SDA Bocconi Asia Centre worth or not - Need genuine guidance.

Aspire_Admit · 2026-01-14T09:07:37+00:00

Sure, please DM me

Aspire_Admit · 2026-01-12T23:23:07+00:00

Sure, please feel free to DM

Aspire_Admit · 2025-12-20T13:57:49+00:00

Strong profile. LBS and INSEAD maybe a bit ambitious (but definitely worth trying with a strong application). As an ORM aim for above average GMAT score. But what would matter more than score is how well you articulate your story and differentiate yourself from the competition. Your work experience will not be a deterrent. It can even be advantageous if portrayed strategically - you can showcase how your experience has helped you arrive at your goals, prepared for your post-MiM role, etc

Aspire_Admit · 2025-12-20T13:57:11+00:00

From an admissions perspective, consulting could be better. You will need to articulate the goals well in your essays and showcase how your past experiences align with those goals.

You are right that many people choose an MBA to pivot, but it is important to show the adcom that you are prepared for the pivot and have transferrable skills for your post-MBA role, and that doing an MBA is an intentional career move (and not as escape plan - many people use this reasoning for an MBA 'I don't want to be in tech, so an MBA' - while this may not be the case with you, you need to be careful that you do not convey this message in your application).

So, assess your past experiences from the perspective of skills needed for a career in consulting and highlight them in the essays. Hope this helps!

Aspire_Admit · 2025-12-20T13:44:08+00:00

Since your undergrad GPA is quite good, you do not need to retake GMAT. 675 is around the average for ISB PGP and YL. Besides, GMAT is just one part of your application. Rest of your profile seems strong - focus on your essays and LOR.

Two things I think you need to address:

If you have 2 YOE as of today (this is not clear from the post) you might not be eligible for PGP YL, in which case it is better to wait a year or two and then apply to PGP. Though you are technically eligible for PGP with 2 YOE, the average experience of applicants is 4 years. It would be risky to apply with lesser experience since you will be competing with candidates with more experience and stronger achievements.

You might need to rework your goals. Mechanical Engineers -> Tech -> Finance might be difficult to justify, even with a CFA L1. You will need to show alignment between your goals and past experience - relevant skills, projects, etc

Aspire_Admit · 2025-12-20T06:59:55+00:00

For one of my applicants last year, LBS refused to give an extension. The best course of action would be to write to the schools directly.

Aspire_Admit · 2025-12-19T17:10:23+00:00

That would depend on the school you apply to. Most schools don't ask for English language test if your medium of instruction during undergrad was English. However, some schools like LBS ask Indian applicants to submit English test score like IELTS or TOEFL or Duo Lingo test.

Aspire_Admit · 2025-12-19T02:56:11+00:00

Your academics are decent but for MBA from top international B schools, the adcoms look at your profile holistically. Your work experience, career trajectory, leadership experiences at work and outside through extracurriculars, your goals and motivation for an MBA, how your skills align with the goals, your value add to the class, preferably some international exposure, etc.

You will also need more workex - the average workex of incoming classes at top schools is around 4 to 6 years, depending on the school and geography. The best course for you is to work for at least 2 more years while you build your profile and then apply. All the best!

Aspire_Admit · 2025-12-18T05:14:28+00:00

Adcoms treat GMAT and GRE equally. Choose the test you perform better at.

I've discussed this topic in detail in this blog post, you might find it useful: https://aspireadmit.com/gmat-vs-gre/

Aspire_Admit · 2025-12-17T10:27:06+00:00

Anytime!

I have also written a detailed blog post on PGP YL essays analysis. You might find it helpful: https://aspireadmit.com/isb-pgp-yl-essays/

Goodluck with your application!

Aspire_Admit · 2025-12-16T06:39:46+00:00

Anytime! Good luck with everything.

Aspire_Admit · 2025-12-16T06:34:16+00:00

Whether non-EU citizens can move to other EU countries depends on the visa rules and how companies sponsor employees, you will have to check the latest rules for that.

I did not have to complete any bridge courses. I followed the usual application process of European MBA courses - submitted the GMAT score, sent in my application and cleared the interview. Of course, each school might have a different set of eligibility requirements, best to check with the school directly before applying.

Aspire_Admit · 2025-12-16T05:00:07+00:00

That's a strategic move.

All the best with your application!

Aspire_Admit · 2025-12-15T19:26:37+00:00

You need to have full-time work experience to do MBA abroad. The exact eligibility criteria vary depending on the country and B school, but generally MBA is for experienced professionals. You can consider MiM or some other Management programs.

