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yogesh_b
Underclassman
2 Posts |
 Posted - 11/01/2006 : 01:18:03
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Hi,
I have a GMAT score of 620 (Q:49, V 27, AWA 5.5). I have 5yrs of work expereince with Infosys (an Inidan IT giant) an Adobe Systems.
I also have international exposure of working in 3 different countries (india, US and australia).
Have done my bachelor's in Mechanical Engineering from a premier Institute in India (GPA. 8.2/10)
I am planning to apply to following Univs:
1) Carnegie melon
2) Michigan State University (braod)
3) GeorgeTown University (Mcdonough)
4) University of MaryLand (Smith)
5) University of Toronto (Rotman)
6) Boston University
Can somebody please help me in accessing my chances at above universities. Please suggest if I can apply to some other higher ranked Business school.
Regds,
-yogesh |
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thung621
Underclassman
USA
1 Posts |
Posted - 11/01/2006 : 22:52:20
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Hi David,
Thank you for creating such an informative forum on MBA admissions. Your admission advice for getting into top MBA programs has been very candid and sincere. I have been reading this forum for awhile now and decided to post a question myself.
Here’s a little background about me. I am a graduate from the University of California, San Diego with a bachelor's degree in Structural Engineering. I currently work as a Project Manager in a large west coast Structural Engineering Consulting Firm. Because of my specialty in the construction and architectural engineering industry, I also volunteer as an onsite construction manager for Habitat for Humanity, a nonprofit organization that constructs homes for underprivileged families in Los Angeles. I recently took the GMAT and got a 710 with a 4 on the AWA. I am applying to MBA programs in 2008 when I feel that I can develop an even stronger application. I am hoping to further develop my ability to lead teams and build stronger communication skills before I apply because I have only 2 years of work experience. I am applying to Darden, Cornell, Duke, and UCLA when the right time comes.
My GPA during my undergraduate work is a 3.23. This is the main concern that I have, and here is the breakdown.
The bad:
I took 5 years to graduate.
I averaged a 2.8 GPA in my first 2 and a half year.
I got two Bs and a C in Calculus.
I got an F one class and two W (withdraw) in my first two years
The good:
I took control in my last 2 years of college
I got 15 A’s out of the 20 classes I took in my last 2 years
I got a major GPA of 3.57
I averaged a GPA of 3.7 in my last two years
As far as work experience goes, I know what I would have to do to be more competitive. However, judging from my academic record and GMAT, do schools like UCLA, Cornell, Duke, and Darden seem too much of a stretch? Whether or not it is a stretch, is there anything else I can do as far as academics go to improve my chances of getting into these schools or an even better school? For example, either retaking calculus classes at a community college or through an online extension course from UCLA.
Any feedback on my profile on where I can improve my weaknesses and how my chances are in getting into a top tier business school like Darden, Cornell, Duke, and UCLA would be great. Thank you!
Best Regards,
Tony
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roosternyc
Underclassman
USA
3 Posts |
Posted - 11/07/2006 : 13:02:02
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Hi,
I just took the GMAT and received a devastatingly low score of 570 (40 Q/ 28 V). For whatever reason, even with the practices, I can't get my score above 610.
Here are my other credentials:
1) 6 years work experience. Strategy consultant making $85K. Currently serving as project manager for major client. Rapid rise at the company. Company would sponsor my MBA.
2) 3.4 GPA from top liberal arts college in Economics.
3) Very strong recommendations expected
4) Active in extracurriculars in college and after. Started an entity which threw events to raise money for AIDS charities.
5) Asian American male in NYC
My initial list of schools were Duke, Cornell, Texas. I probably will take the GMAT again, but I fear that my score will improve minimally which could verify my weakness there. With that low of a GMAT score, do I even have a long shot chance at these schools? What range on the GMAT to be considered?
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soonerce
Underclassman
1 Posts |
Posted - 11/10/2006 : 16:30:15
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Hi David,
Thank you for all of your helpful information through this forum.
