Need Help: Profile and score evaluation

[jatin.mehra86]

Hello,
I recently took gmat.
Scored 710(92)(Q49(81), V36(80))
AWA - 6(91) , IR - 7(82)

1. Can IR and AWA compensate for the just above 700 score?
(was hoping for somewhere around 730)

2. Wanted to know if the score is enough to apply to the top B schools.
(DUKE, IMD, INSEAD, MCCombs)

My profile can be summarized as follows:

Mechanical Engineer
GPA 3.1
5 years of work experience with power/Energy company.
Senior Executive - designing power products and product development.
Lead auditor for Organisational processes.

My major contributions include 3 patent applications (European filing), and 4 internal publications.
(Will be published in 2014, but I have documents to prove that patent applications have been filed)

Please do Let me know.

Thanks,
Jatin

[mbamissionjenK]

Hi Jatin,

Thanks for your post. Congrats on a respectable score of 710. That is at or near the average GMAT score at all top programs, so it means that the admissions committee will be satisfied that you can handle the program, and will then look at the rest of your application in order to make their decision. So certainly you can include any programs in your list of schools to apply to based on the GMAT, but keep in mind that admission is not solely based on the GMAT.... GMAT is one piece of a large puzzle of who you are as an applicant. Admissions committees also want to see that you've had a breadth of experiences, have had leadership and teamwork opportunities, have made an impact where possible and gone beyond expectations. They want to see that you have a clear reason and plan for getting an MBA. Then want to ensure that you will bring something unique to the class. ;)

Overall it sounds like you have a strong profile, with leadership and management experiences you can touch on in the application and in the classroom as well. There are a lot of engineering applicants so you would need to stand out from the crowd, and aim to focus on skills beyond just technical and analytical (since those are already evident in your profile).

That's about all the feedback we could provide at this point based on the info you've included; I would think if you are able to put together compelling applications (particularly the ESSAYS) that detail the points I mentioned earlier, you would have a chance at the programs you mentioned. Let us know if you have additional questions and good luck!

[jatin.mehra86]

Hello Jennifer,
Thank you so much for that detailed reply.
Means a lot.

I have started working on the applications for ISB, DUKE and MCCOMBS. My focus is on energy + Innovation + MBA.

The one thing that bothers me the most is the cost of an MBA , especially in USA. Since I belong to a middle class family in India, the cost is mind boggling. I am unable to make sense of it.
$120k+ in debt is a huge risk, and I am unable to mitigate it in thought :(.

I get a lot of mixed responses and those have confused me even more. Hopefully I will soon have a better picture in my mind.

Thanks once again for taking out time to reply to my query.

Best Regards,
Jatin

[mbamissionjenK]

Hi Jatin,

Glad to be of help. Yes it is a big decision, and a big investment for sure. You have to consider all of the pros and cons, and costs and benefits. It's very common for students to finance some or all of the cost of the MBA with low-interest-rate education loans paid back over 5-15 years with their post-MBA salary. It can be a little more challenging to get loans as an international student but can still be feasible and there are various sources.

You will want to consider your personal career goals and expectations, both with and without the MBA, and your expected salary in either case. You can check out average starting salary by school, though that can vary a lot based on industry/function and your personal qualifications. And then decide whether it is worth it. And of course consider the long-term career advantages in terms of opportunity as well as salary, with the MBA vs without.

Good luck on your decisions!