We welcome aboard Jeremy Shinewald from MBAMission to help guide you through the business school admissions maze. Jeremy has extensive expertise in the area of business admissions and essays along with great insight into what makes a brilliant app…
We welcome aboard Jeremy Shinewald from MBAMission to help guide you through the business school admissions maze. Jeremy has extensive expertise in the area of business admissions and essays along with great insight into what makes a brilliant application. Many of the students who have used his services have made it to some of the best schools in the world. You can click here to read their testimonials.
You can use this thread to ask him questions, clarify doubts and learn more about the admissions process in the best business schools of the world. MBAMission.com's advertisement on the left column will take you to their website and will help you understand their services better.
You can post our questions by hitting the 'Post Reply' button above or clicking here
Best of luck to both Jeremy and the PG junta 
PS: Jeremy's username is MBA Mission
You can use this thread to ask him questions, clarify doubts and learn more about the admissions process in the best business schools of the world.
A very good initiative
:thumbsup::thumbsup:. Looking forward to use this thread to resolve my queries.Azeem
Hi Jeremy,
I am here with a set of queries, on which I am still not able to get answer.... I have joined coaching for GMAT with IMS (including admission consluting) I have been given a list of Universities from where I am suppose to shortlist them based upon my prefrences.
??:??:.
I started with shortlisting but then I realised that what if I am missing some the very important prameters (which is required to get an admit into a most profile suited B-School) :wow:??::sad::shocked::nervous::lookroun::crazyeye: 
:shock::sarcasm:
:razz:uppydog::rolle yes:.....
So I thought If you could help me on this. I know that most ppl would say that the criteria or Parameters for shortlisting a b-school differs from person to person & one cannot apply the same in every case. But then dont you think that I would be better off I get a whole set of parameters used by junta in general (it alteast ensure that I do not miss out on any of the more fundamental criteria's like Does your Dream Companies also come to the Inst where you are planning to get an Admit ??? etc)
So I would request you to post the parameters which one should use to shortlist colleges
. For your info, following are the parameters which I have already thought of in selecting a b-school:-
Does your dream Co recruit the ppl from the B-school ???
Is your Acad + Professional profile+GMAT is sufficently matched with
the B school requirements ?
Does it have reputation for the course you are applying for (I Banking)?
How good/Strong is the Alumni (pl throw some light on How to find it) ?
What is the placement Record ??
What are the VISA norms in that country ?
OOOPPPPSSS how could I forget this one ... total Cost of Education +
living & what is the Scenario of getting loans etc from that particular B
school???
I have run out of Ideas now, I know that I am missing on some of the
very imp parameters ....
For this reason I request you to kindly make me aware of the parameters that I sould use ...
:splat:me with your views & sugesstions ...
Thankx
Azeem
Hi Jeremy!
I posted this query to peers here ... and got some replies ...
However I would again like to levereage your expertise again here!
I was interested in doing an MBA in marketing .... Mostly from US and UK being close second preferrence.
However, I got feedbacks from people already working in US that its difficult for an International Student to get a job in the Marketing field .
The Reasons I got are:
1. Language & Accent:- International students cant get into the local Accent too Quickly. There is always a gap. Most of the Local People/Small Businessman/Investors find it difficult to comprehend.
2. Local Market Knowledge:- International Students hahe feeble knowledge of the local market.
3. Experience:- Most of the people who apply for such courses dont have experience in the Marketing field.
Please throw some light towards this ....
My Immediate goals are to learn from the foriegn markets with the help of Job ... and at a later point start something of my own in India using the Experience I have gained!
My Profile:
Experience - 3 years now in IT ... 4 years by the time I join
GMAT - Takin in August
GPA - 3.6
Extra Curricular - Descent
Engineering in Computer Science
If these are true .... What can improve my Candidature for the MBA course and future careers!
hi all
first of all kudos to all pg adms for starting this thread.its a great initiative.before asking question i am posting my profile.
gmat-720(q-51,v-36)awa-4.5
gpa-3.8
work ex -5 years in a public sector (nuclear power corpn.)no international expo.
average extra curricualr acitivities
i am interested in joining one year mba course(if i can get specialization in technology ,info or general management that is better.
so what are the schools suitable for this need.and how should i proceed.
with regads
pm
hey jeremy hwere r u buddy...hope to read a post from u
well i have a story to tell and some queries for u as well....