First, the basics:
GMAT - 660 (86%) Total, Verbal 40 (90%), Quantitative 40 (62%), 6.0 AWA (95%)
GPA - 3.52, B.S. Civil Engineering from a State School
2 Years professional work experience
Second, the options...
I have the option to attend a state school via distance learning while remaining in my full-time position. This would be paid for by the company, which is a plus. However, I live in Oklahoma and there are no B-schools that are highly ranked in this state.
The basic question I have is this: Do you think it is possible for me to attend a top 25 school? If so, I would consider quitting my current position and moving to attend a full-time program.
I would have strong references from my supervisors; however, my extra curricular activities are pretty slim. My club associations are no more than member status. I would have to spend some time trying to find a good "angle" for my essays. Based on the numbers alone, I would like to know what you think my chances are at a top 25 school. If it is a shot in the dark, then I may decide to attend the essentially free school offered me, even though my GMAT score is over 100 points higher than their average GMAT.
Thanks for any help you can provide.
-Ryan |
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DhivyaDhevi
Underclassman
India
1 Posts |
Posted - 11/11/2006 : 03:47:40
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Hi David,
My gmat score is 680 (third attempt), 86% aggregate in college attained a master's degree, MSc applied science - Software Engineering, with one year of industry exposure. I will have two years of experience by next august 2007 with Wipro Technologies Ltd.
What chance do I have in getting an admission into ISB?
R Dhivya Dhevi |
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Aaron_Sydney
Underclassman
Australia
1 Posts |
Posted - 11/12/2006 : 19:45:01
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Hi I attended a regional university in Australia where I majored in accounting. Prior to university I attended TAFE (technical college) and as a result I received advanced standing for 6 subjects and 6 unspecified electives. As the degree is 3yrs (24 subjects) I only had to complete 12 to get my degree.
My GPA was 4.92/7. I am now studying for my Chartered accountant qualification which I should have by the end of 2008. As well at that time I would have 4 years of work experience in a small CA accounting firm. Where we work with many small business clients and fami;y groups.
Is my GPA and work experience any good for a top MBA program in US or Europe?
What about my the fact that my degree is 3yrs does the CA make up for this as US degrees are 4yrs?
Any help would be greatly appreciated. |
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Ygal Arounian
Underclassman
USA
2 Posts |
Posted - 11/13/2006 : 22:17:08
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Hi,
Thanks for your time.
My top choice for school is to attend full time. I believe it is less competitive but how much less?
I would ideally like to go to NYU's Langone program. I have a 660 gmat and 3.5 undergrad GPA. I have been working at an ad agency for a little less than two years.
Where does that put me as far as part time programs is concerned. |
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Ygal Arounian
Underclassman
USA
2 Posts |
Posted - 11/13/2006 : 22:34:22
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Sorry, I mean part time in the above post...
My top choice for school is to attend part time. I believe it is less competitive but how much less?
I would ideally like to go to NYU's Langone program. I have a 660 gmat and 3.5 undergrad GPA. I have been working at an ad agency for a little less than two years.
Where does that put me as far as part time programs is concerned. |
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AdmissionsConsultants
Admissions Expert
USA
2124 Posts |
Posted - 11/13/2006 : 22:51:18
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Hi Matt and thanks for your inquiry.
Now that Doug Braithwaite is beginning to work through his waitlist of clients and 3 others are accepting new clients with at least 2 more very likely to begin accepting clients beginning next week, I'll try to get to some more of these posts.
Hi David,
Thanks for all your insight. I have a few questions and could definitely benefit from your advice.
Quick background:
3.7, triple major (math, econ, psych) from a reputable liberal arts school
2 years at a top investment bank
2 years (1 down, 1 to go) at a private equity shop in Chicago
760 GMAT, 5.5 AWA
Significant community work/leadership experience - I started an afterschool tutoring program for students in a local housing project
My fiance is a med student at the U. of Chicago and we are trying to plan our next steps. In order for us to stay together, we need to plan collaboratively. I have my sights set on HBS with MIT as my second choice, but we need to commit by November as to where we will be moving (she needs to apply for a residency match).
