Profile Evaluation Please

[krishna.k.kilambi]

Hello!

First, I would like to thank Manhattan GMAT for all the guidance. I took my GMAT yesterday and scored a 710 (92 Percentile) - Quant 50 (88 Percentile) and Verbal 36 (81 Percentile). Honestly, I was expecting a slightly higher score, but ended up with a 710. Could you please help me evaluate my profile and suggest whether a 710 is sufficient or a retake of GMAT is necessary.

Name: Krishna
Age: 25
Education Qualifications:
B.Tech, Civil Engineer at NIT Warangal (One of the top ten engineering colleges in India); CGPA: (8.74 on a scale of 10)
Intermediate Education: 96.3%
Secondary School: 91.1%

Other Certification Programs:
Executive General Management Program at IIM Bangalore; Selected by my present organisation to enhance my leadership skills. (A total of twenty top mid level executives were selected out of 4000+ employees)

Work Experience: Total (4+ years; 5+ years at matriculation)

1 Year 9 Months at a Captive unit of a bulge bracket investment bank in India. I worked as an Investment Banking Analyst assisting Real Estate Leisure and Lodging teams across the globe on various pitches and deals by providing company valuations, benchmarking analysis models and pitch books.

2 Years 8 Months (Current Job) at a captive unit of a Big 4 Audit Firm. I have been working with the Valuation services team providing tangible asset and business valuations to support mergers & acquisitions, financial reporting, restructuring, audit and other purposes. Received various awards for excelling in my role in the last two years.

I have a lot of extra curricular activities both at my College as well as my work place. I also taught poor/academically weak for three years students at a Private School during my college days. I have taken up many leadership roles right from my childhood.

Short term goal: To accelerate my career path and establish myself in the Financial Services Industry (given my experience in real estate and tangible asset valuations, I plan to focus on real estate, corporate finance, IB and PE)
Long term goal: To set up a real estate fund and invest in various projects in the ever growing real estate market in India.

Target Schools: NYU Stern, Columbia, Cornell, Chicago Booth, Darden

Please suggest whether the schools I shortlisted are realistic. Also, it would be helpful if you could suggest me schools with Finance/Real Estate focus I should be targeting.

Thanks for all your support.

Regards,
Krishna

[mbamissionjenK]

Hi Krisha,

Thanks for posting and for your kind words.

So it seems you have the following strengths:

-solid financial valuation experience
-quant/analytical skills
-strong GPA
-Recognition through the Exec GM program you mentioned and other awards
-extracurriculars and community involvement/volunteering (any post-college? would be a plus)

No glaring weaknesses per se; I'd say the GMAT is fairly neutral at 710. At or just below the average at the schools you are considering, and strong quant score is good. Usually a 710 with a strong profile won't keep you OUT per se, but certainly higher is an extra plus. Personally I'd focus more on the applications/essays/recommendations now.... but it's up to you-- if you feel confident you can raise it to 730+ and it's worth your time etc you can also try again.

Your school list generally makes sense; some pretty competitive options and I think in the end the biggest challenge is just being selected from amongst SO many strong profiles/applicants.... showing what is unique about YOU that schools should notice you and select you, if that makes sense.
(Key word being 'show' how you are unique-- don't just say I'm unique ;) )

For real estate strengths, you could look into UNC; Columbia; Stern; Cornell among others.

Good luck and keep us posted on q's and your progress!

[krishna.k.kilambi]

Hi Krisha,

Thanks for posting and for your kind words.

So it seems you have the following strengths:

-solid financial valuation experience
-quant/analytical skills
-strong GPA
-Recognition through the Exec GM program you mentioned and other awards
-extracurriculars and community involvement/volunteering (any post-college? would be a plus)

No glaring weaknesses per se; I'd say the GMAT is fairly neutral at 710. At or just below the average at the schools you are considering, and strong quant score is good. Usually a 710 with a strong profile won't keep you OUT per se, but certainly higher is an extra plus. Personally I'd focus more on the applications/essays/recommendations now.... but it's up to you-- if you feel confident you can raise it to 730+ and it's worth your time etc you can also try again.

Your school list generally makes sense; some pretty competitive options and I think in the end the biggest challenge is just being selected from amongst SO many strong profiles/applicants.... showing what is unique about YOU that schools should notice you and select you, if that makes sense.
(Key word being 'show' how you are unique-- don't just say I'm unique ;) )

For real estate strengths, you could look into UNC; Columbia; Stern; Cornell among others.

Good luck and keep us posted on q's and your progress!

Hi Jennifer,

Thanks for your evaluation. It helps!

I have taken GMAT more than once already. (Does that effect my chances negatively?) While I believe I could do better, I am not sure whether I can spend time given my work commitments for the next couple of months.

I realise that my GMAT is score is just on the border and hence I am working hard on my application.

Could you help me understand the importance of getting strong recommendations for the schools? I have worked closely with a couple of Managing Directors in the US at my organisation who are willing to recommend me. Will those recommendations help?

Regards,
Krishna

[mbamissionjenK]

Hi Krishna,

Gotcha; yes it can be a commitment of time/energy/effort etc for yet another re-take. Schools will take the highest score so having done it more than once is not a problem.

Certainly an outstanding recommendation can lend weight and credibility to your candidacy. It's most important that the person writing it knows you WELL and provides great examples and stories about you, so do keep that in mind. Let us know what other q's you have!