Candidate:

Ms. B-School Dropout

About Me:

I dropped out from one of India’s top 5 B-schools (top IIM’s) post my first term there since I wished to make a startup of my own. In that short duration of time, I had already secured a top IB shortlist and been consistently ranked at the top of my B-school class. However, I wished to bring something of my own to the table and a management degree wasn’t helping me then. Fast forward 3 yrs later, my education startup failed to take off. It was then that I started my career in consulting and there has been no turning back since. I also have a steady academic track record through school and college where I was part of several societies.

Schools:

Target School: Harvard

Considering: Wharton

See More Profiles For: Harvard

Application Status: Open

Details:

Undergrad School: Top 3 Schools in India (SRCC/Stephen's/LSR)

Undergrad Major: Mathematics

GPA: 9.05/10

GMAT: 740

Age: 25, Ethnicity: Asian or Indian

Extracurriculars: National level debater, volunteered in several NGO's, and an awardee in international writing competitions.

Work History:

Title: Founder

Industry: Education

Company: Start-Up

Length of Employment: 3 yrs, 2 mos

Big Life Wins:

Millennium Fellowship by UN and awards from UNESCO.
– Pioneered a rural immersion program/literacy program while in high school

Post MBA Goal:

Short Term: Strategy consulting with a focus on the education sector.
Long Term: Building a tech-driven start-up for underprivileged Indian students.

Odds:

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The Experts Rate The Odds At: 20%

See what the industry experts have to say:

John A. Byrne, P&Q Founder & Editor-In-Chief | Odds Assessment: 20%

So let me get this straight. You get into a Top 5 business school in India and dropout to create a startup that failed. And now you want to go to Harvard Business School? That is certainly an unusual story. But your outcome will turn on how selective the consulting firm you are currently working for is. If it is a well-known firm, that will mean a lot. If not, your consulting career will be less helpful to admission officials who will be evaluating your application. With your 740 GMAT and high GPA and your unusual story, however, you may have a real shot, particularly if your consulting firm is in the upper-tier. I don’t necessarily mean MBB but just below that level. Because I …

So let me get this straight. You get into a Top 5 business school in India and dropout to create a startup that failed. And now you want to go to Harvard Business School? That is certainly an unusual story. But your outcome will turn on how selective the consulting firm you are currently working for is. If it is a well-known firm, that will mean a lot. If not, your consulting career will be less helpful to admission officials who will be evaluating your application. With your 740 GMAT and high GPA and your unusual story, however, you may have a real shot, particularly if your consulting firm is in the upper-tier. I don’t necessarily mean MBB but just below that level. Because I think your odds are highly dependent on where you are currently working, it’s difficult to assess your chances. So I will assume you are working as a consultant for Deloitte, or KPMG or Accenture or some firm like that. When you write your application (if you haven’t already), you want to point out what you learned by doing your startup and why you think it failed. And you want to make clear, as you have done here, that you are really doing well as a consultant without bragging.

3 years ago Read the full review