3 questions:
What else am I missing to make me as competitive as possible?
Would these schools be accomodating to our situation or should I assume that they don't care about the personal side of the application?
I know that banking -> PE -> business school seems to be a popular track. What do you recommend in order to stand out from other applicants with a similar background?
With well-prepared applications, you can be competitive. Depending on how you spin your fiance situation, you will likely get a slight accommodation.
Thanks in advance,
Matt
Best of luck with your applications!
Sincerely,
David Petersam
President
AdmissionsConsultants, Inc.
DPetersam@admissionsconsultants.com
http://www.admissionsconsultants.com/mba/blog.aspx
AdmissionsConsultants
703.242.5885 |
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AdmissionsConsultants
Admissions Expert
USA
2124 Posts |
Posted - 11/13/2006 : 22:55:18
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Hi and thanks for your inquiry.
David, how much would a substantial improvement in grades help one's chances. For example, if you only received a 3.4 gpa freshman year, but managed to pull off above a 3.8 gpa every year for your last three years, would it mitigate your low (relatively speaking) gpa freshman year?
Would the improvement in grades cause for a different view on the overall gpa, even if it was already higher than the average at above a 3.7?
Depending on your overall candidacy, you likely shouldn't have to worry about your grades. And a 3.4 freshman GPA isn't the worst thing in the world.
Best of luck with your applications!
Sincerely,
David Petersam
President
AdmissionsConsultants, Inc.
DPetersam@admissionsconsultants.com
http://www.admissionsconsultants.com/mba/blog.aspx
AdmissionsConsultants
703.242.5885 |
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AdmissionsConsultants
Admissions Expert
USA
2124 Posts |
Posted - 11/13/2006 : 22:58:46
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Hi and thanks for your follow-up inquiry.
Thanks for your reply. Do you suggest I retake the GMAT to address my low GPA?
I don't have all the necessary information to competently opine on your positioning –- and that's well beyond the scope of this thread anyway –- but chances are retaking the GMAT is not the best way to address your low GPA.
Best of luck with your applications!
Sincerely,
David Petersam
President
AdmissionsConsultants, Inc.
DPetersam@admissionsconsultants.com
http://www.admissionsconsultants.com/mba/blog.aspx
AdmissionsConsultants
703.242.5885 |
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AdmissionsConsultants
Admissions Expert
USA
2124 Posts |
Posted - 11/13/2006 : 23:02:23
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Hi and thanks for your inquiry.
Do I have a shot at UCLA part time (not executive) or University of Chicago part time MBA?
Here are my numbers:
Undergraduate GPA: 2.56 (History) from University of Illinois
Gradaute GPA: 3.7 (MS in Information Systems) from Boston Univeristy
GMAT: 710
Job History: I have 12 yrs of solid job history and current making $125K+ as a senior database administrator (information technology).
I see nothing in the numbers that will keep you out. With well-prepared applications, you should be competitive and able to mitigate any lack of extracurriculars.
Best of luck with your applications!
Sincerely,
David Petersam
President
AdmissionsConsultants, Inc.
DPetersam@admissionsconsultants.com
http://www.admissionsconsultants.com/mba/blog.aspx
AdmissionsConsultants
703.242.5885 |
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AdmissionsConsultants
Admissions Expert
USA
2124 Posts |
Posted - 11/13/2006 : 23:07:21
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Hi Yogesh and thanks for your inquiry.
Hi,
I have a GMAT score of 620 (Q:49, V 27, AWA 5.5). I have 5yrs of work expereince with Infosys (an Inidan IT giant) an Adobe Systems.
I also have international exposure of working in 3 different countries (india, US and australia).
Have done my bachelor's in Mechanical Engineering from a premier Institute in India (GPA. 8.2/10)
I am planning to apply to following Univs:
1) Carnegie melon
2) Michigan State University (braod)
3) GeorgeTown University (Mcdonough)
4) University of MaryLand (Smith)
5) University of Toronto (Rotman)
6) Boston University
Can somebody please help me in accessing my chances at above universities. Please suggest if I can apply to some other higher ranked Business school.
