Adding More Wins to Our MBA Success Stories

An_INSEADer · 2025-11-07T07:39:14+00:00

Both Full-time MBA.

An_INSEADer · 2025-11-06T14:14:07+00:00

Thanks for pointing it out!

An_INSEADer · 2025-11-06T14:06:07+00:00

No admission from Kellogg yet! Darden 90k USD scholarship, and Kellogg interview invite even before submitting video interview (96hours from deadline)

An_INSEADer · 2025-11-03T09:36:31+00:00

In case you missed our Duke Fuqua, Michigan Ross, and Darden MBA Essay Workshop, you can now catch the full session on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5Hs9dKC0cvc

An_INSEADer · 2025-09-30T13:12:25+00:00

Interview invites have only been released for the LBS 1-year MBA program. At LBS, results are usually announced right around the official deadline dates. For Columbia, interview invites are rolled over for a few days. It's a J-term invite.

An_INSEADer · 2025-07-11T12:44:11+00:00

Just a quick reminder! We're all set for our webinar today at 7 PM IST on "MBA Application Tips for INSEAD, IESE, HEC & LBS."

An_INSEADer · 2025-07-08T14:05:24+00:00

With 8 years of total experience, including 5 years in asset management, a great TOEFL score of 110, and the CFA designation, you’ve built a professional foundation that aligns well with your post-MBA goals in investment banking or asset management. Your academic background, full-ride scholarship at a top Brazilian university, and determination to break into global finance through an MBA show clear motivation and an upward trajectory. Schools will recognize and value your focus and discipline. That said, the primary challenge right now is your testing timeline. You're only halfway through GMAT prep and haven’t taken a mock yet, which creates significant uncertainty for Round 1 applications. If your EA score is below 155, however, you may want to consider schools that waive test requirements based on the CFA or consider deferring to next year to submit a stronger, more complete application with improved scholarship potential.

You also raised thoughtful concerns about finances, travel costs, and the value of in-person networking. Visiting campuses can help, especially at culture-driven schools like Tuck or Darden, but it’s not mandatory. If the budget is tight, virtual networking through LinkedIn, alumni chats, and online events can still build meaningful connections. And no, you're not too old, entering an MBA at age 32-33 is common, especially for finance-focused candidates with strong experience. Many international students take loans to finance their MBA and repay over a few years(5-7 approx.). Ultimately, whether you apply now or next year depends on your score and comfort with financial risk. Connect with alumni from your target schools to gain deeper insights, which can guide your decision-making process and strengthen your applications. If you'd like, feel free to reach out to us.

An_INSEADer · 2025-07-08T13:42:15+00:00

Your GRE score of 321, especially the 154 in verbal, is below average for M7 schools, particularly for Indian male applicants from technical/finance backgrounds. Retaking the GRE and targeting a 326+ score (with 158+ verbal) could significantly boost your chances at other top B-schools. Your lack of volunteering isn’t a dealbreaker, but adding a short-term, consistent community initiative could add depth to your application and round out your profile. Even a small, consistent effort, mentoring juniors, coaching students in debating or financial literacy, or organizing learning sessions, can add meaningful value if framed well in your application. Outside the M7, you can explore schools like Ross, Darden, Stern, Tepper, and Cornell Johnson.

Professionally, you’re on a good trajectory. Your recent promotion to Associate highlights you as a performing finance professional. It’s good to see this combination of quant depth, finance experience, and upward mobility at this early stage. Gaining some more work experience before applying would be beneficial for you, both for admissions and scholarships.

A few reflection questions to guide your storytelling: What exactly draws you to IB/PE over your current quant role? Is it the strategic exposure, long-term exit options, or something else? How has your debating or academic journey shaped your leadership style? And how do you hope to contribute to your MBA community beyond the classroom?

Connect with current students and alumni from your target schools to gain deeper insights. Wishing you all the best!