I have what u call average acads...i have 64 % marks where my college topper had 74% marks. Although i did secure 4th position (out of 67 students) in 1st year of college i slipped into socializing, drinking and generally having a good time later in college...i only realized my situation when i graduated and then i worked hard to get a job in a top IT company of india and i have since progressed well in my career....now this may not be impressive for a good business school where most students ( i assume) were top 10 % of their class. now my query is how do i mitigate this obvious problem in my profile....to add other info: i have 4 yrs exp., 1 year exp in US, GMAT 700, some extras.
Hi Jeremy,
I have posted this info on another thread also. However, I wanted to get your perspective on my profile and what else can I do to improve it.
Here is my profile :-
1. B.Tech - IITD - Civil Engg. - 6.24/10.0 (2003 passout)
2. GMAT - 780 (Q=50,V=47)
3. Work Ex: -
5. I am aiming for Fall 2007 and want to do MBA in Finance.
I am planning to apply to Chicago, Stanford, Harvard and LBS.
Could you give your opinion about what these institutes look for and whether my profile is in synch with that?
Are there any other good schools for finance?
What are the weak points in my profile?
Would be really great if you could share your thoughts here.
Vishal
I have posted this info on another thread also. However, I wanted to get your perspective on my profile and what else can I do to improve it.
Here is my profile :-
1. B.Tech - IITD - Civil Engg. - 6.24/10.0 (2003 passout)
2. GMAT - 780 (Q=50,V=47)
3. Work Ex: -
- Jun 2003 - Didn't get a job from campus. Searched on my own and joined a software company. Realised this is not what i want to do. Quit in Aug 2003
- Sep 2003 - Went back to a professor and started working in an R&D; center of Transportation Engg. Slowly got into econometrics and stuff. Quit in March 2004 coz my contract ended.
- Apr 2004 - Joined a small (30-35 ppl) Market Research company. Learned a lot there. Got promoted in 3 months. Had a leadership role as well. Quit in May 2005 coz reached saturation.
- June 2005 - Joined one of the biggest Credit Card company. Working in same analytics field. Build models, do statistical analysis.
5. I am aiming for Fall 2007 and want to do MBA in Finance.
I am planning to apply to Chicago, Stanford, Harvard and LBS.
Could you give your opinion about what these institutes look for and whether my profile is in synch with that?
Are there any other good schools for finance?
What are the weak points in my profile?
Would be really great if you could share your thoughts here.
Vishal
Thank you for the introduction, Allwin.
I am quite pleased to be available to Pagalguy members to answer any questions on the admissions process, from those as broad as What are my chances at Harvard, Stanford, Wharton? or How can I enhance my community and personal profile? to those as specific as How can I mitigate an F in calculus? or Is this response appropriate for Duke essay three?
My goal is to help create transparency and demystify the admissions process for those applying to North American and European MBA programs.
Sincerely,
Jeremy Shinewald
MBA Mission
www.mbamission.com (new website coming soon)
646-485-8844
Skype: MBAMission
Throughout the last six admissions cycles, MBA Mission has worked with a small number of applicants from around the world, helping them gain coveted Letters of Acceptance to top-ranked U.S. and International Business Schools. We work closely with each candidate to identify unique attributes and experiences and then translate them into compelling and, most importantly, differentiated applications.
I am quite pleased to be available to Pagalguy members to answer any questions on the admissions process, from those as broad as What are my chances at Harvard, Stanford, Wharton? or How can I enhance my community and personal profile? to those as specific as How can I mitigate an F in calculus? or Is this response appropriate for Duke essay three?
My goal is to help create transparency and demystify the admissions process for those applying to North American and European MBA programs.
Sincerely,
Jeremy Shinewald
MBA Mission
www.mbamission.com (new website coming soon)
646-485-8844
Skype: MBAMission
Throughout the last six admissions cycles, MBA Mission has worked with a small number of applicants from around the world, helping them gain coveted Letters of Acceptance to top-ranked U.S. and International Business Schools. We work closely with each candidate to identify unique attributes and experiences and then translate them into compelling and, most importantly, differentiated applications.
Azeem,
Thanks for your post.
While parameters for selecting a program do vary by applicant, it is important that candidates consider a full complement of factors as they make their selections. The list below is composed of those factors that we think should be considered by international applicants as they examine schools abroad. Some of these factors are career-oriented, some academically-oriented and some socially oriented.