I've written extensively about the urban legend surrounding "blue chip" companies like Infosys. Your GMAT score is very low for your demographic and you'll need good extracurriculars and great wow factors and story themes to be competitive at CMU or Georgetown.
Regds,
-yogesh
Best of luck with your applications!
Sincerely,
David Petersam
President
AdmissionsConsultants, Inc.
DPetersam@admissionsconsultants.com
http://www.admissionsconsultants.com/mba/blog.aspx
AdmissionsConsultants
703.242.5885 |
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AdmissionsConsultants
Admissions Expert
USA
2124 Posts |
Posted - 11/13/2006 : 23:16:32
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Hi Tony and thanks for your inquiry.
Hi David,
Thank you for creating such an informative forum on MBA admissions. Your admission advice for getting into top MBA programs has been very candid and sincere. I have been reading this forum for awhile now and decided to post a question myself.
Every so often, it's probably advisable for me to state that this thread only represents a small portion of what I know and the consultants are far more knowledgeable than yours truly. No one else has a CPA verified success rate that matches ours and we continue to get resumes from editors and consultants explaining that they were told to follow my thread to learn more about the MBA admission process. We also hit full capacity every year because, quite frankly, if we worked with any more applicants, our clients would be competing against each other. Hence, this thread only represents a small portion of what I know.
Here’s a little background about me. I am a graduate from the University of California, San Diego with a bachelor's degree in Structural Engineering. I currently work as a Project Manager in a large west coast Structural Engineering Consulting Firm. Because of my specialty in the construction and architectural engineering industry, I also volunteer as an onsite construction manager for Habitat for Humanity, a nonprofit organization that constructs homes for underprivileged families in Los Angeles. I recently took the GMAT and got a 710 with a 4 on the AWA. I am applying to MBA programs in 2008 when I feel that I can develop an even stronger application. I am hoping to further develop my ability to lead teams and build stronger communication skills before I apply because I have only 2 years of work experience. I am applying to Darden, Cornell, Duke, and UCLA when the right time comes.
My GPA during my undergraduate work is a 3.23. This is the main concern that I have, and here is the breakdown.
The bad:
I took 5 years to graduate.
I averaged a 2.8 GPA in my first 2 and a half year.
I got two Bs and a C in Calculus.
I got an F one class and two W (withdraw) in my first two years
The good:
I took control in my last 2 years of college
I got 15 A’s out of the 20 classes I took in my last 2 years
I got a major GPA of 3.57
I averaged a GPA of 3.7 in my last two years
As far as work experience goes, I know what I would have to do to be more competitive. However, judging from my academic record and GMAT, do schools like UCLA, Cornell, Duke, and Darden seem too much of a stretch? Whether or not it is a stretch, is there anything else I can do as far as academics go to improve my chances of getting into these schools or an even better school? For example, either retaking calculus classes at a community college or through an online extension course from UCLA.
Any feedback on my profile on where I can improve my weaknesses and how my chances are in getting into a top tier business school like Darden, Cornell, Duke, and UCLA would be great. Thank you!
You should consider building a succinct alternate transcript.
Best Regards,
Tony
Best of luck with your applications!
Sincerely,
David Petersam
President
AdmissionsConsultants, Inc.
DPetersam@admissionsconsultants.com
http://www.admissionsconsultants.com/mba/blog.aspx
AdmissionsConsultants
703.242.5885 |
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aarimoto
Underclassman
1 Posts |
Posted - 11/15/2006 : 17:30:24
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Hi David,
I got a 620 on my GMAT which was heavily weighted towards my verbal score. I have a 3.5 GPA, 6 years of leadership experience and can get good recommendations. I'm concerned that my GMAT math score will take me out of the running of schools like Haas. Would it be helpful for me to take a math course to show that I do have some math skills? If so, what would be helpful? I did take calc I and II in college and a number of statistics classes.
Thank you! |
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