat the GMAT with a score of 730 (49Q and 40V). I am sending my scores to SAID. Don't know if it will help.

Best

[essaysnark]

maxonline, congrats on that awesome GMAT score!! Very impressive. Hopefully it helps Said say YES to you!!!

Good luck and let us know how it goes!
EssaySnark

[maxonline]

Better late than never - got through SAID !

[essaysnark]

maxonline, that's AWESOME news! Always love to hear about the successes! You've made it into an excellent school - congratulations on getting in!!!

Best of luck on your MBA adventure!
EssaySnark

[del@btg]

congrats maxonline,your story is truly inspiring.
I am certain updating your score of 730 to SAID did help your cause.

[maxonline]

Thanks Guys ..ya, I think the GMAT probably made the decision in my favour.