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Rejected By Harvard B-School? Don’t Feel Bad. You’re In Great Company

by: John A. Byrne on February 15, 2016 | 44,896 Views

engineer

Mr. Indian Engineer

 

  • 730 GMAT
  • 8/10 GPA
  • Undergraduate degree in engineering from a top-tier school in India (Not an IIT)
  • 3.9 GPA
  • Master’s degree in engineering from a Top 5 U.S. engineering university
  • Work experience includes two and one-half years at a high tech company in the Bay Area
  • “It’s not one of the big five but is well known. I mostly work in the area of data science, predictive modelling although my title is software engineer’
  • Extracurricular involvement as a volunteer teacher
  • Strong recommendations from a manager and a peer
  • Dinged (without interviews) from HBS, GSB, Sloan, Booth, Kellogg, Wharton
  • 25-year-oldy Desi

     

    Sandy’s Ding Analysis: Here’s the bad news. You are in an overpopulated part of the applicant pool. There are just too many Indian males with engineering backgrounds who want to go to a top business school in the U.S. Many have GMAT scores above 750 and undergraduate degrees from an IIT.

    Although I dont think your 730 GMAT was the cause of your rejection, it was mostly nothing driving you in versus other highly qualified Desi techie guys and as you note, no-name firm (sorta).

    I think one plus you are overlooking is “I mostly work in the area of data science, predictive modelling although my title is software engineer.”

    I would spin or position myself as a BIG DATA guy and really bone up on that (and its baby bro, Smart Data). Have that guide what you say about both your work history and goals. That could help you elsewhere. One of those hot buzz terms that you have some actual experience in, yadda, yadda.

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