Profile Evaluation Request

[m.gaurav86]

Dear Team,

I would be grateful if I could get your insight on my profile below

Nationality: Indian
Gender: M
Age: 25
Employer: HSBC
Work Experience as of today: 1.5 years
Education: Dual degree (5 Year) Masters from Narsee Monjee Institute of Management and Higher Studies (NMIMS). Bachelor's of Technology (Chemical Engineering) + MBA (Tech) with a major in Finance
CGPA: 3.39
GMAT Score: 720
Year of application: First round, 2013
Year of joining school: Fall, 2014

Current Occupation: I'm an offshore Investment Banking Analyst in India and I'm currently looking after the Chemicals desk for HSBC India and am a part of a two member team. I shuttle between London and Bangalore for work purposes. I am the only analyst from the class of 2011 which has been fastracked to work in London. Have also been promoted twice since I joined HSBC in 2011. Currently mentor two junior bankers in India.

Social service: I mentor a group of underprivileged children through a CSR group at HSBC, India and have been a core team member since I joined.

Extra curricular: Avid debater in HSBC and have been awarded for the same. Also enjoy playing various sports such as cricket (member of the IB cricket team) and have been a basketball player in university.

College: During my 5 year program, I have about 11 months of internship with Indian Oil and Larsen and Tubro (Engineering) and with HSBC (4 different divisions) for my summer internship. Also been awarded a 4.0 GPA for my internships in college.

Colleges which I wish to apply to (in order of preference):

1. London Business School
2. Wharton
3. New York Stern

Rationale:

1. I want a global program which will give me a view to finance on a global scale especially since I work between London and India
2. I feel that my first MBA was done in haste since it was a combined program and I took that decision right after high school. After working with HSBC and constantly interacting with my clients, I feel that I'd like to go back to the drawing board again and take care of gaps which a top b-school can provide
3. I've experienced and grown in my role of IB while working across geographies. I now wish to use my sector knowledge and skills for either strategy consulting or a PE/VC firm

Additional queries

1. Do business schools consider your work ex at the date at which you apply for the program (2.5 years in September 2013) or the date at which you enroll for the program (3.5 years say in August 2014)?

2. Follow up to the first question: My dream school is LBS. I met them while I was in London as well. I have heard that they consider my work ex at the time of enrollment and not at the time of application. Is this true?

3. Do I need a stronger GMAT score?

4. Kindly recommend more schools which are aligned towards strategy management/consulting as I see myself in this domain post my MBA

Many thanks for your assistance in this matter and I look forward to hearing from you.

Best Regards

Gaurav Mathur

[mili]

Hi Gaurav,

Thanks for the detailed info. I think you have strong work experience and will be able to demonstrate a capacity for professional leadership and excellence. I also think your academic record is strong. Your extracurricular activities and community work are just average, especially since they are activities you do through HSBC. I don't see a lot of leadership in these areas.

With this in mind, I do think you have a chance at LBS and NYU. Wharton is a bit of a stretch in my opinion, but you can still apply if you are really eager. I do recommend adding some additional schools to your list that will round out your risk level and also match your goals: University of Chicago, University of Virginia and maybe Georgetown as a safety.

To answer your questions:

1. Do business schools consider your work ex at the date at which you apply for the program (2.5 years in September 2013) or the date at which you enroll for the program (3.5 years say in August 2014)? In terms of your number of total years of work experience, that is calculated based on the date you matriculate (start of program). However, in terms of assessing your candidacy, it is much less about the quantity of your experience and much more about the quality. Whether you've worked for 4 years or 3 years at that point is less relevant than what you have achieved in that time frame.

2. Follow up to the first question: My dream school is LBS. I met them while I was in London as well. I have heard that they consider my work ex at the time of enrollment and not at the time of application. Is this true? I believe that is true, but to be certain you can call the admissions office as ask.

3. Do I need a stronger GMAT score? I don't believe you need to retake the GMAT. The difference between at 720 and a 750 is not going to make or break your application. Your time is probably better spent building up your extracurricular and community leadership between now and the time you apply, and continuing to take on more professional leadership roles/responsibilities.

4. Kindly recommend more schools which are aligned towards strategy management/consulting as I see myself in this domain post my MBA Please see above.

