evaluation needed

[jas1984]

Hi Stacy,

I'm providing this information as per your post where you mentioned what you are looking for so as to evaluate my profile. Pls. let me know if you need any other info.

Undergrad:
University of Toronto, Bachelors in Business Admin & Finance, 2.17 GPA

GMAT - giving it on Oct. 27 - hoping for 680-700

Job Info (all jobs below were at Sears Canada):
-Sales Team Lead at Store - managing two groups of people (one of 8 people and one of 11 people) - for 9 months
-got promoted to Head Office as Marketing Business Associate - responsible for retail marketing issues for all Sears Stores in Canada - one year
-promoted to Merchandise Flow Analyst - main responsibilities are forecasting sales, inventory, other analytics.

Extracurricular:
This is one area I'm really weak in ... I have absolutely no extracurricular activities. I do sponsor two kids from World Vision (should I put that on my application)?

Awards:
nothing during Undergrad
Have recieved a couple in High school (probably not even worth mentioning right?)

other Facts:
- Born in India & studied till Grade 8 there
- Moved to Canada and finished high school & undergrad here
- worked part time jobs prior to & during Undergrad
- been working full time after undergrad (jobs listed above)
- I'll be able to get 2 strong recommendations
- I will probably consult a professional for essay editing
- I've travelled a lot - have visited almost 35 cities in 15 countries
- I believe I am very capable when it comes to studies but I was working a lot of hours during undergrad and I also slacked off a little.

Please let me know where I should apply? I would like to give a try at NYU & INSEAD, because applying wouldn't hurt ... but I know my chances are slim.

Any feedback will be appreciated.

Thank you.

[Lisa Anderson]

Dear jas1984,

I think you have an interesting profile and could make a compelling case for admission. However, your GMAT score will be telling and it is difficult to give comment without it. Since your GPA is low, you will need a high GMAT to mitigate that number. Your professional experience will offset the GPA to some degree, but the GMAT is the more trusted measure as GMAT and GPA are the only indicators of academic aptitude (in the eyes of the evaluators).

Your other potential weakness is the lack of extracurriculars. Some schools value this highly and others not as much. However, it offers another opportunity to showcase skills that you might not be able to through your work experience. Likewise, your experience in the retail industry will be valued by some schools and not as much by others.

Once you have your GMAT score, you will have a better idea of your competitiveness for a school based on all of the usual measures. I would encourage you to think about your post-MBA career goals and identify programs that are the best match. Then you can compare your profile to the schools' class profiles to determine where you should apply.

Good luck,
Lisa

[jas1984]

Thank you for the feedback Lisa. I will work towards achieving at least a 700 on my GMAT.

[jas1984]

Lisa,

Just a quick question. If I score about 700 on my GMAT (which looks possible as judged from the practice tests I've been doing), would University of Southern California (Marshall School) or Georgetown University be within reach. This is assuming my essays & recommendations are really good.

Thank you,
Jasleen

[Lisa Anderson]

Dear Jasleen,

I think Georgetown is a good option for you if you score at least a 700 on your GMAT. USC will be as competitive as NYU and other top 20 programs. Your GPA is quite low, so the GMAT becomes more important to demonstrate your academic aptitude. You might also look at some other schools in the 30-50 range as safety options.

Good luck,
Lisa