Each candidate should obviously determine which factors are most important to him her, based on his/her needs. For example, if a candidate were to determine that the case-method of learning is most important, then HBS, Darden, Tuck and the Ivey School (Western Ontario) would come to the forefront and then he/she could consider other factors thereafter. Similarly, if the candidate were to determine that he/she wanted to be in a major city for reasons of employment/networking or simple personal preference, schools such as HBS, MIT, Chicago, Kellogg, Wharton, Columbia, NYU, UCLA, etc. would vault to the top of the list, while others could be crossed off. For most applicants, there is some give and take as the answers are not entirely clear cut -- a reasonable approach might be to try to identify a few factors and see which school meets 4/5 criteria and then evaluate this short-list thereafter.
I hope that this gives you a place to start. Please let me know if you would like me to elaborate on any of the criteria above.
Sincerely,
Jeremy Shinewald
MBA Mission
www.mbamission.com
646-485-8844
Skype: MBAMission
Hi Jeremy,
I am here with a set of queries, on which I am still not able to get answer.... I have joined coaching for GMAT with IMS (including admission consluting) I have been given a list of Universities from where I am suppose to shortlist them based upon my prefrences.
??:??:.
I started with shortlisting but then I realised that what if I am missing some the very important prameters (which is required to get an admit into a most profile suited B-School) :wow:??::sad::shocked::nervous::lookroun::crazye ye: :shock::sarcasm::razz:uppydog::r olle yes:.....
So I thought If you could help me on this. I know that most ppl would say that the criteria or Parameters for shortlisting a b-school differs from person to person & one cannot apply the same in every case. But then dont you think that I would be better off I get a whole set of parameters used by junta in general (it alteast ensure that I do not miss out on any of the more fundamental criteria's like Does your Dream Companies also come to the Inst where you are planning to get an Admit ??? etc)
So I would request you to post the parameters which one should use to shortlist colleges. For your info, following are the parameters which I have already thought of in selecting a b-school:-
Does your dream Co recruit the ppl from the B-school ???
Is your Acad + Professional profile+GMAT is sufficently matched with
the B school requirements ?
Does it have reputation for the course you are applying for (I Banking)?
How good/Strong is the Alumni (pl throw some light on How to find it) ?
What is the placement Record ??
What are the VISA norms in that country ?
OOOPPPPSSS how could I forget this one ... total Cost of Education +
living & what is the Scenario of getting loans etc from that particular B
school???
I have run out of Ideas now, I know that I am missing on some of the
very imp parameters ....
For this reason I request you to kindly make me aware of the parameters that I sould use ...
:splat:me with your views & sugesstions ...
Thankx
Azeem
__________________
Thanks for your post.
While parameters for selecting a program do vary by applicant, it is important that candidates consider a full complement of factors as they make their selections. The list below is composed of those factors that we think should be considered by international applicants as they examine schools abroad. Some of these factors are career-oriented, some academically-oriented and some socially oriented.
Each candidate should obviously determine which factors are most important to him her, based on his/her needs. For example, if a candidate were to determine that the case-method of learning is most important, then HBS, Darden, Tuck and the Ivey School (Western Ontario) would come to the forefront and then he/she could consider other factors thereafter. Similarly, if the candidate were to determine that he/she wanted to be in a major city for reasons of employment/networking or simple personal preference, schools such as HBS, MIT, Chicago, Kellogg, Wharton, Columbia, NYU, UCLA, etc. would vault to the top of the list, while others could be crossed off. For most applicants, there is some give and take as the answers are not entirely clear cut -- a reasonable approach might be to try to identify a few factors and see which school meets 4/5 criteria and then evaluate this short-list thereafter.
- Reputation/Prestige Reputation in home country vs. Prestige abroad
- Location Urban Campuses vs. University Towns
- Size of Class Intimacy vs. Anonymity
- Teaching Method Lecture vs. Case
- Core Curriculum Mandatory Core vs. Flexibility
- Recruiting Target firms coming to campus?
- Specializations Marketing, Finance, International?
- Alumni Base Size, Depth, Loyalty? Alumni in home country?
- Facilities Modern vs. Antiquated
- Professors Teaching vs. Research
- Costs Tuition Fees, Loan Programs, Scholarships
- Visa Restrictive or Permissive?