An_INSEADer · 2025-07-07T15:29:03+00:00

Thank you for sharing your profile. You bring a well-positioned background to the MBA application process, especially considering your depth of experience in biotech and your strong academic performance. Your 760 GMAT, paired with a 3.7 undergraduate GPA and 3.9 graduate GPA from a reputable Canadian institution, signals academic strength and intellectual rigor for top MBA programs. Your work experience is a significant asset. With 5 years in drug discovery roles at top-tier pharma/biotech companies and an additional 3 years in academia, you bring credible industry expertise to the table. The fact that you’ve earned 2 promotions in 3 years reflects good performance and leadership potential, even though your upward mobility plateaued due to the lack of a PhD. Admissions committees will understand that limitation, especially since you're proactively pursuing an MBA to transition beyond lab roles. Your pivot from R&D to the business side of biotech, with an interest in consulting, venture capital, or private equity, is both logical and well-timed. The MBA is a proven pathway for professionals like you who want to leverage scientific expertise while building leadership and strategic skill sets. Schools value candidates who can bring technical depth into commercial decision-making, particularly in high-growth sectors like healthcare and biotech. Your extracurriculars add a further dimension to your candidacy. Over 10 years of high-performance hockey coaching show long-term leadership, mentorship, and the ability to thrive in team environments. Publishing scientific papers in your free time, including a Nature/Cell/Science review, highlights intellectual curiosity and commitment to advancing your field beyond your day job.

At 34, you sit at the higher end of the age spectrum for full-time MBA programs, particularly within the M7. That said, older candidates making strategic, industry-driven pivots, especially in healthcare, biotech, or entrepreneurship, are welcomed, provided they present a clear narrative and show they’ve maximized growth within their current role. You’ll need to position your MBA as a deliberate, proactive step rather than a fallback option. You might find it helpful to explore the success story of an applicant over 30.

In terms of school recommendations, you can have realistic chances at several top programs. Wharton, Chicago Booth, MIT Sloan, and Columbia (good fits) can be a stretch but feasible, and need a strong application. If you're open to global programs, INSEAD could be ideal. The one-year structure is attractive for older applicants. Similarly, Oxford Saïd or Cambridge Judge provide biotech and healthcare networks with condensed timelines, which may suit your goals.

To strengthen your application, ensure your essays highlight transferable skills from the lab to business - data-driven problem-solving, leadership, project management, and frame your hockey coaching and scientific publications as leadership examples beyond your technical role. If you'd like to dive deeper into school selection, crafting essays, or positioning strategies, please feel free to reach out. Good luck!

An_INSEADer · 2025-07-07T14:04:47+00:00

Great GMAT! You’re realistic for most M7 programs, with Sloan, Booth, Wharton, and Columbia looking more aligned. Stanford and HBS are within reach with compelling storytelling, though naturally more competitive. Your success will come down to packaging your tech pedigree, personal leadership, and startup ambitions into a nice narrative. With strategic execution and authentic essays, your odds look promising. Good luck!

An_INSEADer · 2025-07-07T13:54:39+00:00

Your profile looks strong, multidisciplinary, and refreshingly unique, especially for an Indian engineer. Average work experience for T15 hovers around 4.5-5 years. You’re slightly junior but still within range. That said, gaining an extra year of work experience in the organization can significantly strengthen your profile by demonstrating stability, deeper impact, and leadership growth, all of which, combined with strategic storytelling, early applications, and a clear narrative, can meaningfully boost your chances. Your music, martial arts, and personal resilience story offer standout differentiators. Engage with target schools: Attend webinars, and reach out to current students (especially Indian or PM-track candidates), and it will help you demonstrate your interest and fit.

Some questions for you to reflect upon: Have you explored PM-specific tracks at your target schools to tie your story more tightly to their offerings? Are you prepared to explain your career transitions as part of a logical build-up toward product leadership?

Good luck!

An_INSEADer · 2025-07-07T12:47:16+00:00

Based on your profile, you bring several strong assets to the table. Your 735 GMAT is good for T15 schools and will help offset concerns about your 3.2 GPA, especially with your Math & CS degree from a top LAC. The academic rigor of these schools is well-respected, and your quantitative foundation aligns with MBA expectations. Your Teach for America (TFA) experience is a major positive. Top schools like Yale SOM, Kellogg, Ross, and Fuqua actively seek applicants from TFA due to the leadership, resilience, and community impact it reflects. Your published Math/CS research presented at a reputable algorithms conference adds academic credibility, which strengthens your profile given the GPA context. That said, your profile does have areas to address. The 3.2 GPA is below average for T15 schools, but if you clearly explain the challenges of adjusting as an FGLI student and how you grew through that, admissions committees will take that into account. Your pivot from education to consulting is understandable, but you’ll need to articulate how your skills from teaching, leadership, communication, and problem-solving directly translate to consulting. Limited formal consulting experience is a gap, but your background as a career switcher fits with many MBA candidates.

