Should I be appearing GMAT now?

[Chitts]

Hi,
I am new to this forum. Came to know about this site while googling, went through various previous posts and i must admit this site is extremely helpful....

I would like to seek advice from the experts as to when is the right time to appear GMAT and apply for ISB.

My profile is :

Chemical Engineering from NIT Rourkela (Formerly REC) 2005 batch : 70%

XII -- ICSE 81%
X -- ICSE 87%

3 years of work exp till date at Infosys
Lots of prizes in extra-ciricular activits......

Should i then be, with this profile applying for ISB this year around.. What are the important things i need to ensure before i appear GMAT and apply for ISB.
If i should appear GMAT when would be the ideal time to do the same.

Thanks in advance ....

[VP_Jim]

Hi Chitts,

I don't have much advice for when you should apply for ISB, but my suggestion is to contact the school(s) you're interested in, and check out how your qualifications correlate with those of their students.

Regarding taking the GMAT though, it really depends on you and your studying style. Some of my students take their test right before the deadline to submit their scores, and some take it well ahead of time. If you need the added pressure of a deadline, then set your appointment date accordingly.

I would recommend taking a practice test, see what your score compared to your target score is, and think about setting your GMAT date based on that.

Good luck!

[VP_Tatiana]

Hi Chitts,

To figure out if this is the right time for you to start business school, I'd also recommend sitting down and thinking about what you want to get out of it. It is important to get a well-developed sense for that in order to write your essays and do your admissions interviews. Many top schools require several years of experience. You can check a publication like the MBA guide put out by US News and World Reports to find average years of experience for each program.

The best program for me turned out to be Babson's Fast Track Program, because Babson is the #1 entrepreneurship school and I wanted to go to school with more experienced classmates. The average years of experience of entering students is 10 years; some have more than 25. I was on the low end with 5 years. Personally, I felt like I got more out of my management classes having been a manager for a couple years, more out of my marketing classes because I have done marketing, etc.

In short, enter the program once you have a clear goal and appropriate background to reach that goal. IMHO. ; )

Tatiana