I hope that this gives you a place to start. Please let me know if you would like me to elaborate on any of the criteria above.
Sincerely,
Jeremy Shinewald
MBA Mission
www.mbamission.com
646-485-8844
Skype: MBAMission
Hi Jeremy,
I am here with a set of queries, on which I am still not able to get answer.... I have joined coaching for GMAT with IMS (including admission consluting) I have been given a list of Universities from where I am suppose to shortlist them based upon my prefrences.
??:??:. I started with shortlisting but then I realised that what if I am missing some the very important prameters (which is required to get an admit into a most profile suited B-School) :wow:
??::sad::shocked::nervous::lookroun::crazye ye: :shock::sarcasm::razz:uppydog::r olle yes:.....So I thought If you could help me on this. I know that most ppl would say that the criteria or Parameters for shortlisting a b-school differs from person to person & one cannot apply the same in every case. But then dont you think that I would be better off I get a whole set of parameters used by junta in general (it alteast ensure that I do not miss out on any of the more fundamental criteria's like Does your Dream Companies also come to the Inst where you are planning to get an Admit ??? etc)
So I would request you to post the parameters which one should use to shortlist colleges
. For your info, following are the parameters which I have already thought of in selecting a b-school:- Does your dream Co recruit the ppl from the B-school ??? Is your Acad + Professional profile+GMAT is sufficently matched with the B school requirements ?
Does it have reputation for the course you are applying for (I Banking)? How good/Strong is the Alumni (pl throw some light on How to find it) ? What is the placement Record ?? What are the VISA norms in that country ?OOOPPPPSSS how could I forget this one ... total Cost of Education + living & what is the Scenario of getting loans etc from that particular B
school???
I have run out of Ideas now, I know that I am missing on some of the very imp parameters ....
For this reason I request you to kindly make me aware of the parameters that I sould use ...
:splat:me with your views & sugesstions ...
Thankx
Azeem
__________________
hi Jeremy,
Thanks for the Initiative taken for PGs. I want to ask one generic question.
This will be applicable to almost all MBA aspirants.
I am planning to do MBA in next 1-2 year from Ivy collegs either in India/US/Europe.
I am from IT sector with a 'not-so-good' college. My question is how i can improve my profile in order to make myself equip for applying to ivy league colleges keeping in mind that my academic college is not so good.
Few of the things i am doing is:
1. Industry best certifications - I just completed my project Mgt certification from PMI.
Now doing oracle ERP certification ( as i am working as Tech consultant in ERP domain).
2. few Extra Curriculars like Joining Public speaking club.
I have 3 yrs of IT experience and i am MCA. By the time i will join MBA college i will have around 4-5 yrs of exp.
So i have 1-2 yrs with me to improve my profile and get to the level where i can apply for TOP MBA colleges. I need your valuable suggestions /Tips on how i can improve my profile.
Thanks abd Regds,
HMG
Thanks for your post.
I would dispute the idea that it is particularly difficult for Indian candidates to work in Marketing in the U.S. It is possible that in recent years, with a difficult job market, some misinterpreted trouble finding their desired job in marketing with company preferences for domestic applicants. In a normal job market, recruiters are just looking for the best talent that they can find.
To phrase your question differently, you are basically asking, "Is it possible for an international with no marketing experience to find a position with a marketing firm?" The answer is definitely, "Yes!" While I have never recruited for a marketing firm, I know that their entry level positions post-MBA require both strong analytical/quantitative skills and communication skills; if an international possesses such skills, then he/she should be fine. Market knowledge can be acquired, but fundamental intelligence cannot. It is almost a truism, but if you have the talent, you should be able to create a compelling argument for the jobs that you desire.
Sincerely,
Jeremy Shinewald
MBA Mission
www.mbamission.com
646-485-8844
Skype: MBAMission
Hi Jeremy!
I posted this query to peers here ... and got some replies ...
However I would again like to levereage your expertise again here!
I was interested in doing an MBA in marketing .... Mostly from US and UK being close second preferrence.
However, I got feedbacks from people already working in US that its difficult for an International Student to get a job in the Marketing field .
The Reasons I got are:
1. Language & Accent:- International students cant get into the local Accent too Quickly. There is always a gap. Most of the Local People/Small Businessman/Investors find it difficult to comprehend.
