Mr. Engineering Analyst

Kudos on your 4.0 GPA in mechanical engineering. It probably feels like an eternity for you, given the experience you have on your CV, but that is an impressive accomplishment. You bring a highly valuable manufacturing background to an MBA classroom. Your master’s from Rutgers adds to your appeal. Your biggest hurdle at Tuck is that 680 GMAT score, well below the 723 average. Tuck’s applications last year plunged by 22.5% which sent its acceptance rate soaring by more than 11 percentage points to 34.5%. Yet, the school felt it necessary to manage its GMAT average because it actually went up a point to that new record 723 score. That is bad news for you because it shows that Tuck is being more sensitive to GMAT scores than it has in the past and you are well below the average. You would be a great candidate for Tuck if you could retake the test and get closer to that average. I know, you hate taking standardized tests. So do I. But if you want a realistic shot at Tuck, you need to do it. This is especially true for you because you fall in that over-represented part of the MBA applicant pool as a male Indian engineer and you’re not from an IIT but from Jawaharlal Nehru Technological University in Hyderabad.

Hello Mr. Engineering Analyst, Krista Nannery here from mbaMission. Thanks for posting.

One thing I’ve learned in this job: b-schools LOVE automotive industry experience, so that alone is going to get their attention. At the time time, one thing I find with automotive engineers is that their CVs can be a bit hard to understand. Make sure your resume will be easy for anyone to follow. Then, you mentioned something really interesting…design solution creation. Design is a hot topic at b-schools today, so play this up and make this clear when you talk about your work. (It’s not clear to me if you have US work experience but if so, that’s a nice bonus too. Highlight any of your international work experience please. Can help set you apart from similar Engineering candidates from India.)

Goal-wise, just knowing this little bit about you, I love the idea of Tesla/Waymo/Uber or something similar. The future of transport is a great goal for someone like you who has both the automotive experience and probably some innovation experience as well.
BUT…the GMAT score. I want you to have the best possible chance of success. While it may be possible at Cornell or Tepper at the 680 level, I think it will be tough at Tuck. My guess is that your quant score is already pretty high? (49/50/51?) If I’m correct, get a private tutor focused on you to help you with your verbal and try the exam again. That very attractive 4.0 combined with a higher GMAT score will give you a much better shot.

Hi Mr. Engineering Analyst, Melisa here from Stratus Admissions. While 4.0 in ME, automotive/manufacturing and design experience will be a plus, to increase your chances at Tuck (and even Tepper and Cornell) please reconsider taking the GMAT. Without retaking the GMAT, I am less optimistic on your chances. Another thing I’d want to dig in further on is the leadership roles you have held – based on the job titles it is not clear if there was an increase in responsibility – so definitely highlight this in your application.Tuck is a very collaborative a close-knit class who looks for those who will work within their culture. Make sure you highlight your work on teams and the role you like to play on teams. Also, for Tuck, community involvement is very important and this seems to be light based on what you have submitted. It looks like most of your involvement has been thought work – are there opportunities to mentor students through Rutgers? Look for opportunities to get involved in your community and really make a difference – this is an indicator Tuck how involved you will be when you are attending. If you are interested in looking at additional programs, maybe add Foster to your list. Good luck!