Ask AdmissionsConsultants

[anusholly]

Originally posted by AdmissionsConsultants

Hi Anubhay and thanks for your inquiry.

If you feel confident you can retake the GMAT and raise your score by at least 30 points, then do so as your score is a bit below the average for your demographic at the top schools. (Please note Indian nationals with your GMAT score and lower are admitted into top schools; it is just a little bit more difficult and they need an even stronger ‘wow’ factor and application story.)

I see no reason why you shouldn’t be competitive at the schools you mentioned, particularly those outside of INSEAD, IMD, LBS, Chicago, Darden, and CMU with well-prepared applications. With a decent ‘wow’ factor and well-prepared applications, you would be a slight stretch at the schools I just listed.

Best of luck with your applications!

Sincerely,

David Petersam
DPetersam@admissionsconsultants.com

Admissions committee experience from the top b-schools

[anusholly]

[Hi Anubhay and thanks for your inquiry.

If you feel confident you can retake the GMAT and raise your score by at least 30 points, then do so as your score is a bit below the average for your demographic at the top schools. (Please note Indian nationals with your GMAT score and lower are admitted into top schools; it is just a little bit more difficult and they need an even stronger ‘wow’ factor and application story.)

I see no reason why you shouldn’t be competitive at the schools you mentioned, particularly those outside of INSEAD, IMD, LBS, Chicago, Darden, and CMU with well-prepared applications. With a decent ‘wow’ factor and well-prepared applications, you would be a slight stretch at the schools I just listed.

Best of luck with your applications!

Sincerely,

David Petersam
DPetersam@admissionsconsultants.com

Admissions committee experience from the top b-schools
[/quote]
Hi David,
Thanks for your advice. About the GMAT score I dont think that I have enough time now to prepare well for it and give it so as to boost my score 30 points. So I would have to prepare my application with this score in mind. I would like to know if I take your consultation , what would be the fee and would that increase my chances of getting admitted to chicago, insead, imd, lbs , cmu etc. Thanks again for your advice.
Anubhav

[AdmissionsConsultants]

Originally posted by anusholly

[Hi Anubhay and thanks for your inquiry.

If you feel confident you can retake the GMAT and raise your score by at least 30 points, then do so as your score is a bit below the average for your demographic at the top schools. (Please note Indian nationals with your GMAT score and lower are admitted into top schools; it is just a little bit more difficult and they need an even stronger ‘wow’ factor and application story.)

I see no reason why you shouldn’t be competitive at the schools you mentioned, particularly those outside of INSEAD, IMD, LBS, Chicago, Darden, and CMU with well-prepared applications. With a decent ‘wow’ factor and well-prepared applications, you would be a slight stretch at the schools I just listed.

Best of luck with your applications!

Sincerely,

David Petersam
DPetersam@admissionsconsultants.com

Admissions committee experience from the top b-schools

Hi David,
Thanks for your advice. About the GMAT score I dont think that I have enough time now to prepare well for it and give it so as to boost my score 30 points. So I would have to prepare my application with this score in mind. I would like to know if I take your consultation , what would be the fee and would that increase my chances of getting admitted to chicago, insead, imd, lbs , cmu etc. Thanks again for your advice.
Anubhav
[/quote]

Hi Anubhav and thanks for your follow-up inquiry.

If you feel like you hit your personal ceiling or that you don't have extra time to put into your GMAT preparations, then move on to the application phase. There is no use in "banging your head into the wall" over this test and people with below average scores -- by the very definition of average -- do get admitted to top schools.

Yes, we can certainly help you put forth the best possible story and themes and see that you target the most appropriate schools and then submit the best possible essays, letters of reference, resume, and application. We can also ensure you are optimally prepared for your admissions interviews. You can learn more about us by visiting our website and reading about the advantages of working with us at www.admissionsconsultants.com/mba/advantages.asp. On a final note, we do have consultants with availability who worked on the admissions committees of the schools you are targeting.

Sincerely,

David Petersam
DPetersam@admissionsconsultants.com

Admissions committee experience from the top b-schools

[AdmissionsConsultants]

Originally posted by anusholly

[Hi Anubhay and thanks for your inquiry.

If you feel confident you can retake the GMAT and raise your score by at least 30 points, then do so as your score is a bit below the average for your demographic at the top schools. (Please note Indian nationals with your GMAT score and lower are admitted into top schools; it is just a little bit more difficult and they need an even stronger ‘wow’ factor and application story.)

I see no reason why you shouldn’t be competitive at the schools you mentioned, particularly those outside of INSEAD, IMD, LBS, Chicago, Darden, and CMU with well-prepared applications. With a decent ‘wow’ factor and well-prepared applications, you would be a slight stretch at the schools I just listed.

Best of luck with your applications!