2. Local Market Knowledge:- International Students hahe feeble knowledge of the local market.
3. Experience:- Most of the people who apply for such courses dont have experience in the Marketing field.
Please throw some light towards this ....
My Immediate goals are to learn from the foriegn markets with the help of Job ... and at a later point start something of my own in India using the Experience I have gained!
My Profile:
Experience - 3 years now in IT ... 4 years by the time I join
GMAT - Takin in August
GPA - 3.6
Extra Curricular - Descent
Engineering in Computer Science
If these are true .... What can improve my Candidature for the MBA course and future careers!
__________________
Earth didnt accept me, Hell didnt allow me, I am heading for Heaven!
I would dispute the idea that it is particularly difficult for Indian candidates to work in Marketing in the U.S. It is possible that in recent years, with a difficult job market, some misinterpreted trouble finding their desired job in marketing with company preferences for domestic applicants. In a normal job market, recruiters are just looking for the best talent that they can find.
To phrase your question differently, you are basically asking, "Is it possible for an international with no marketing experience to find a position with a marketing firm?" The answer is definitely, "Yes!" While I have never recruited for a marketing firm, I know that their entry level positions post-MBA require both strong analytical/quantitative skills and communication skills; if an international possesses such skills, then he/she should be fine. Market knowledge can be acquired, but fundamental intelligence cannot. It is almost a truism, but if you have the talent, you should be able to create a compelling argument for the jobs that you desire.
Sincerely,
Jeremy Shinewald
MBA Mission
www.mbamission.com
646-485-8844
Skype: MBAMission
Hi Jeremy!
I posted this query to peers here ... and got some replies ...
However I would again like to levereage your expertise again here!
I was interested in doing an MBA in marketing .... Mostly from US and UK being close second preferrence.
However, I got feedbacks from people already working in US that its difficult for an International Student to get a job in the Marketing field .
The Reasons I got are:
1. Language & Accent:- International students cant get into the local Accent too Quickly. There is always a gap. Most of the Local People/Small Businessman/Investors find it difficult to comprehend.
2. Local Market Knowledge:- International Students hahe feeble knowledge of the local market.
3. Experience:- Most of the people who apply for such courses dont have experience in the Marketing field.
Please throw some light towards this ....
My Immediate goals are to learn from the foriegn markets with the help of Job ... and at a later point start something of my own in India using the Experience I have gained!
My Profile:
Experience - 3 years now in IT ... 4 years by the time I join
GMAT - Takin in August
GPA - 3.6
Extra Curricular - Descent
Engineering in Computer Science
If these are true .... What can improve my Candidature for the MBA course and future careers!
__________________
Earth didnt accept me, Hell didnt allow me, I am heading for Heaven!
Thank you for your inquiry.
Your ambition, to attend a one-year program, is pretty broad and the profile you provided was fairly sparse. What was your role within your firm? Have you been promoted? Do you have any unique accomplishments? What are these "average" extra-curriculars? Did you take on any leadership in this regard? In terms of the schools that you are seeking to apply to, are you looking to the United States or Europe? Do you have any criteria for selecting schools beyond one-year programs? What are your post-MBA career goals?
While you don't necessarily need to answer each of these questions, more information will definitely help me provide some guidance.
Sincerely,
Jeremy Shinewald
MBA Mission
www.mbamission.com
646-485-8844
Skype: MBAMission
Re: Ask Jeremy @ MBAMission.com - What it takes to get to the best global business school hi all
first of all kudos to all pg adms for starting this thread.its a great initiative.before asking question i am posting my profile.
gmat-720(q-51,v-36)awa-4.5
gpa-3.8
work ex -5 years in a public sector (nuclear power corpn.)no international expo.
average extra curricualr acitivities
i am interested in joining one year mba course(if i can get specialization in technology ,info or general management that is better.
so what are the schools suitable for this need.and how should i proceed.
with regads
pm
Your ambition, to attend a one-year program, is pretty broad and the profile you provided was fairly sparse. What was your role within your firm? Have you been promoted? Do you have any unique accomplishments? What are these "average" extra-curriculars? Did you take on any leadership in this regard? In terms of the schools that you are seeking to apply to, are you looking to the United States or Europe? Do you have any criteria for selecting schools beyond one-year programs? What are your post-MBA career goals?
While you don't necessarily need to answer each of these questions, more information will definitely help me provide some guidance.