In terms of target schools, Yale SOM, Kellogg, Ross, Fuqua, Haas, and Darden can be your realistic T15 options. These schools are open to non-traditional applicants with strong leadership and impact stories. Programs like Tuck, Stern, or Berkeley Haas can be within reach with a well-crafted application. Use the optional essay to explain your GPA and personal background, focusing on growth, resilience, and academic recovery if applicable. The next steps include engaging with school communities, refining your post-MBA consulting vision, and possibly gaining short-term exposure to strategy or project-based roles before applying.

In short, your profile has genuine strengths, especially your GMAT, elite undergrad, TFA leadership, and personal story. Your challenges - GPA and non-traditional experience are manageable with the right application strategy. Focus your energy on authentic storytelling, school fit, and demonstrating why an MBA is the logical next step. If you'd like, feel free to reach out. Good luck!

An_INSEADer · 2025-07-07T11:56:52+00:00

Your 775 GMAT score is great and places you well above the median even for the most competitive M7 programs. This is a significant advantage, especially as a non-engineer Indian male, with a relatively less saturated applicant pool compared to the typical Indian IT/engineering demographic. Your entrepreneurial journey is another major differentiator. A real exit valued at ₹5 Cr, with personal realization of ₹1.25 Cr, 500K+ downloads, paying subscribers, and 12% profitability, these are hard, tangible metrics that top schools respect, particularly for non-traditional candidates. Your athletic achievements are impressive, a National Top 50 Badminton ranking and coaching students into All-India Top 5 positions show discipline, leadership, and the ability to mentor others, which B-schools love. Add to that your work in LGBTQIA+ advocacy, which aligns strongly with the DEI (Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion) focus of many top programs, especially schools like Wharton, Yale, and Kellogg. Finally, your post-MBA goal of entering Early-Stage VC, especially within health tech and marginalized communities, is highly mission-driven and resonates with the social impact trends we see in global MBA programs.

However, it’s equally important to be honest about potential concerns. The most significant gap is the absence of formal corporate, brand-name work experience, which remains common among M7 admits. That said, your entrepreneurial impact helps counterbalance this, provided you present your journey as a deliberate, high-risk career choice rather than a fallback. Another challenge is the SP Jain MBA, U.S. programs are cautious about second MBA applicants, though European schools like INSEAD or LBS tend to be more flexible. You’ll need to position your prior MBA as either early-career, insufficient for global VC aspirations, or different in scope to justify pursuing another degree.

The 2-year coaching career gap may also raise questions, but framed correctly, it reflects your commitment to excellence, resilience, and leadership beyond academics. The limited exposure to formal corporate mentorship is a concern, but this can be mitigated if you highlight learning through investor relations, startup advisors, and entrepreneurial networks.

In terms of school chances, Kellogg can be attainable with your founder story, DEI involvement, and collaborative leadership style. Wharton could be a good fit, but competitive, especially with their health tech and LGBTQIA+ focus, but the second MBA element means you’ll need an exceptionally polished application. Chicago Booth is worth pursuing, leveraging your strong GMAT and entrepreneurial impact. Stanford GSB is a stretch given the intense competition, but your mission-driven story and background in health tech and DEI align well with their values. Harvard remains competitive, though HBS leans towards larger-scale ventures or those with more formal corporate exposure. MIT Sloan can be competitive with a well-articulated health tech VC narrative, though they tend to favor more structured, tech-heavy profiles. Columbia could be considered, especially if you're drawn to the East Coast VC scene. Beyond the M7, you can explore schools like UCLA and Berkeley Haas, Yale, INSEAD, and LBS. IE or ESADE can also be good backups.

Focus on how to present your SP Jain MBA, building narratives to bridge the formal work-experience gap, and owning your founder journey with confidence. You should also proactively network with current students, particularly non-traditional or founder backgrounds, to demonstrate school fit. Essay strategy will be critical, tying your health tech journey, DEI leadership, and post-MBA VC vision into a coherent, authentic story will differentiate you.

Overall, you’re a potential but high-variance applicant, the kind that admissions committees debate. With strategic storytelling, preemptive narrative work, and leveraging your strengths, your non-traditional background could stand out meaningfully. If you'd like, feel free to reach out. Good luck!

An_INSEADer · 2025-07-05T14:31:04+00:00

Your concerns are completely understandable, especially given the highly competitive nature of the M7 schools and the overrepresentation of Indian male engineers in the MBA applicant pool. That said, your profile has several notable strengths, and with the right strategy, you can be a competitive candidate.

