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American Expat - Profile Eval

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American Expat - Profile Eval

by euroyank » Tue Jul 13, 2010 1:28 am
Hello,

I recently started studying for my GMAT for the second time, hoping to apply in 2011. I would like to focus a little more on European schools as I currently live in France.

Candidate profile:

- White Male/27/US Citizen
- University of Florida graduate on full academic scholarship
- B.S. Business Adminstration w/ concentration in Decision and Information Sciences (think MIS)
- 3.7 GPA, Cum Laude

I have worked for GE Healthcare for over six years, having completed the 2 year GE Information Management Leadership program. I currently work in IT very close to the internal customers working on sales operations and projects with business scope of over 100MM USD.

I started with GE in the United States but have had the opportunity to work abroad, spending six months in Brussels, Belgium, 2 years in London, and now over a year in Paris, France. I now have working knowledge of French and basic Dutch.

I've enjoyed working for the healthcare devices industry and have stayed with this particular business because we make products that help predict, prevent and treat disease all over the world. With GE, I've learned a lot about managing projects efficiently using six sigma and lean methodologies.

I would like to return to school for an MBA to pursue work for a non-profit NGO. I believe GE has given me a strong foundation in business acumen, leadership and IT skills. At the same time, living abroad has given me an excellent global perspective. I would like to use my MBA as a springboard into the NGO world where my GE leadership training will be an asset. I love working close to the products at GE Healthcare and am excited about the possibility of creating an even bigger impact by working for an NGO with a strong healthcare focus.

Questions/Concerns:
- 650-670 on practice tests, will this score hamper my efforts in applying to top tier schools?
- With what I consider to be a unique profile (for an American), how important is my score?
- I am looking at Oxford and INSEAD, is this a good idea or is my profile more unique for top-tier American schools?
- Perference is for 1 year programs. Any suggestions on programs I should consider?

- Should I focus on GMAT prep or working with an expert to craft great essays?

I appreciate your time in reviewing my profile!

Kind regards!
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by Tani » Tue Jul 13, 2010 8:36 am
Hi,

You have a very interesting profile. If you could break 700 with your GMAT that would be wonderful, but even without that you have several things going for you.

First, for schools, your best sources are the London Financial Times rankings https://rankings.ft.com/businessschoolra ... a-rankings and https://www.topmba.com/ . Both of these do a better job of evaluating schools worldwide than do the US sources. TopMBA also has a magazine that profiles MBA and EMBA programs and has an enormous amount of helpful information. One school that immediately pops to mind is HEC in Paris (16 months). You should be able to visit and sit in on classes to get an idea of the quality. There are several fine programs in Spain (IE/IESE/ESADE) that have strong international student bodies. Many of the international schools have slightly lower GMAT score averages (high 600s) than do the top US schools (low 700s), in part, I am sure, because they have so many applicants for whom English is a second language. Hult is an increasingly popular school. It has campuses in Boston, Dubai and London.

Given your goal to work for an NGO, you should check out beyondgreypinstripes.org They do an outstanding job of rating schools on social and environmental stewardship. Overlaying their information with the FT rankings should give you a great school list.

You overall profile is excellent. Recognizing that a 700 GMAT would improve your chances considerably, you still have a decent shot at a top school. You don't say whether you are taking a test prep course. I have been teaching test prep for seven years and have seen score increases as much as 200 points. (Believe me, the difference between a 550 and a 750 is huge!) Several top provider offer online courses even if there is nothing available locally.

Your work experience has several great pieces to build on - health care, six sigma, lean, and leadership training will all make you more attractive. Very few Americans have actual international experience except for those born abroad. Your work record should make you more attractive to the European schools than your counterparts who have only US experience. Also, Americans tend to be woefully lacking in language skills so your French and Dutch will look good. I hesitate to sell too strongly in a forum such as this, but your profile begs for an experienced consultant. You have so much to work with that it will take care to include it all in a clear and persuasive manner. At this level, essays are extremely important. In my six years consulting I have worked with applicants from over a dozen countries. Virtually all our consulting is done via email, phone and Skype so your location is not a problem. The Kaplan website includes profiles of our consultants and lets you choose the one you think would be the best match.