Sincerely,
Jeremy Shinewald
MBA Mission
www.mbamission.com
646-485-8844
Skype: MBAMission
Re: Ask Jeremy @ MBAMission.com - What it takes to get to the best global business school hi allfirst of all kudos to all pg adms for starting this thread.its a great initiative.before asking question i am posting my profile.
gmat-720(q-51,v-36)awa-4.5
gpa-3.8
work ex -5 years in a public sector (nuclear power corpn.)no international expo.
average extra curricualr acitivities
i am interested in joining one year mba course(if i can get specialization in technology ,info or general management that is better.
so what are the schools suitable for this need.and how should i proceed.
with regads
pm
Hello Jeremy,
I am looking to apply to a few top-tier general management schools in the US for the class of 2009. My my post MBA plans would be General management/strategy - I know this is a broad swath but I will firm up future plans in my essays.
- Indian, male age 32
- Undergrad and Masters degrees in Economics from top colleges in India. Undergrad GPA is approx 2.9/3.0. Masters 3.6
- GMAT 690, 91 % ile
- 8 years work experience with a relatively small firm. started as a trainee. presently manage a division, and am in the 2nd tier of decision making in my company. Middle management leadership projects - have made an impact on my organization
- Should be able to secure good recos from senior management at work
- Brief overseas assignments in the US and East Africa (6 months each)
- Extensive overseas travel and my work involves dealing with associates worldwide on a daily basis
- Community : Some during college, and 1-2 work sponsored programs that I have been involved in. Nothing above and beyond.
- Target schools : Darden, Fuqua, Yale SOM, Stanford
Questions :
1. I would really appreciate your comments with regard to my profile, chances and fit. Also, are any of these schools here a reach for me?
2. I think my Graduate GPA should be good enough, but is my undergrad GPA going to be a hinderance?
3. Is the lack of work experience with a multinational i.e blue chip experience going to work against me?
Sorry if this has turned to be long, but I thought I d give you as much information as possible. I be glad for any assistance that you d be able to provide.
V.
hi Jeremy,
My Profile as of now:
Introduction:
Company : India's Top IT company
Years of experience : 3 Years (as of June'06)
Domain: Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) as Technical Consultant in SCM (Supply Chain Management)
International Exposure: 1 Year ( Netherlands). Worked in 4 projects and in various Locations as of Now.
Achievements:
1.Certifications:
a). Project Management Certification from PMI (US)
b). Oracle ERP Certification in SCM track
2. Exceptional Yearly ratings throughout 3 years (5 out of 5)
3. STAR of the Month Award in TCS
4. Oracle Apps CoE (Centre of excellence ) Champion (Its a Group in my company having around 2500 people).
Organization Contribution:(Extra initiatives)
1. Mentoring - (For career planning of New Joiness in our companyin our group)
2. Various Trainings at Corporate level
3. Few white papers
Extracurricular: (During Job)
1. Public Speaking Club
2. Participate in Cultural activities in in my company.
Academics:
1. Both BCA and MCA ( not done from some great college)- Thats the weakest point in my profile.
2. Always In Top 5 in the class both undergrad and Post grad.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Based on above Profile following are my findings:
1. My target colleges - (1 yr MBA) ISB/IIM/Cambridge/Oxford/RSM.
2. Since my academics are not from dome great college I need at least 720 + score in GMAT.
3. I need to work more on My profile add some more 'weightage ' things.
I need to add more things
Now I need your valuable Inputs and insights. Please tell me seeing my above profile:
1. What extra 'weightage ' things I should add to my profile so that I can come in my target colleges (are these target colleges possible with my profile)?
2. I have 1-2 years to add those things in my profile? Is this thinking right? Or am I being too optimistic or too pessimistic.
3. What else I can do? Have you seen people not from so good colleges entering Ivy colleges ?
I know with above above profile aiming for top 10 colleges is foolishness? (is this thinking right?)
I know you are very busy and have loads of other work to do.
But I will be grateful if you can took out some time and send your valuable inputs to me.
Thanks..
HMG
Thank you for your inquiry.
Your ambition, to attend a one-year program, is pretty broad and the profile you provided was fairly sparse. What was your role within your firm? Have you been promoted? Do you have any unique accomplishments? What are these average extra-curriculars? Did you take on any leadership in this regard? In terms of the schools that you are seeking to apply to, are you looking to the United States or Europe? Do you have any criteria for selecting schools beyond one-year programs? What are your post-MBA career goals?