Hope this is helpful,

Mili Mittal
Senior Consultant
http://www.mbamission.com

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[m.gaurav86]

Dear Mili,

Many thanks for your prompt reply. It was indeed a pleasure to read your extensive evaluation.

A couple of quick points which I wished to bring to your notice

1. I will be teaching and mentoring children in an external NGO in Bangalore soon. I will essentially be handling a class of students and be a part time teacher.

2. Regarding my extra curricular activities, I'm an active debater and have debated on television (NDTV 24x7) in college. As mentioned above, I also am heavily into sports and am a part of the HSBC Investment Banking cricket team.

Quick questions

1. Would you recommend any more steps (other than prev. mentioned) to enhance my profile for LBS and NYU, given my profile?
2. When you refer to University of Chicago, I assume your referring to Booth (?)

Thanks Mili. I really appreciate your insight.

Best Regards

Gaurav

[mili]

Hi Gaurav,

Great to hear how involved you'll be with the NGO. While you are teaching, keep an eye out for any opportunity to improve the program for the children. Whether it's coming up with, getting permission for, and running a fundraising event to get them new school supplies, or creating a mentorship program or something. Try to do more than just teach the kids if possible!

I'd say if you can take on any kind of leadership role in a non-work organization related to your interests (e.g. create a local debate team and run it, or form a kids cricket team and coach it...?), that would help enhance your profile. Take your interests and see where/how you can demonstrate leadership in them (vs just enthusiasm for them/participation in them).

Correct - I was referring to Booth.

Thanks,
Mili

[m.gaurav86]

Hi Mili

Thanks for your prompt reply once again.

I have a couple of questions again

1. I did mention that my dream school is LBS. Could you please share a few more pointers on how I should approach my application for LBS and if any gaps must be filled (other than those mentioned) with regards to LBS.
2. You stated that Wharton would be a stretch for me and you've recommended Booth in your previous post. I generally thought that Wharton and Booth are in the same league as far as programs with a focus on Finance/ Consulting are concerned. So how is it that Booth fits my profile and Wharton doesn't?

Thanks for your assistance in this matter.

Best Regards

Gaurav

[mili]

Hi Gaurav,

I don't think there is anything particular to LBS that wouldn't apply to other schools.

In my experience, Chicago Booth is more forgiving of candidates that don't have strong extracurricular and community leadership. That is just my opinion. Also, Booth's acceptance rate is slightly higher than Wharton's. All in all, they are very comparable programs but I think you have a slightly better chance at Chicago than at Wharton. Could always apply to both if both programs appeal to you!

Good luck,
Mili

[m.gaurav86]

Hi Mili,

Do you think I should wait another year and gain more experience at work? Will this hold me in more favorable position as compared to where I stand today?

Best Regards

Gaurav Mathur

[mili]

Hi Gaurav,

I don't think you need to work another year before applying. Overall your profile is fairly strong and you've still got another year of experience coming up before you apply. I would apply in Fall 2013 as you are planning and see how it goes. If you don't get in, you can always reapply the following year with more experience and a better sense of where your weaknesses lie. You have nothing to lose! I think you'll do well -just make sure to balance your school list with one or two safety schools. Otherwise your list is good - Wharton as a reach, LBS and NYU and maybe 1 more as targets, and maybe you add one safety like Cornell to the list.

Good luck!
Mili

[m.gaurav86]

Mili

Thanks for your prompt reply.

I have an additional question. I basically want to be in the finance industry. Do you think doing and MiF from LBS is also something I should consider?

Thanks

Gaurav

[mili]

Certainly worth researching!

[m.gaurav86]

Then.. Would you think my profile would fit for a MiF at LBS for the fall 2014 session?

Thanks

Gaurav

[mili]

Sorry - that is not really my expertise. You'll have to research and be the judge on that.

Mili

[m.gaurav86]

Okay. Thanks a lot Mili.

Mili, what more do you think I could do as far as extra curricular activities are concerned. Currently I'm:

1. Working for CSR with HSBC in Bangalore
2. On the HSBC debate team and I recently won the second prize
3. On the cricket team here and have been an avid basketball player through college (captain)

Thanks

Gaurav

[mili]

See if you can do something that is not affiliated with HSBC.

Good luck!
Mili