INSEAD APP: PROFILE EVALUATION NEEDED

[vikas.panwar]

I am a prospective MBA applicant for SEP 2010 intake. My profile is as below:

->Indian non-IT Male (my family has never been in business), age: 27years10months.

-> 4 year course-B.Des in Industrial Design from a top college (IIT) in India.

->Total 49 months work experience (till Sep'10) with 2 years full time experience in Mainland China as an Industrial Designer (Designation- Assistant manager). Presently looking after company's whole product range's design. Mentoring Juniors & New Designers.
->Best performer in Design team at company for straight 2 years. Have 4 successfully launched products in market (India & Europe). I am getting promoted to Deputy Manager in Dec'09
->2 summer internships in europe (france & Holland) in Virtual Reality.

->Social work- I have periodically donated to organization which cure diseases through Yoga and Meditation. I am also sponsoring school education for 2 underprivileged children. I have taught Yoga to my company colleagues.

->Third language- Can speak intermediate Mandarin (learnt through selfstudy in china).


->In Jan 2009, to fulfill my long-time goal i.e. Self Employment (after many previous attempts & setbacks) , I launched an Export-Import Pvt. Ltd. company(we sell chinese electronic goods) in India with my 2 colleagues. Company's registration, business development, website development, collaboration with other importers, sales, supplier identification etc. were almost single-handedly executed by me . Presently sales are very slow.We are in a bad shape - one promoter (potential investor) already resigned due to personal reasons. Another partner is not serious about going forward (attitude problems, ego problems, lack of commitment).

->Extracurricular: In college I have won several medals in sketching & other creative competitions. Have contested in student general body elections (I lost). Later, I was elected as one of the Student Hostel's Secretaries.

->Published a Conference Paper in Virtual Reality during 2nd year in college.
->2nd attempt-GMAT - 690 (Verbal-33, Quant-50), overall CPI-7.58/10 (last 2 year's UG CPI - 9.2/10)

->My focus is on entrepreneurial track. Ultimately I am aiming for a new set-up/venture through new ideas/technology/innovation/partnerships.

->I have decent recommendations.

Kindly advice about my chances of admission at INSEAD. Also, should I aim for high ranked schools in US, given my low GMAT score?

Best Regards,
-Vikas

[vikas.panwar]

Please, any help would be much appreciated!

Thanks in advance !

[mbamission]

Vikas,

How are your undergraduate grades? Given the 690 performance on the GMAT, which was primarily driven by your Verbal score, you will need to prove that you have a strong command of English and written/verbal communication and reasoning. I also recommend that you retake the exam if you have time.

Given your international work experience, entrepreneurial experience and career progression, you should be competitive at INSEAD. I think you can also consider programs in the U.S. in the 8-15 range.

Please let me know if you have additional questions about your profile.

Best,

Monica Okrah
MBA Mission
646-485-8844
Website: www.mbamission.com
Blog: www.mbamission.com/blog
MBA Mission Insider’s Guides: www.mbamission.com/store.php
Free Consultation: www.mbamission.com/consult.php

[vikas.panwar]

Hi Monica,

Thanks for evaluation. My GPA is 7.58 on a 10 point scale from IIT Guwahati. I do agree that my Verbal score (33) is quite low. I dont have enough time to retake the GMAT as I am applying for R1-Sep'10 intake at INSEAD and the last date for application submission is 30 Sep'09. Can you pls explain me in brief regarding the ways in which I can compensate for the low Verbal score ? Pls be frank in helping out.

-Thanks & Regards,

Vikas

[mbamission]

There are several things you can do. First of all, you must write strong essays! Well written essays will show that you have the ability to communicate effectively via the written word. Writing stories that illustrate your communication skills can help as well. If possible, you can ask your recommenders to highlight stories that underscore your communication skills. Lastly, you can consider taking a writing course at a local college and if you earn an A, include this in your optional essay.

Hope this helps!

Monica Okrah
MBA Mission
646-485-8844
Website: www.mbamission.com
Blog: www.mbamission.com/blog
MBA Mission Insider’s Guides: www.mbamission.com/store.php
Free Consultation: www.mbamission.com/consult.php