Admission Advice - INSEAD Sep 2010

[mishkum]

Hi,

My GMAT score is 690 (Q 50 - 94%, V 34 - 69%, AWA 6.0 - 87%). I doubt if my verbal score is too low to get an admit to schools like INSEAD (though INSEAD is my dream school). Will my perfect AWA score offset my low verbal score?

Please advise me about my chances of admission to INSEAD. As I can afford to only 1 year MBAs, I am mainly looking for INSEAD, ISB, IIML, IIMA. Any other application suggestions would be highly appreciated.

Given below is my profile:
PERSONAL INFORMATION:
Age: 28 (30 by Sep 2010) Sex : Female Marital Status : Married
Nationality : Indian Languages known : English, Hindi, Malayalam, Tamil

Academic Details:
Year - Degree - Institute/School - %/CGPA
2005 - MS (Software Engg) - Birla Institute of Technology, Pilani - 7.2
2002 - B.Tech (E&E Engg) - Kerala University - 81.2%
1998 - 12th (Pre Degree) - Kerala University - 93.0%
1996 - 10th (SSLC) - Kerala State Board - 94.83%

Experience/Achievements:

- 7 years of overall IT experience (8 years by Sep 2010)
- PMP Certified Project Management Professional
- Certified Six Sigma Black Belt & Green Belt Professional interested in Business Process Improvement activities
- Client site experience (US) for about 5 months (Requirement gathering, Client Knowledge Transition, Project implementation, Post production support).
- Key player in CMMi evaluation process, ISO certification etc in my organization
- Life Insurance Domain Certification from LOMA - Level 1 (FLMI 280, FLMI 290) and PnC Insurance Certification.
- College Top scorer award during bachelor degree, University Rank holder for +2 course and secured University scholarship.
- National Talent Search (NTS) Scholar - Awarded by NCERT

Given my profile, could you please let me know the points which I should focus in my essays so that I can get admitted to my dream school.

Thanks in advance,
S.

[mbamission]

Thanks for your questions. Without knowing a lot about you, it is difficult for me to suggest what points to highlight in your essays. In general, you want to ensure that you are highlighting stories that show your international experience, sensitivity to various cultures, professional accomplishments, leadership experiences (in your community and workplace), and personal/professional growth.

Your work experience sounds pretty strong. Has your career progressed faster than your peers? If so, this can be highlighted in your application. Your undergraduate grades are strong as well and your GMAT of 690 is respectable, but the lower verbal score might raise a red flag. If you cannot retake the exam and pull your verbal score above the 80th percentile, then you want to make sure you are writing strong essays to underscore your ability to communicate in English language from both a written and verbal perspective. The 6.0 AWA score might mitigate this risk as well.

Do you have any activities outside of work? Overall, you should have a shot at INSEAD, provided that you can show that you are a well rounded individual both professionally and personally.

Best of luck with the application process.

Monica Okrah
MBA Mission
646-485-8844
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