profile evaluation please

[tkulkarn]

Here is my profile. Would appreciate your candid inputs on my chances into part-time or full-time programs.
UG from IIT (top engineering programs in India) GPA 9.1/10 (3.6/4 depends on the formula you use)
Grad from U of Illinois GPA 4.0 with one conference and one journal publication.
Both in mechanical engg.
GMAT 700/90% overall (Q49, V35) and AWA 5.5

Seven years of experience as mechanical engg in a fortune 500 company. The experience has been of increasing responsibility. Project leadership and management experience; people management experience in the last two years. Several patents granted and many pending applications. Volunteering and leadership experience in organizing multiple employee engagement events for the last 3 years.

As I have proven my thought leadership, I need to enhance my skills in finance and strategy. After MBA, I would like to move into product management and business strategy.

Please suggest target schools and evaluate my chances.

[mbamission]

Here is my profile. Would appreciate your candid inputs on my chances into part-time or full-time programs.
UG from IIT (top engineering programs in India) GPA 9.1/10 (3.6/4 depends on the formula you use)
Grad from U of Illinois GPA 4.0 with one conference and one journal publication.
Both in mechanical engg.
GMAT 700/90% overall (Q49, V35) and AWA 5.5

Seven years of experience as mechanical engg in a fortune 500 company. The experience has been of increasing responsibility. Project leadership and management experience; people management experience in the last two years. Several patents granted and many pending applications. Volunteering and leadership experience in organizing multiple employee engagement events for the last 3 years.

As I have proven my thought leadership, I need to enhance my skills in finance and strategy. After MBA, I would like to move into product management and business strategy.

Please suggest target schools and evaluate my chances.

Thanks for your question! You didn't provide information on the schools you are considering so it is difficult for me to evaluate your chances. However, based on the information you provided, I will give you a general assessment of your candidacy.

You have strong grades from both your undergraduate and graduate programs. University of Illinois has a challenging engineering program, so your 4.0 GPA will show that you can handle a rigorous curriculum. Your GMAT score could be stronger however. The verbal score in particular is below the 80th percentile, which is a good barometer for measuring the competitiveness of your score for top MBA programs. You should also review the average GMAT scores for the schools that you are considering and if you are below the average, you should think about whether or not it would be worth it for you to retake the exam.

Regarding your professional experience, you have progressed in your career and gained management experience, which is a positive, but my guess is that you are 30+ which puts you on the older end of the spectrum for some MBA programs. The are some schools that have a good percentage of experienced students (Tuck, Haas, LBS, INSEAD, among others), so you should research schools that might be more older applicant friendly. I also think part-time programs can be worth considering if you intend to transition to product management within your current company. Programs like Booth, Kellogg, Haas, UCLA are a few options you can consider.

Given your plan to transition from an engineering role to a product management/strategy role, I would recommend that you show "why" this interests you and what you've done to learn about your career path (i.e. conducting informational interviews, volunteering for projects outside of your comfort zone, attending conferences, etc.).

You didn't mention any "extra-curricular" or community leadership roles. Given that you are part of an overrepresented applicant pool - male, Indian (I assume), engineer - you need to consider how your other experiences can round out your application and boost your profile.

I hope this information is helpful. Best of luck with the application process!

Monica Okrah
mbaMission

[tkulkarn]

Monica
Thank you for the reply. actually the info you have provided is quite useful for me. as of now, I am focusing on part time programs at kellogg\booth. However, this has nothing to do with shifting to a different role within the same company.
Regardless, your post got me thinking: for somebody with near 10years of work exp (when I graduate with MBA), would it be worth going full time?
What role can I hope for after FT MBA vs PT MBA? (still focus on the areas such as product develop\management and strategy).

Thank you for the insights.

[mbamission]

I'm glad this information was helpful. Given the fact that you are an older applicant, the part-time program might be a better fit for you. In terms of "what role you can expect after a FT or PT MBA"....well that really depends on you! I would recommend that you do some research and get a feel for whether you can move into a higher level role given your prior experience. If you would have to take an entry level role (due to the career change), you need to decide it that is worthwhile. With the part-time program, it might be easier to progress within your company since you have already build a network there.

Best of luck with the application process!

Monica
Thank you for the reply. actually the info you have provided is quite useful for me. as of now, I am focusing on part time programs at kellogg\booth. However, this has nothing to do with shifting to a different role within the same company.
Regardless, your post got me thinking: for somebody with near 10years of work exp (when I graduate with MBA), would it be worth going full time?
What role can I hope for after FT MBA vs PT MBA? (still focus on the areas such as product develop\management and strategy).

Thank you for the insights.