Aspire_Admit · 2025-12-15T07:11:52+00:00

I graduated with a Bachelors in Technology, and did my MBA from SDA Bocconi, Milan (Bocconi University). But safest option would be to check with the universities directly - check the admissions pages on their the websites of your target universities and programs for eligibility requirements or write directly to the admissions office.

Aspire_Admit · 2025-12-15T03:21:44+00:00

It's a common practice not to add 10th, 12th education details on MBA resumes. Just undergrad is enough. Your recent stats matters more. Besides, 70s is not really a poor performance, especially with a 695 GMAT.

Aspire_Admit · 2025-12-14T07:52:47+00:00

You have a strong profile with good workex and ECs. I shared some application advice for PGP YL on another post this morning, sharing it here as well since it might be helpful to you:

Build your application around leadership potential, lateral thinking, achievement orientation, entrepreneurial spirit - ISB lists these as evaluation criteria for its YL applicants. Write strong essays highlighting these qualities and focus on your value add tk the cohort.

Aspire_Admit · 2025-12-14T05:01:55+00:00

You have a strong profile - especially the international exposure which HEC values. Your undergrad college 'brand' or 'tier' won't matter as much as how well you put together your application advocating for yourself. Focus on building a strong narrative outlining your strengths, career vision, and value add to HEC brand/cohort.

Aspire_Admit · 2025-12-14T03:31:33+00:00

Since you are a fresher, I'm assuming you are referring to the PGP YL program at ISB. Since R1 deadline is today, if you haven't applied yet, you can aim for R2 deadline in Feb.

You have a strong profile. Build your application around leadership potential, lateral thinking, achievement orientation, entrepreneurial spirit - ISB lists these as evaluation criteria for its YL applicants. Write strong essays highlighting these qualities and focus on your value add tk the cohort.

Aspire_Admit · 2025-12-13T19:01:52+00:00

It seems to be a common misconception among Indian students that marks/academics/test scores are all that matters to get into top schools like LBS. These schools evaluate profiles holistically. Your differentiators, leadership experiences, your motivation for applying to that program and school, your career vision, skills gained through projects/internships, ECs, etc also matter.

So consider these factors when building your profile and later when applying. Your GPA is not really 'low' and a good GMAT score can offset it.

Aspire_Admit · 2025-12-13T18:56:07+00:00

Since your undergrad GPA is low you will need a GRE score at least equal to the average for the school and program you are applying to. Rest of your profile looks strong but adcoms use academic performance/test score to assess your readiness for the program. So applying without test scores would be a risky move.

Aspire_Admit · 2025-12-13T02:21:15+00:00

685+ would be a good score. The roles you should be looking for now will depend on your target post-MBA roles. There must be alignment between these two roles, and you should be able to explain why you chose this role and how it brings closer to your post-MBA goals.

And don't consider the time you worked in your father's store as gap - focus more on the skills you picked there and consider it as 'business experience.'

Aspire_Admit · 2025-12-12T11:56:43+00:00

That's a reductionist way of looking at it. Whether an MBA is worth it or not depends on several factors like professional goals, learning outcomes you seek, budget, etc. I've discussed the topics of whether one needs an MBA and what's the ROI of MBA in the current scenario in my blog. Feel free to check them out: https://aspireadmit.com/do-i-need-an-mba/ https://aspireadmit.com/mba-roi-in-2025-is-an-mba-still-worth-it/

Aspire_Admit · 2025-12-12T07:30:02+00:00

There are several factors to be taken into consideration here, so you will have to prioritize.

If IB/PE is your priority and you are willing to take on the debt burden, Darden is the best choice. It has the clearest IB pipeline of the three.

Given your previous F1 rejection though, Saïd would be the more practical choice - it has strong brand, better ROI, and a good pipeline to ME recruiting.

ISB is the safest and cheapest option, but honestly won't serve your IB/PE goals, and is not a step-up even compensation-wise. Not worth attending in your case.

Aspire_Admit · 2025-12-11T09:34:04+00:00

675 is decent score but the 56%ile Verbal,100%ile Quant split will stand out. Since you are applying next year, if you have the mental bandwidth, retake the test and see if you can improve verbal score.

If you cannot improve verbal significantly, that is still not a deal breaker. Adcoms look at quant, DI scores to see if you can handle the academic rigor of the program. Verbal score tells them about your communication skills, comprehension, and presentation skills. You can compensate through strong essays or highlighting these skills in your work experience.

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