While you dont necessarily need to answer each of these questions, more information will definitely help me provide some guidance.
Sincerely,
Jeremy Shinewald
MBA Mission
www.mbamission.com
646-485-8844
Skype: MBAMission
Hanu,
Thanks for your inquiry.
This is not to downplay the importance of grades, but if you are going to have a weakness, this is generally the one that is easiest to overcome. "Youthful indiscretions" (as you wrote, "socializing, drinking and generally having a goodtime later in college") can often be overlooked on the strength of professional and community achievement and a very strong GMAT. I have helped many a candidate in your situation overcome average or even weak grades and find their spots in the top-10.
There are three major steps that you can take:
1) Ensure that all other aspects of your application are a strong as possible: This point is somewhat obvious, I suppose. Still, every candidate is entitled to one weakness; no candidate is "perfect." It is difficult to overcome bad grades and a low GMAT or a low GMAT and no community involvement. However, if your only weakness is average grades, then this can be overcome. So, you need to ensure that you have an upward professional trajectory, are involved in your community, have strong relationships with your recommenders, will write powerful and distinct essays, interview well, etc. Don't give the committee reasons to worry about you or compare you to others.
2) Improve your transcript: If you have one or two very bad grades in a particular class that is important to business schools (calculus, statistics, etc.), you should consider retaking the classes and earning As. By doing so, you will not only show that you have the aptitude to succeed in a heavily analytical environment, you will also show that you have matured and take your academics quite seriously.
3) Build an alternative transcript: By taking classes in management (finance, accounting, economics) and earning As in these courses, you again have the opportunity to show maturity and aptitude for management study. By taking management courses, you are not only starting fresh but showing talents in an entirely new discipline.
Sincerely,
Jeremy Shinewald
MBA Mission
www.mbamission.com
646-485-8844
Skype: MBAMission
hey jeremy hwere r u buddy...hope to read a post from u
well i have a story to tell and some queries for u as well....
I have what u call average acads...i have 64 % marks where my college topper had 74% marks. Although i did secure 4th position (out of 67 students) in 1st year of college i slipped into socializing, drinking and generally having a good time later in college...i only realized my situation when i graduated and then i worked hard to get a job in a top IT company of india and i have since progressed well in my career....now this may not be impressive for a good business school where most students ( i assume) were top 10 % of their class. now my query is how do i mitigate this obvious problem in my profile....to add other info: i have 4 yrs exp., 1 year exp in US, GMAT 700, some extras.
__________________
Man can only think of problems that he can
Thanks for your inquiry.
This is not to downplay the importance of grades, but if you are going to have a weakness, this is generally the one that is easiest to overcome. "Youthful indiscretions" (as you wrote, "socializing, drinking and generally having a goodtime later in college") can often be overlooked on the strength of professional and community achievement and a very strong GMAT. I have helped many a candidate in your situation overcome average or even weak grades and find their spots in the top-10.
There are three major steps that you can take:
1) Ensure that all other aspects of your application are a strong as possible: This point is somewhat obvious, I suppose. Still, every candidate is entitled to one weakness; no candidate is "perfect." It is difficult to overcome bad grades and a low GMAT or a low GMAT and no community involvement. However, if your only weakness is average grades, then this can be overcome. So, you need to ensure that you have an upward professional trajectory, are involved in your community, have strong relationships with your recommenders, will write powerful and distinct essays, interview well, etc. Don't give the committee reasons to worry about you or compare you to others.
2) Improve your transcript: If you have one or two very bad grades in a particular class that is important to business schools (calculus, statistics, etc.), you should consider retaking the classes and earning As. By doing so, you will not only show that you have the aptitude to succeed in a heavily analytical environment, you will also show that you have matured and take your academics quite seriously.
3) Build an alternative transcript: By taking classes in management (finance, accounting, economics) and earning As in these courses, you again have the opportunity to show maturity and aptitude for management study. By taking management courses, you are not only starting fresh but showing talents in an entirely new discipline.
Sincerely,
Jeremy Shinewald
MBA Mission
www.mbamission.com
646-485-8844
Skype: MBAMission
hey jeremy hwere r u buddy...hope to read a post from u
well i have a story to tell and some queries for u as well....
