Profile Evaluation Request

[shashanksrelativity]

Hi

Aim is to join in the fall of 2013. My under-grad finished in June 2009.
Acads
GMAT - 750. (V - 42, Q - 50) AWA - 6/6
TOEFL - 120.
CGPA - 8.7/10 (places me at the top 15-20% of the entire branch, top 10% in the class)

Work-ex
Cisco Systems - 1 year (2009-2010). Awarded a star. First up for a promotion. Topped yearly statistics. Awarded a great rating etc etc.

Abhitech Energycon - 2 years this June. (2010-2012) This is a rather small firm, and I made the switch because of my MBA aspirations. You know the drill, small firm larger exposure. And thats exactly what I have managed. I am working at a level answering to just the Board of Directors. I have been the youngest of every post held by me. Individually contributed significantly to the firm's revenue. Travelled 15 countries in Europe and both the Americas. Multi-tasked immensely. A lot of responsibility, leadership etc. By the time I join a school, I would be 3yrs old here, so a total of 4yrs work-ex. I understand its not above avg, but I have really toiled hard to compensate for that in regards to the QUALITY of work-ex.

Extra-curiculars
Lead the most successful dance group in college.
Won IQ competitions. Wrote for the year books. Have done quite some volunteering since graduating. Been editor + director of comunity service at Rotaract. Long distance runner. Astronomy buff. Taken classes. Taught under-privileged since my own late teens. Built robots etc.

There maybe some small bits I am missing but this should be 90-95% of the package.
Going with my score, I was really wishing for programs like Harvard Wharton MIT Stanford Columbia Booth Berkeley and the like. What do you think are my chances? Any suggestions apart from these schools? Am I over-dreaming? Where can I further strengthen my application?

I would be much obliged if I could have your thoughts here.
Thanks so much
Shashank

[Jon@Admissionado]

Shashank,
Well your numbers are certainly in the right place! And with a 120 on your TOEFL, a 750 GMAT and good grades, you can definitely aim for the top. Actually I would say that you work experience is more of an advantage than anything else. It has afforded you the opportunity to travel and work abroad (can be VERY helpful for applying) and leadership (will need to hear more about this, but this is even more helpful!), something which if you had stayed on at Cisco likely would not have happened. In your extra currics/hobbies you seem to have a wide range of diverse activities, which is good, but the most effective ones will be ones in which you play an important leadership role.

So everything is in tip-top shape. But so is it for MANY HBS applicants! So the question is: why would they choose you? And the main place you will have to make your difference is in your application, first of all by working on your goals so that they are logical, ambitious, and where possible unique, and secondly, by doing whatever you can through your writing to tell your story in a passionate and original manner.