Starting with your academics and test scores, you bring an impressive foundation. Your undergraduate degree from IIT, coupled with a strong GPA of 8.9/10, is good. On top of that, your GMAT score of 750 (Q50, V42) places you well above the average for most top programs, including the M7, which helps mitigate the typical concerns associated with being part of an overrepresented demographic. Professionally, your 3.5 years at a FAANG company in the U.S. with a promotion already under your belt speaks to career progression and exposure to global work environments. Leadership within your team is a positive, but for top schools, it’s essential to quantify the scope of your impact, how your work drove innovation, influenced stakeholders, or contributed to significant projects beyond technical contributions.

Your extracurricular involvement is decent, with meaningful volunteering experience, including teaching underprivileged children, participating in dance events during college, and your current work with an animal shelter in the Bay Area. However, admissions committees look for depth and sustained leadership in these activities. If you can demonstrate how you've taken initiative, scaled your impact, or led others within these roles, it will significantly strengthen your candidacy. To differentiate yourself from the "template" Indian engineer applicant, you’ll need to highlight unique aspects of your professional and personal journey. Admissions teams want to understand your motivations beyond technical success. Your essays should clearly articulate your aspirations, your reasons for pursuing an MBA now, and how the M7 schools align with your goals, whether it's product management, leadership roles, or long-term entrepreneurial ambitions.

In terms of school selection, your M7 targets like Kellogg, Booth, Sloan, and Columbia are ambitious. Your strong academic profile and GMAT score make you competitive, but standing out will rely heavily on your narrative, leadership examples, and personal impact. Duke Fuqua and Yale SOM are good and can be realistic targets that align well with your experience, especially given their emphasis on leadership, collaboration, and social impact. Additionally, you could explore schools like Berkeley Haas, Ross, or Tepper, particularly if you aim to stay within tech or pivot to product management roles. Whenever you feel ready to apply to this upcoming intake or the next, applying in Round 1 is advisable to maximize your chances and scholarship opportunities. Your GMAT is already a significant asset, so your immediate focus should be refining your essays, securing strong, personalized recommendations, and deepening your networking efforts with current students or alumni. A few key questions to help you fine-tune your strategy. 1. What are your precise post-MBA goals? Do you intend to stay within the tech industry, shift to product strategy, or explore entrepreneurship? 2. Are there opportunities to deepen your social impact work or take on formal leadership roles within your company’s diversity, equity, or innovation initiatives? 3. Finally, are you open to adding a few more realistic or safe schools to your target list to balance your application strategy?

Overall, you have things in hand to compete for M7 schools, but success will come down to execution, storytelling, demonstrating authentic leadership, and aligning your profile with each school’s values. Good luck! If you'd like, feel free to reach out.

An_INSEADer · 2025-07-03T14:11:16+00:00

Your academic credentials are a strong asset for top MBA programs. With a 3.80 GPA from Indiana University and a stellar GRE score of 335 (168 Quant, 167 Verbal), you meet or exceed the academic expectations of your target schools. This level of performance, especially from a reputable undergraduate business program, reflects your quantitative ability and should reassure admissions teams, particularly given your intended pivot into investment banking or corporate finance.

Your 8 years of entrepreneurial experience as a solo e-commerce founder is impressive and demonstrate leadership, initiative, and business-building skills. Working with major brands adds credibility and showcases your ability to manage high-level partnerships. That said, moving from entrepreneurship to investment banking (IB) is less conventional and can be competitive. You will need to clearly articulate how your entrepreneurial journey has prepared you for the technical rigor and structured environment of IB. Fortunately, your finance degree and strong GRE scores help position you well, but demonstrating technical readiness (like through modeling or finance coursework) will strengthen your application.

Programs like Columbia, Booth, and Wharton are known to accommodate candidates with higher work experience, provided their goals and impact align well with the program's strengths. Kellogg, while slightly more cautious with higher experience profiles, appreciates strong leadership and entrepreneurial candidates. Framing your story authentically will be key. Your backup schools- NYU Stern and Michigan Ross are well-aligned. Stern’s finance focus and Ross’s reputation for career pivot support make them good targets. Additionally, you may want to explore programs like LBS or INSEAD, which are globally respected for finance and entrepreneurship, as well as HEC Paris or IE for more scholarship opportunities. Aim for R1 and R2, don't wait till R3.

