Profile eval- emba wharton

[pr77]

Hi,

I am just about to venture on the path of preparing for GMAT. While I do so, it will be great if I could request you to evaluate my profile for Wharton EMBA program.

My profile details are as follows-
Bachelors Engineering - top 10% of the class in a reputable university
Master in Industrial Engineering USA- GPA 3.85

I have more than 11 years of work experience the details of which are as follows-
1. 4yrs experience in merchant marine- Led cross functional teams, international projects (travelled to approx. 25 countries)
2. 7-8 yrs. Experience in Financial services industry- Consistent upward career profile- Manager/ Asst. director level role in corporate strategy team. My job functions over time roles varied from - statistician, sales , product R&D, customer analytics, strategy to IT platform development.

Target GMAT score- 730 (will start preparing using MGMAT- first w/o any prep GMATPrep score=610 .... hopefully it will improve)

It will be great if you could give me a realistic picture of my chances at Wharton EMBA program. I haven't decided on applying to any other program yet as i feel Wharton's expertise in finance would suit me well.

Thanks a lot in advance..

EMBA Aspirant

[mbamissionjenK]

Hi there,

Thanks for posting. Wharton's EMBA is considered by many to be the top-rated EMBA in the world, and the most selective. So getting in will be a challenge for any applicants not matter how strong, just want you to keep that in mind.

Getting your GMAT up to par sounds like it is step 1, and that will help in that a 610 GMAT could be a reason they choose another applicant instead of you. While a high GMAT score won't guarantee you'll get in, a low GMAT score could keep you out.

Otherwise in terms of your profile it sounds like a good match, and you have a lot to bring to the class in terms of quantity and quality of work experience, international experience, strong academics, management experience, etc. Wasn't clear on your nationality btw, i.e. if you are from the US or not? An international profile could be a slight plus as well.

You haven't mentioned if your company is on board, as that is generally a characteristic of an EMBA (see Wharton's EMBA web page for details). Also not sure of your rationale, but be sure you can clearly articulate in your application the WHY behind applying.

One other small question just from reading what you've written, I don't have a resume but it sounds like you had quite a lot of different positions within your time in financial services? Breadth of experience is a plus, but if it becomes extremely frequent job-changing to very different areas, it could become a question about your commitment and focus.

Finally, besides the GMAT, the biggest area you'll have to affect your decision will be your application essays! So I suggest you plan to allocate a lot of time and effort to your essays, and have them read by a consultant or at least friend/colleague who knows b-schools well and can give you feedback on what you are presenting when you apply.

I believe the deadline is in Feb, so you have some time but use it wisely! Good luck.

[pr77]

Hi Jennifer,

thanks a lot for evaluating my profile. As suggested by you, i have already started Step 1 and am fairly confident of making it competitive.

Also, my nationality is Asian, though i live in USA. Its great to know it helps.

Additionally, I have started the process of seeking the permissions within the company. Hopefully they will be on board, but again can't claim till its done.

I wish to also thank you for making me aware of potential misinterpretation of breadth of experience. Its a valid point and I will make conscious attempt to prevent such a thing. Luckily, it was not always job change from one company to next. i have just worked for two companies within financial services industry. in most cases it was internal transfer from one unit to the other and always with consent of my immediate managers. Rather at times it was a result of their own recommendation/ reorganization efforts. Hopfully, if these facts are presented correctly, such misinterpretation would not occur.

thanks again for the all the advices you have given so far. If you have any more, please pass them along.

Regards.

[mbamissionjenK]

That all sounds great, and glad to be of help. Let me know if there is anything else I can do. If you decide you could use additional discussion/feedback, fyi we do offer a free 30 minute consult too, you can register for that at http://www.mbamission.com/consult.php if interested.

Keep us posted and good luck!