The only question I would have for you is why a one-year program. I understand your impatience to get the degree and move on, but you would not be older than your class, particularly in the European schools and my bias is toward the two-year program since it provides both more sheer classroom time and the opportunity to apply skills with a summer internship. Whatever your decision, your profile should give you access to an excellent graduate education.

Good luck,
Tani
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by euroyank » Wed Jul 14, 2010 4:41 am
Thanks for much for your in depth input. I am definitely considering some formal GMAT courses to continue improving my score. I've been looking at Oxford and INSEAD in depth as both seem to be good matches for what I'm looking for. As INSEAD has a foreign language requirement, I think it eliminates a lot of competition from fellow Americans.

With Oxford, I am concerned that investing a ton of time studying for the GMAT might be a bit overkill if I can put together some good essays for them.

I will heed your suggestion to check out the professional profiles on the Kaplan site to see if there are any consultants that catch my eye.

Thanks again!
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by Tani » Wed Jul 14, 2010 5:06 am
I agree. However, I doubt if a ton of time will be required, given your starting score. ON the language front. Some of the Spanish schools teach in English, but require Spanish language courses so that you would have an additional language by the time you graduate, increasing your flexibility. If you can speak French, Spanish would be a snap.
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by Sophia007 » Sat Jul 17, 2010 10:42 am
As Tani said - you have a solid background and profile - definitely focus on your GMAT scores for the time being. Most of the stuff she has already covered. Here is what I wanted to discuss :

[quote][i]Questions/Concerns:
- 650-670 on practice tests, will this score hamper my efforts in applying to top tier schools[/i]?[/quote]

>> SP: If you are scoring within this range, I highly recommend that you take Kaplan800 full length tests over the weekends. They tend to be generally difficult but that will jump up your scores by 20-30 points which will benefit you during your actual test. You may score low on your practice test but it will pay off on the actual day of the test. Been there - done that and it has worked for lot of candidates whom I've helped before - so I highly recommend it. Seems like you are a self - study guy so all you may need is just this book and you can always post your questions here if you're stuck on any difficult problems. This is an option in case you are not planning to invest in a class.

[i][quote]- With what I consider to be a unique profile (for an American), how important is my score? [/quote][/i]

>>SP: If you plan to apply for INSEAD and Oxford - keep in mind you will be considered an "international student" so it is important that you score as high as you possibly can. Of course - your application, essays etc will also need to meet INSEAD / Oxford standards but that does not mean you can slip away on GMAT since you'll be competing with other Int'l candidates. I've helped several INSEAD, LBS, IESE, IMD, Cambridge and oxford candidates in the last 6-7 yrs and I speak from my extensive professional experience.


[i][quote]- I am looking at Oxford and INSEAD, is this a good idea or is my profile more unique for top-tier American schools?[/quote] [/i]

Your profile is unique - period. It is unique for both EU schools and US schools. Both INSEAD and Oxford are top on the list of international schools (tier 1). If you do apply for US programs - Kellogg offers a 1-year program but most US schools (top tier) has 2 year programs - so you may want to think about it.

[quote]- Perference is for 1 year programs. Any suggestions on programs I should consider? [/quote]
Since you already have a Bachelors in Business - it makes sense for you to look into 1 year programs. INSEAD and Oxford are both good schools and with your experience INSEAD will be a very good fit for you. You qualify for both schools based on your degree and background.

[i][quote]- Should I focus on GMAT prep or working with an expert to craft great essays?[/quote][/i]
Both! However, I recommend that you first get GMAT out of your way and then focus on your application.


[quote]I appreciate your time in reviewing my profile! [/quote]
You are most welcome!
Hope this helps.
Sophia Pathak| Admissions Consultant |

If my post was helpful, let me know by pushing the thanks button.:) Please free to directly email me at [email protected]. ANY questions are welcome! check out what others have to say about their experience with me https://mymbamentor.com/?page_id=31
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