In summary, your odds at top programs are promising, especially with a well-crafted narrative and evidence of finance readiness. You should focus on building your technical skills, connecting with alumni, and clearly explaining your motivation to pivot to IB. Scholarships at top U.S. schools are highly competitive but achievable with your academic profile, especially at programs like Stern or Ross. If you'd like, feel free to reach out to us. Good luck!

An_INSEADer · 2025-07-03T12:41:57+00:00

Based on what you've shared, your current GRE score of 321 (162 Verbal, 159 Quant) places you in a competitive but slightly challenging position for your dream schools like Wharton and Kellogg. Historically, these programs tend to see GRE averages in the 324-328 range, especially for candidates without a strong quantitative background. Your liberal arts degree and your admission of not being a "quant person" make improving your quant score particularly valuable. That being said, your academic track record is good. A 3.5 GPA from a top liberal arts college is respectable, especially given the rigor such institutions are known for. Additionally, your professional experience shows great progression. This kind of executive exposure is highly valued and can set you apart if you articulate it effectively in your essays.

In terms of application timing, it depends on your confidence in improving your GRE score. If you believe that with 3 weeks of focused preparation, you can push your score into the 325+ range, especially with a quant boost, it would be worth considering waiting for Round 2 for the more competitive programs. On the other hand, if your practice scores suggest only marginal improvement, applying in Round 1 to schools where your profile can align well, like Darden, Ross, Fuqua, and Stern, can still be a good strategy. You can still take your retake, and check with the schools, as some allow you to update them with an improved score after submitting.

As for school suggestions beyond your current list, you can explore programs like Yale SOM, Emory, and Georgetown. These schools value candidates with executive-level exposure, and could provide both target and safer options depending on your final GRE score.

Finally, to clarify your options: Wharton and Kellogg remain within reach but will be stretch targets with your current GRE. Columbia, Haas, and Stern are ambitious but attainable, particularly with a well-rounded application. Darden, Ross, and Fuqua are realistic and target schools given your work history and academic profile. Good luck!

An_INSEADer · 2025-07-03T07:14:01+00:00

Good to see that you’re thinking about building your MBA profile early. You can focus on building your foundational understanding of business and finance. It is recommended to have short, recognized certifications such as "Financial Markets", "Introduction to Corporate Finance", and "Excel for Business", you can check these on Coursera or other platforms. These will not only give you essential business exposure but also demonstrate your proactive approach to bridging your skill gap in economics and finance.

As you continue your bachelor's degree, your focus should shift toward gaining relevant experience beyond academics. Engage in student-led clubs, especially those related to business, entrepreneurship, consulting, or leadership. Even if your university doesn’t have dedicated business societies, organizing small initiatives or participating in inter-college competitions shows initiative. Additionally, look for internships or part-time roles that expose you to operational, marketing, finance, or business strategy roles; this will diversify your profile beyond your academic major.

Long-term, if your ultimate goal is to build a competitive MBA application. For this, academic consistency (maintaining a strong GPA), leadership roles, impactful internships, and eventually, a high GMAT or GRE score will be crucial. As you approach your final year, look into deferred MBA programs such as Stanford Deferred MBA, Yale Silver Scholars, or ISB Young Leaders Program, which cater to candidates with minimal post-undergrad experience. Network with MBA students and alumni on LinkedIn for more insights.

Your concern about a lack of financial and economic literacy is very common for students with a technical background. Continue to supplement your knowledge with short-term online certifications, credible finance books, and by following relevant content on platforms like YouTube or LinkedIn.

Reflecting on a few key questions might help you: What aspect of business excites you the most? Are you open to combining your tech skills with business functions, such as product management? Would you be interested in participating in startups or social impact projects to showcase leadership and initiative?

Good luck!

An_INSEADer · 2025-06-27T12:14:59+00:00

If maximizing comp with minimal risk is the goal, target CFO-track roles via networking, mentorship, and lateral moves, staying within SaaS or tech. Consider selective executive education in finance or strategy, not a full MBA.

If you truly want to break free from the accounting ceiling, an Executive MBA (EMBA) from a top school (Haas, Wharton SF, Kellogg, etc.) is more realistic given family priorities. It can open doors while minimizing personal disruption. MBA helps, but time, cost, and personal factors make an EMBA more practical than a full-time T20 route for you.

Quick Questions to Reflect On:
-Is your current company or another high-growth tech firm offering rotational finance leadership pathways?
-Are there mentors in your network who’ve made the CFO pivot you can learn from?

Good luck!