I have what u call average acads...i have 64 % marks where my college topper had 74% marks. Although i did secure 4th position (out of 67 students) in 1st year of college i slipped into socializing, drinking and generally having a good time later in college...i only realized my situation when i graduated and then i worked hard to get a job in a top IT company of india and i have since progressed well in my career....now this may not be impressive for a good business school where most students ( i assume) were top 10 % of their class. now my query is how do i mitigate this obvious problem in my profile....to add other info: i have 4 yrs exp., 1 year exp in US, GMAT 700, some extras.
__________________
Man can only think of problems that he can
Hi Jeremy,
First of all thanks for volunteering on PG! We certainly needed some expert guidance like what you have on BW forums. I am sure you would enjoy posting here.
I had one question about this community service thing. I understand that most of the B Schools specifically ask for the names of communities/social-clubs etc that one has been involved in. I know its good to be officially invloved in such activites because it becomes easier to convince the adcom, but what if one is not.
For instance, I was a rotarian in high school but could never carry on with it in college and later in job. But this doesnt mean that I wasnt taking up social work. Like I was tutoring my juniors in college, mentoring freshers at workplace and giving reiki treatments while at work. Unfortunately none of this was on an official basis.
I have been travelling quite extensively and that is another reason (or excuse ;-)) for not being commited to socially relevant work. Having realised this shortcoming I have started working with a few NGOs in Houston. I would be applying for fall'07 and I am worried that this might prove to be my achilles' heel.
Any Suggestions?
I am not at all concerned about my acads/wrk exp/gmat. I know I wud sail thru in those areas.
Regards,
Dev
hi jeremy,
Thanks for the efforts you are taking to Guide Guys like us.
I will be garetful if in your reply you can mention the name of the person whose post
you are replying. Its will be easier for us to follow up.
Thanks.
HMG
Thanks for your advice regarding copying previous posts at the bottom. I apologize - as a "newbie pagal" I am still learning the ropes. I have edited my previous posts to include the messages that I was responding to and will start to post all responses below my signature. Let me know if there is anything else that I can do to make life easier for you or anyone else in the community, with regard to proper communication.
Additionally, thank you for your patience with respect to my replies. I try to take the proper time to think about each answer and respond in depth, so, despite today's "automatic response" email world, I can, at times, take a day or two to get back to message boards.
Sincerely,
Jeremy Shinewald
MBA Mission
www.mbamission.com
646-485-8844
Skype: MBAMission
hi jeremy,
Thanks for the efforts you are taking to Guide Guys like us.
I will be garetful if in your reply you can mention the name of the person whose post
you are replying. Its will be easier for us to follow up.
Thanks.
HMG
Additionally, thank you for your patience with respect to my replies. I try to take the proper time to think about each answer and respond in depth, so, despite today's "automatic response" email world, I can, at times, take a day or two to get back to message boards.
Sincerely,
Jeremy Shinewald
MBA Mission
www.mbamission.com
646-485-8844
Skype: MBAMission
hi jeremy,
Thanks for the efforts you are taking to Guide Guys like us.
I will be garetful if in your reply you can mention the name of the person whose post
you are replying. Its will be easier for us to follow up.
Thanks.
HMG
Hi Jeremy,
Well this time the set of Q's pertain to SOP's/Essay part ( I already posted these queries on other thread & as I was not able to get answer there, I am seeking your help, puys pl bare with me :satisfie:).... Of the research ,which I have done, most b school have a diffrent set of questoins.. but then you are alomost sure to find ..
:snipersm:Why an MBA ?
:snipersm:Why this B School ?
:snipersm:SWOT analysis..
:snipersm:examples of team role, leadeship ,blah blah...
You might think its too early but the problem is that my Boss (who knows my plans) has already told me that you dare not move your butt out of my seat in Sep-oct 
:bad-word:)... So I wanted to be sure that I have worked on some of the basic question & qualities that I need to bring out along with instances from real life (in the essay's/Sop)... I know answer has to be modified from one b school to the other, but the basic structure would be the same ...??:??:!!??
So I request you to provide me a with FAQ's/Essays . So that I could prepare a skeleton well in advance and I dont sc**w up my essay's in a hurry in sep-oct....
Thankx in advance.
Azeem
PS:- which are the best MBA programmes world wide for Investment Banking ?? (pl Provide me with a list of them)