Sincerely,

David Petersam
DPetersam@admissionsconsultants.com

Admissions committee experience from the top b-schools

Hi David,
Thanks for your advice. About the GMAT score I dont think that I have enough time now to prepare well for it and give it so as to boost my score 30 points. So I would have to prepare my application with this score in mind. I would like to know if I take your consultation , what would be the fee and would that increase my chances of getting admitted to chicago, insead, imd, lbs , cmu etc. Thanks again for your advice.
Anubhav
[/quote]

Hi Anubhav and thanks for your follow-up inquiry.

If you feel like you hit your personal ceiling or that you don't have extra time to put into your GMAT preparations, then move on to the application phase. There is no use in "banging your head into the wall" over this test and people with below average scores -- by the very definition of average -- do get admitted to top schools.

Yes, we can certainly help you put forth the best possible story and themes and see that you target the most appropriate schools and then submit the best possible essays, letters of reference, resume, and application. We can also ensure you are optimally prepared for your admissions interviews. You can learn more about us by visiting our website and reading about the advantages of working with us at www.admissionsconsultants.com/mba/advantages.asp. On a final note, we do have consultants with availability who worked on the admissions committees of the schools you are targeting.

Sincerely,

David Petersam
DPetersam@admissionsconsultants.com

Admissions committee experience from the top b-schools

[formba]

Hi David,

Thanks for giving advice to the MBA aspirants. I followed all the threads and your replies are very helpful. I have one concern and would appreciate if you could help me out. I have applied for Haas part time program for this fall.My GMAT score is 670 and with very good GPA during undergrad. I have 10 years of experience in software devlopement starting with 2 years of experience in project planning & execution. I have strong involvement with community and have focused on the devlopment of my homeland(india) through various non-profit organization. My family has deep rooted involvement in Indian politics. Though my short term goal is to be senior executive in IT by broadening my perspective in areas other than software development and then subsequently start my own business, my long term goal is to join Indian politics. I specified this in my essays and mentioned the ambition of starting the business focusing on the public sector automation in India. Now got an interview call from Haas. Do you thing I am disadvantageous position by having politics as my long term goal ? Could you please advise ?
Looking forward to hearing from you .
Thanks in advance.
Ram

[roborob]

David,

This "wow" factor you mention is great to have in your apps, but aren't each invidual part of my app reviewed by different people? Therefore, there really isn't a need for a overall "wow" factor because the app is not reviewed as a whole. Is there something here that I am missing?

Thanks,
Robert

[AdmissionsConsultants]

Originally posted by formba

Hi David,

Thanks for giving advice to the MBA aspirants. I followed all the threads and your replies are very helpful. I have one concern and would appreciate if you could help me out. I have applied for Haas part time program for this fall.My GMAT score is 670 and with very good GPA during undergrad. I have 10 years of experience in software devlopement starting with 2 years of experience in project planning & execution. I have strong involvement with community and have focused on the devlopment of my homeland(india) through various non-profit organization. My family has deep rooted involvement in Indian politics. Though my short term goal is to be senior executive in IT by broadening my perspective in areas other than software development and then subsequently start my own business, my long term goal is to join Indian politics. I specified this in my essays and mentioned the ambition of starting the business focusing on the public sector automation in India. Now got an interview call from Haas. Do you thing I am disadvantageous position by having politics as my long term goal ? Could you please advise ?
Looking forward to hearing from you .
Thanks in advance.
Ram

Hi Ram and thanks for your inquiry.

I believe I already covered this in my email response over the weekend. To summarize, I don’t know enough about you to say for certain, but sometimes politics is a viable long-term career goal in a well-prepared MBA admission story. Chances are though that you should use your interview as an opportunity to clarify, and possibly amend, this position.

We do have a consultant who worked on the Haas admissions committee, so please don’t hesitate to contact me if you would like to do a mock interview with this particular consultant.

Best of luck with your interview and applications!

Sincerely,

David Petersam
DPetersam@admissionsconsultants.com

Admissions committee experience from the top b-schools

[AdmissionsConsultants]

Originally posted by roborob

David,

This "wow" factor you mention is great to have in your apps, but aren't each invidual part of my app reviewed by different people? Therefore, there really isn't a need for a overall "wow" factor because the app is not reviewed as a whole. Is there something here that I am missing?

Thanks,
Robert

Hi Robert and thanks for your inquiry.

First of all, the application is usually read all the way through by the same person. Secondly, a ‘wow’ factor can be used in one specific essay and to boost one particular theme in your story. You don’t always have to read the entire application to find a ‘wow’ factor. In fact, such a scenario is not normally advisable since you want to make the admissions officers’ jobs as easy as possible.

Best of luck with your applications!

Sincerely,

David Petersam
DPetersam@admissionsconsultants.com

Admissions committee experience from the top b-schools

[bhornbuc]

Hello David,

Firstly, let me say that I think what you're doing is great. You obviously have a ton of knowledge and are willing to share it.

To cut to the chase, my question is a popular one: Do I need a higher GMAT score in order to be highly competitive at a Top 10 business school?