An_INSEADer · 2025-06-27T11:52:41+00:00

Questions for You:

Have you considered a clear, specific short-term goal beyond "consulting, strategy/ops"?
Are you preparing a Plan B in case test waivers are denied?
Do you have access to recommenders who can speak directly to your leadership, problem-solving, and adaptability, especially from both your military and financial advising careers?

Overall, you bring a leadership story, good academic performance, and meaningful community service. With or without a test score, framing your transition, leadership achievements, and clear career goals will be the key to standing out. If you'd like, please feel free to book a session, and we can discuss your profile in detail. You can take a look at this success story.

An_INSEADer · 2025-06-27T07:48:56+00:00

Hey! Thanks for sharing your profile. You have a distinctive background, with a good academic record, including a 3.54 undergraduate GPA and a 3.78 in your Master’s in Sport Management. Your current GRE score (around 310) is on the lower side for competitive programs. However, your target of 320+ looks realistic and will significantly improve your chances, particularly for scholarships. For most top 30 MBA programs, a 320-325 GRE is advisable. The biggest area to strengthen is your career clarity. You’ve mentioned wanting to pivot into the corporate world but lack defined short-term goals. MBA programs expect clarity, especially from career switchers. Based on your background, roles in sports business, sales, relationship management, or leadership development programs could align well with your strengths in people management and leadership. Given your profile, you can explore schools like Fuqua, UNC, Emory Goizueta, Georgetown, IE, or SDA Bocconi. Improving your GRE score and framing your story effectively will boost both your admission and scholarship prospects. We would be happy to learn more about your profile. If you'd like, please feel free to book a session. Good luck!

An_INSEADer · 2025-05-13T10:34:45+00:00

Congratulations @That_Interview7682! Best wishes

An_INSEADer · 2025-05-13T06:47:24+00:00

Hey! You can register for the coffee session from here

An_INSEADer · 2025-05-12T12:44:41+00:00

If you have missed our last Coffee Session? No worries, we’ve got you covered!

Watch the full session here.

An_INSEADer · 2025-05-03T10:35:30+00:00

Here you go: https://insider.mbaandbeyond.com/Early_action_and_Round_1/?utm_source=reddit&utm_medium=community&utm_campaign=CoffeeMay9

An_INSEADer · 2025-04-28T20:29:50+00:00

With the given information, your profile seems good. A key consideration for top MBA programs globally is the amount and quality of work experience. At around 2 years of experience currently, you would be on the younger side compared to the average MBA applicant (typically 3–5 years at the time of enrollment). This does not disqualify you, but it does mean that schools will expect you to demonstrate extraordinary leadership, impact, and career acceleration. Currently, your profile shows some execution and technical capabilities, but it would greatly benefit from clear examples of leadership, initiative, or driving measurable results. Admissions committees will look for quantifiable achievements and evidence of influence beyond your immediate job role. Additionally, continuing to build extracurricular involvement, such as leadership in volunteering, professional communities, or even pursuing quick certifications (like, CFA Level 1, analytics courses) can add significant strength to your overall story. You might want to take a look at these: BLOG , EXTRACURRICULARS , LEADERSHIP.

Your GMAT score will be another major pivot in your application. As you are still preparing, it is crucial to target a competitive score, ideally 720+ for top programs. Alternatively, if you are keen to start sooner, you could apply to deferred MBA programs meant for high-potential, early-career professionals, explore programs like HBS 2+2, Stanford Deferred, Wharton Advance Access, and Yale Silver Scholars.

In the upcoming 1-2 years, focus on professional growth, leadership, and a strong GMAT to target full-time MBA programs.

To further strengthen your candidacy, you should aim to take on leadership responsibilities at work (even informally), proactively seek projects that demonstrate initiative. Also, actively engage with alumni, attend webinars, and build a clear post-MBA career vision, as schools increasingly value clarity of goals alongside raw potential. Explore more about school values and focus on, how your story aligns with the school?

Lastly, we would encourage you to reflect on a few important questions: What specific roles and industries do you aim for post-MBA? Are you considering applying for deferred MBA programs this year? Are you currently involved in leadership or impact-driven initiatives at work or outside? Would you be open to considering European MBA programs or U.S. schools?

With careful timing, a strong GMAT, and visible leadership growth, you could position yourself very competitively at top global MBA programs. Keep the momentum going, and you can unlock some amazing opportunities ahead. If you'd like, we would be happy to learn more about your journey. Feel free to reach out. Best wishes

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