Hi Prudence Thanks for your question. If you are able to pull off a 720/740 GMAT and with the interesting work exp plus promotions, people management as well as international project experience I think you will be a strong candidate for Tuck. Fuqua and Goizueta. I also think the schools would like the mix of [...]

Hi Indian Banker You are asking two questions right. The first deals with your number of years of experience. I would caste a wide net and not only target schools that are trending towards slightly younger candidate. The key thing is to focus on telling a strong story around what you have done in the [...]

Hi Oil Baron Regarding advantage of coming from the Oil and Gas field you may have a slight bump on the diversity angle compared to if you were coming from financial services sector for example. But how big a push can easily be exaggerated. It’s important to sell your story from the standpoint of why [...]

Hi Oil Baron, Nice name, by the way. Good luck with the GMAT retake. If the score is at 730 you should be fine academically. Your experience in the oil and gas industry and management experience stories will be interesting. Focus on the ones that allow you to showcase your greatest leadership growth, reveal your [...]

Hi Mr. Confused

You are welcome!

Let me know if you have other questions and all the best with your applicaiton!

Chioma

Hiya Indian Banker, No worries about asking too many question. There are several programs that offer early action admission options. Here are just a few of them: Early Action Tuck Fuqua (Duke) Kenan Flagler (UNC) Early Decision Columbia As for your question about impact of applying early as an international student, my sense is that [...]

Hi Aaron, About 20-30% of admitted students at most schools come from an undergrad business major so having a business degree prior is not a liability necessarily. What is important is focusing on what skills and experiences you currently lack after working at Deloitte and making a strong a case for why you need an [...]

Hi Anthony,

Sorry, I called you Aaron! Yes all of these schools are considered in the top twenty.

Chioma

All the best.
Chioma (Chioma@expartus.com)
Author of The Best Business School Admissions Secrets
CEO EXPARTUS (www.expartus.com)

Hi Aaron,

Yes these schools traditionally are considered within the top twenty MBA programs in the US.

All the best.
Chioma (Chioma@expartus.com)
Author of The Best Business School Admissions Secrets
CEO EXPARTUS (www.expartus.com)

Hi KBBK, Thanks for your question. Family business offers a different perspective so could be a plus. It also explains age (31) and just graduating from undergrad now. The fact that the GPA is solid (3.8 also helps to reassure adcom that they shouldn’t worry about you holding your own academically. Ditto on the 700plus [...]

Hello Eric, This is a tricky situation. As far as I know it’s a loss on the deposit front. But you want to tread carefully–you don’t want to tick off Columbia. I’ve not heard of Mary Miller or anyone on her team going around contacting other schools but policies can change at any point. As [...]

Hi John From a profile standpoint you are admissible based on the GMAT/GPA/CFA and PWC M&A advisory work profile. The non-profit exp is also a plus. Your candidacy will be won or lost based on the execution: how you brand yourself in your essays and the strength of your recommendations. If the essays are great [...]

Hi Jay, Yes you do have a shot at the schools you listed but execution will be key. The essays, the quality of experiences both professional and personal and the strengths of the recommendations will all serve to tip your application to the yes pile if executed correctly. The goal to go from accounting to [...]

Hello Anthony, Thanks for your question. Schools value diversity at all levels…so being a seasoned non-traditional applicants can be ok for some programs. Aim for a 700 plus for sure to become attractive especially for programs in the mid top range (14th-20th) or so. You will need to show leadership impact at both the Food [...]

Hi Mr. Confused, You are welcome! I do enjoy hearing from you guys so keep the questions coming. Most programs have an open policy regarding applicants with an MBA, at least on paper. While many of the programs say they don’t discriminate against applicants with an MBA, I suspect that many do not get admitted. [...]

Indian Banker, The other reason I recommend including the two UK schools is that you will have 3 years of experience which is about the minimum number they require. If you had less, it isn’t impossible but would be more challenging. So go for it and all the best. Chioma (chioma@expartus.com) EXPARTUS Helping You Gain [...]

Hi Indian Banker I think it is also reasonable to include Said and Judge. Both schools see a good size of their class go into Finance Sector (Said-34% and Judge 25%) and these numbers are not too far off from some of the US schools you are considering. The location where you wish to live [...]

Hi HR Consultant from India, You will need to convey your thought process for going from IT consulting to Biz analyst role in IB Technology group. This makes sense. What may be a bit confusing is the HR consulting role at the Behavioral Econ Consulting Company. What exactly did you do? Is it a leader [...]

Hi Indian Banker, Thank you for your question. I think you have a realistic list of schools. Wharton and Columbia will be the most competitive but given your profile both are also within range assuming you have stellar recommendations and strong essays to back up the solid academic profile. If you think you could raise [...]

Hi Greenhorn, You raise a really important question about the ROI of the MBA. This is a question so many applicants have to contend with. The short answer is that it is a personal decision that you have to make based on your particular situation. Check out P&Q’S assessment of the recent GMAC study of [...]