Background:
- Current Score 680 (Q:44, V:40). Ran out of time and sped through last 7 Quantitative questions. Test conditions pose greater challenge than test content.
- Work Experience: 3 years - Capital One Financial Services - Varied positions doing a wide variety of tasks - internet advertising, postage spend analysis, systems development methodology, Inventory and eProcurement system implementations
2 years - MAXIMUS Consulting - Consultant/Business Lead/Project Manager (progressive responsibilities) for State of Indiana eProcurement and eSourcing systems implementations
-Education: Brown University - BS Applied Mathematics-Economics; BA Political Science; GPA = 3.0
- Other: PeopleSoft Certified Consultant, MAXIMUS Consulting "2004 Rookie of Year" (chosen by peers from set of 30 first-year consultants)

All said, with my collegiate GPA so low (3.0), I feel like a sub-700 GMAT allows for my aptitude to be called into question. If I were to retake the GMAT, I feel like 710/720 would represent my ceiling. However, I still have 2-3 months before the application process commences so the opportunity cost of a GMAT retake would be minimal.

Thus, the question becomes, based on your experience, what would you do if you were in my shoes?

Thank you very much in advance. Your time and energies are appreciated.

Regards,

Blake.

[btraub]

Hi David,

I read this thread regularly and I would to thank you for always taking the time to answer everyone's questions. I am also very interested in your services as well. I will be in contact with you.

Thanks in advance.

My questions are as follows:

1 - I have read in some of your replies that GPA/GMAT counts for 35% - 40% of the application. Would you be able to provide a similar breakdown for the other componenents of the application?

2 - How do schools weight GPA according to where the GPA is from? ie - of course a GPA of 3.5 from Harvard undergrad weighs more than a 3.5 from a local community college. In my case I went to the University of Maryland undergrad business school (the Smith school was to 20 when I went there where my GPA was a 3.96 (I received 1 B in 4 years and two majors). Will this count less than the same GPA from another school? How do they weight it and how much should I count on this GPA helping me?

3 - I have been out of school only 2 years and am about to complete a 2 year GE managment program. In terms of buiness school (note that I am not asking about short term career goals would it be better to stay at GE, move to another big name company (for more money, work for a small no-name, or try to do something out of the box: ie - go teach english to students in a foreign country, volunteer for a few months to provide aid in a third world country? I am currently at this crossroad and dont know what to do both personally and professionaly.

4 - I have dealt with a lot of personal hardship in my life in terms of family and relationships. Is this something that I should not consider mentioning, focus on since it shaped me into the person I am and is important to me, or do something in between (this is for essays of course)?

5 - Recomendations - I am asking two people that I used to work for at GE for recommendations. They both have a title of VP and I reported directly to one of them (the other one was my bosses boss and got to know me very well). For a third recommendation I was going to ask the Dean of my undergrad business program at Maryland. I still have relationship with her and I wanted to know if this makes sense from an MBA admissions point of view? I have also considered the option of close family friends or a teacher friend who have all seen my grow throughout my life. What do you think of this as well?

6 - GE Management Programs: While working at GE you get brainwashed into thinking that every large company and top university has heard of GE programs (FMP, IMLP, etc...). Do MBA programs know what these programs are, and do they look upon them highly? The programs themselves are very competitive to get into, but I feel that people in my position tend to lose sight of what everyone else thinks. I know that 2 years of experience is not much, however I do know 2 year GE program grads who have gone on to top 3 schools after 2 years.

7 - It seems to be a cliche that everyone writes essays about how the want to go into non-profit or government servce. This is however, a realistic goal for me. Is this something I should shy away from writing about in essays since everyone else seems to do so, or can I be honest and say that this is absolutely a goal of mine (this ties in greatly to what I refer to above with my life experiences)?

8 - Lastly, would you give your feedback on how you think my application stands for a top 3 school. My info is below.

Education - University of Maryland, double major in business school, 3.96 GPA, university honors program, business honors program (president), numerous undergrad scholarships

Work - 2 year GE management program (1 year GE internship while in school), responsible for process improvement and digitization projects with actual business impact, leading 2-5 consultants on each project, growing responsibility in each of 4 assignments (I can of course elaborate on this in detail if need be, but I hope this gets the idea across) GE classes to no end (leadership skills, business dynamics course, presentation skills, group dynamics, etc...) I also got certified as a GE Blackbelt in Six Sigma. I have also received outstanding reviews and worked in Los Angeles and New York, with travel to other cities as well.

Recommendations - Noted above

Community Service - I have done a few projects with GE (habitat for humanity etc...), but most importantly, I am the local chapter advisor for an international youth group (high school age). I spend 1 night a week with the students and help them on things from education to social problems to girlfriend issues to career advice.

GMAT - 700 (Q44, V 42), taken once (ironically my best verbal ever and my worst quant ever). The Q score was 73rd %ile. How much will this hurt me?

Sorry for all of the questions, but I figured I would ask them all at once instead of going back and forth. Thanks so much in advance for your feedback. I look forward to seeing eveyone's response.

I hope I am not being too long in my writing (GMAT sentence correction joke).

- btraub