Need Profile Evaluation - Indian Male, IIT BHU, GMAT 700

[asgup]

Hi,

Could you please evaluate my profile for the top MBA programs? Thank you in advance. I am targeting for the year 2014.

Academics:

"¢ IIT BHU (Formerly IT-BHU), India, B.Tech Chemical Engineering, Year 2009
"¢ Grades - 8.12/10
"¢ Secured 1st Rank in B.Tech Part-2 exams.
"¢ Among top 10% of the batch. (Does one need to justify this, because then I need to ask my college for a certificate?)
"¢ GMAT 700, 90% (Q50, 90% and V34, 69%): I am concerned about the low verbal score. My AWA score is 5.5. Any views here?

Work Exp:

Total: 4 years

Description
~ 1 year at an Engineering Firm (Process Automation), India
~ 2.4 years at a Business research firm (It is basically a KPO company), India
~ 6 months at a Business research firm (Same company), Chile, South America. (Will continue to work from Chile, till I am done with all the applications.)

"¢ Currently working as a Senior Business Analyst in company's office in Chile.
"¢ Promoted to Senior Analyst from analyst within one year of joining the company.
"¢ Have won an award for adding two full time employees for the company within our account.
"¢ Selected for Chile office to grow the oil and gas team over there by imparting trainings and other stuff.

Responsibilities

"¢ Since joining the Business research firm, I have been working with the strategy team of a Global oil and gas major company (Revenue>$100 billion).
"¢ We help the oil company in different kinds of market and business studies such as country/company analysis.


International exposure:

"¢ Would have completed almost 8 -10 months in Chile when I apply to Business schools in R1 and R2.
"¢ Work with a European oil and gas client with a multi-cultural team
"¢ Also, within my company, we have people from almost 25 countries, so good multi-cultural exposure.
"¢ Also learning Spanish (I guess it's a must to survive here as English is not widely spoken on this part of the continent )

Extra-curricular/Interests
"¢ Learning Spanish in Chile. (Fluent with very basic conversation)
"¢ Part of company's Toastmaster group
"¢ During the 3rd and 4th year of the college, I was the Training and Placement representative of my Branch. I helped college streamline its placement process and bring in more companies. (I can ensure good certificates from here)
"¢ Good ping-pong player. (But never got an opportunity to play at college level)
"¢ Made a prototype for a mobile charger that does not require house electricity. It received coverage in print media.

Short-term goal:

"¢ Working with top consulting firms especially in Oil and gas sector. Ex: McKinsey oil and gas practice, Deloitte Energy practice etc, Accenture etc.
"¢ OR Joining strategy/business development division of an oil and gas major such as ExxonMobil, BP etc.


Tentative college list:

Kellogg, Tuck, Duke, Booth, Ross, Darden, UCLA, ISB. (Still trying to figure out)

Could you please help me shortlist the school. Schools that are within my radar are top 15 US B-schools, ISB, LBS and INSEAD. I am also planning to retake GMAT next month, because I believe that my current score is not even up to average score of top US schools. Should I retake the exam? I am under the impression that retake should not jeopardise my application since the schools usually take the highest GMAT score. Am I right?
Also do you think that EA round will increase my chances at Tuck or Duke?

So, I need your guidance in targeting schools based on my credentials.

[Jon@Admissionado]

Hey there my friend,
Well to retake or not is really a tough question for you my friend, because you are on the cusp. A 700 is actually good enough to get into ANY school, don't let anyone tell you otherwise... but at the same time a 740 sure will not hurt. Now the thing is, given the application schedule, if you are really going to retake your GMAT, you likely won't have time to make R1, and might even miss R2.

Second of all, you need to make a decision: Do you aim for a higher GMAT and then apply ONLY when you get your target score EVEN if it takes a year more? OR Do you apply now, and maybe compromise a bit on the schools you apply to? (meaning beyond your list of Top schools, ADD more safe schools in case you don't get accepted(. I think these are the real two choices, and an honest self-evalauation is necessary to make the right choice.

I've wrote this many times in these forums, and I think the BEST thing you can do is apply with the highest GMAT you can possibly get. Of course at some point you will reach your plateau, and then retaking the GMAT becomes pointless. Also, when it comes to Top 10 schools, GMAT alone won't get you in. Thankfully though you are an IIT graduate, and have international experience, and work doing business research rather than Tech.... all three things will help you out when you apply.

Right now with a 700, and what I can see in your profile, your school list is a bit too challenging... so think about what's right for you, and of course feel free to share those thoughts with me.

We can dialogue about it.

All the best,
JF