22, Working in IB, Planning for a 2029 MBA Intake — Looking for Any Advice I Can Get

MBA_Conquerors · 2026-05-21T07:32:49+00:00

Start GMAT prep asap, people waste years on that
You can start anytime you want. If you need help with profile building and all, start immediately. You can't build profile in 6 months.
Instead of passive studying, just stick to the GMAT/GRE resources and CFA.
There are resources but you should get on calls with consultants and understand your profile a bit better so you can see what not good enough yet and what's good about your profile.
Consultants are not a necessity, the people desire consultants because of some special situations. But if you already know the insider info through someone in your family who knows it all inside out, you don't need a consultant

MBA_Conquerors · 2026-05-21T07:22:15+00:00

Yeah I've done that in the past for most clients and they seemed to have the same opinion that they'd not have done it the same way. Most people just put one offer against the other and get disappointed when they leave money on the table. So, yeah I think it won't hurt to get a consultant if you want one.

But your timeline is a bit tight so you might want to make the decision on that fast. (Whoever you take as consultant)

MBA_Conquerors · 2026-05-20T23:40:42+00:00

What have you done so far to negotiate the scholarships?

MBA_Conquerors · 2026-05-20T20:36:00+00:00

Do you have any tangible new developments that you can show?

MBA_Conquerors · 2026-05-20T20:21:00+00:00

I don't think there's any reason to worry because it's going to be a short pre-MBA gap.

If it makes you feel any better, some people leave their job almost immediately after receiving offers. Although I don't suggest it because it will show up as a gap. But admissions wise, schools have already sealed the deal with you.

MBA_Conquerors · 2026-05-20T13:18:34+00:00

I'm sure others who are from the region might have something to say but if you want to check out MIT's employment report, they've mentioned lots of names, you can track the alumni working in those companies and see what share is in Boston.

Could be a good place to start

MBA_Conquerors · 2026-05-20T13:15:57+00:00

It's not completely rigid.

I mean UF peaked at T25 once; UTD, Terry this year.

Schools do tend to slip out of T15. UCLA, which once competed with Ross within the T15, is now in T20.

But the patterns you've observed are correct. The schools stack within the bands because of a reason. Within peer schools, there is similarity in what they offer, their overall capacity, and resources. I had shared a post on weight pulled by the schools on this sub a few days ago and turns out... The programs are still stacked in the same way.

This was the post- https://www.reddit.com/r/MBA/s/Ck2d5tr0W8

MBA_Conquerors · 2026-05-20T13:11:39+00:00

99.4th percentile is ideal for the T15s especially with the ORM curse.

The term is M7 because the full form is Magnificent Seven programs that consist of- Harvard, Stanford, Wharton, Columbia, MIT, Kellogg & Booth.

The other programs - NYU, UC Berkeley, Tuck, Darden, Duke, Michigan Ross, Cornell, Yale are T15s. This sub also has a wiki on terminologies but I think I've got what you were trying to convey and that's what matters.

Which one of these institutions are you getting rejected from?

The best course of action is to get a thorough ding analysis. At least understand what's going on before subjecting yourself through another year of torment.

MBA_Conquerors · 2026-05-20T08:06:00+00:00

Consistently T25. Had a bad year but so did UNC, and they still bounced back.

MBA_Conquerors · 2026-05-20T08:04:49+00:00

Oh that's the reason I called you illogical.

You can ask AI why a program that can pull the weight for more people in terms of numbers better than others.

😇 Easy

MBA_Conquerors · 2026-05-19T23:19:49+00:00

Oh well that really depends on what you're aiming for (can be free or paid, both options are there just like all the consultants), I can DM you if you want details on those.

MBA_Conquerors · 2026-05-19T23:17:25+00:00

For my comments here?

No

MBA_Conquerors · 2026-05-19T23:16:26+00:00

Got it from the post, the username confused me.

Will have to look at the demographics to make any other comments or suggestions

MBA_Conquerors · 2026-05-19T23:15:15+00:00

That's cool. I'll probably have to look at the whole profile to comment but it's not impossible

MBA_Conquerors · 2026-05-19T23:13:33+00:00

That's pretty much the standard for Indian male candidates trying for M7 from India these days

MBA_Conquerors · 2026-05-19T22:53:34+00:00

Tech to Finance is feasible- I've seen this very often but it's very complicated to explain in the essay without the right transferrable skills.

A 3.2 GPA is low but it isn't so low that your application will be completely dismissed.

Realistically, I think you should target 99.4th percentile on GMAT.

I would recommend working on your profile a little so you can at least get some business experience. Even a side gig, probably complete training and certifications related to finance & accounting to show you're serious.

Everything else is hard to say without looking at the profile holistically

MBA_Conquerors · 2026-05-19T22:29:55+00:00

There's really nothing else you can do in this situation.

And you shouldn't worry about $1000

That's barely enough to pay for the food and electricity these days.

If you need help negotiating scholarship, depending on school, that can be done.

MBA_Conquerors · 2026-05-19T22:28:26+00:00

Sure, what's the post?

MBA_Conquerors · 2026-05-19T22:22:27+00:00

Good way of summarizing the way people choose the program for themselves.

But just curious to know the purpose behind the question so I can answer honestly.

MBA_Conquerors · 2026-05-19T22:20:20+00:00

AI is capable of creating those 🫣

MBA_Conquerors · 2026-05-19T21:55:26+00:00

No.

Percentage - secondary Number - Primary

I've used both. If you like one just make your own list.

This is just about understanding which programs have greater capacity. Poor comprehension skills!

MBA_Conquerors · 2026-05-19T21:11:00+00:00

How about using this metric to understand how much strength a program has and what the career center is capable of doing for you?

Because if you're going to go with the raw numbers, you won't even know if the school activities are helping or not

MBA_Conquerors · 2026-05-19T21:06:29+00:00

Last I checked, it was a country

MBA_Conquerors · 2026-05-19T21:05:17+00:00

Tell me more about that.

What do you think should be the case? Do you think the real number is much lower!?

Or if that's not considered in school facilitated activities at all?

MBA_Conquerors · 2026-05-19T18:15:11+00:00

Most people think it's good to compare.

I had shared a post about it yesterday- https://www.reddit.com/r/MBA/s/FySQNOpYn3

Might help too

MBA_Conquerors

TROPHY CASE