Profile Evaluation for GMAT 730 and Work Ex - 2.5 years

[anuj2889]

My profile is as follows :

GMAT Score : 730 (Q50-V40)

Work Experience : 2.5 years(full time) till date in a digital advertising firm (have demonstrated leadership skills moderately)

Graduation : Bachelors of Engineering from Delhi College of Engineering(top tier engineering college in India - not sure if this makes a difference)

GPA : From percentage point of view it is 71% which is considered above average as per college standards. Heard that B schools compare it with similar GPA profiles - so not sure how good this percentage is

Extra Co Curricular : Average

Kindly suggest schools I should go for - aim is to target US schools with a good placement record for International candidates

Many Thanks in advance

[MBAPrepAdvantage]

Yes, the fact that Delhi College of Engineering is a top tier engineering college makes a difference. Was your 71% a First Class with Distinction or First Class?

What are your goals? Should I assume that your goals are in marketing given your background? If so, I would recommend you start with U.S. News and World Report's rankings in Marketing as a starting point for your research (https://grad-schools.usnews.rankingsandr ... g-rankings).

Northwestern Kellogg, Wharton, Columbia and Berkeley Haas are good stretch schools; Duke Fuqua, UCLA Anderson, Michigan Ross and NYU Stern are good target schools. You might also choose more of a safety school like UT at Austin.

Best of luck,

[anuj2889]

Thanks for your response Michael.

As far as your queries are concerned, 71% is First Class without distinction and yes my career goals are inclined towards Digital Marketing/Consulting.

Sorry for all the trouble but could you please answer some of my questions, new ones now :

1)Although I want to aim for 3-4 colleges in the top 20, the overall expenditure is deterring me from applying. I am from a humble financial background and $150k for 2 years is something I cannot afford at all. Could you please shed more light on how I can finance this and how far a school can stretch in order to help me in this regard?

2)How much of a difference does a brand make in terms of post MBA opportunities? Given my financial concern in point 1, I can aim for a B school in the range of 20-40 as there I might have a good chance of getting a scholarship but at the same time I know I would be compromising on the quality.
Hence, could you share your thoughts on this?

These were the last couple of questions. Looking forward to your reply

Thanks in advance!

[MBAPrepAdvantage]

I would recommend you contact the schools themselves regarding merit awards and loans. Most schools offer programs where you can obtain loans without co-signers.

You are correct in that there is usually a tradeoff between brand quality and merit award availability. The tradeoff is felt most in fields which recruit on-campus exclusively at the best schools, such as private equity, investment banking, management consulting, etc. So, your goals would dictate this to some extent.

Good luck,