Retake GMAT ?

[georgepaul0071987]

Hey guys ,

I was just wondering if I could get your input on my profile .

Academics :

Xth Grade - 91% ( Overall )
XIIth Grade - 90% ( Overall )
Telecommunication Engineering Degree
Nationality : INDIAN
Overall GPA of 8.4/10 - First Class with Distinction ( The highest possible class that can be achieved ) . I was in the top 5-10% of my class.

GMAT - 710 ( Q50,v35 ,AWA 5.5)

Work Experience -
1.5 years as Business Analyst at Credit Suisse. The project I worked on mainly dealth with Fixed Income Products and Forex Markets . The software was a monitoring tool that was used by the bank to track it's activities in these domains . My roles included speaking to the end user ( requirement gathering ) and acting as a middle man between the software developers on the team and the end user .

1.5 years as a Sales and Marketing Manager at my family business . The family business is a pharmaceutical company with a wide range of patents for a number of products . It is a well established business with clients all over the world . Right now I manage a team of about 30-40 people . I was instrumental in setting up markets in the US and Australia and the revenue for the company from these markets has increased exponentially since I joined the company .

My main aim is to do an MBA and then come back and take over the family business . I feel like doing a course that emphasizes leadership would really help me . Once I take over the business I would need to be in a position to lead a team of about 100-200 people .

My target Schools - HBS ( Leadership ) , Wharton ( Finance ) or Kellog ( For Marketing ) . Although I feel HBS would be the best fit because I would be taking a leadership role once I return to the family business after my MBA .

Extra Curricular Activities -

Captain of the College Football Team
Participated in an International Salsa Dance Congress
Was instrumental in Setting up a school for underpriveleged children in a village that was near the factory of the family business . This school provides free education for children from the age of 2 to 12 .

Do you think I should retake the GMAT ?

[rachel]

Hi! Your main question about whether you should retake the GMAT isn't so simple to answer. Where your score stands right now is strong, and many candidates get into top schools with scores at that level. But you are also coming from a demographic that scores incredibly well on the GMAT, with many applicants getting well into the mid-700s and higher. If you thought you could raise your score by taking the test again one more time, I would try. Even bolstering it a little would put you into a more comfortable spot as an applicant. Outside of the GMAT, you appear to have solid grades, which can also help your candidacy.

As you pull together your application, there are few things that stand out to me. I like that you have gone to work at your family's business and intend to return there after you get an MBA. It's important for you to clearly tell the AdCom why getting an MBA is needed, and why you need it now. I also like that the role you have in your family's business isn't in engineering - but in sales and marketing. That will help differentiate you from other applicants applying to business school with similar academic backgrounds. You also have solid management experience, something that you should tout in your application for sure, and use examples where you can of when you did things that were out-of-the ordinary (and quantify where possible). You say that you were instrumental in setting up markets in the US and Australia and the company's revenue has increased as a result. Those kind of examples will help build your credentials.

As for your extra-curricular activities, the one that stands out to me is the school that you helped set up. Are you still involved in that school? What was your role? Being able to show strong leadership in outside activities is something that the AdCom looks for in applicants.

Your list of schools is very ambitious. That doesn't mean I don't think you have a shot at them, but I encourage you to look a little further down the rankings, too, to round out your list. Also, it's important to not package yourself for a school based on its perceived specialty. (For instance, going to Kellogg just because it is known for marketing). You want to tell the AdCom why this school is right for you, and give very clear reasons for that.

Best of luck,

Rachel Beck

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[georgepaul0071987]

Hello ,

Thanks for your reply !

I just have one more question regarding my gmat score
. As it stands now would my GMAT score be perceived as a red flag ?
I'm not sure if I can improve on that score since I was scoring around about the same in my mock tests as well .

Most Indians who score really on the GMAT tend to come from the IT background right ? So considering that my background has nothing to do with IT , I wouldn't actually be competing with them right ?

[rachel]

If you don't think your score will go up, then don't bother taking the exam again and really focus on your applications. As for your other question, you were an engineering major in college, which is the same as many applicants who work in IT. That is why there may be some expectation that your score should be higher. But your career focus has been business-based - which is good news because it won't pit you directly against those coming from an IT background.

I hope this helps.

Rachel