Welcome to F1GMAT’s #askAtulJose series. I am Atul Jose. Today’s question is from an Indian MBA Applicant from a Technology background, who asks:
Q) I am an engineer with 3+ years of experience in one of the fastest-growing startups in India. I am aware that Indian Technology applicants are one of the most competitive demographics. I have 2-3 months of sporadic non-profit experience every year, mostly in hunger management and women’s healthcare. I have a GMAT 710 score with no international travel experience. How can I improve my profile, and what should I consider while targeting the top 10 US schools?
This is an excellent question. So you have to take some corrective steps before applying:
1) Join a branded Non-Profit
I know it is a bit late to apply and join a branded non-profit, but since the pandemic, there are multiple industries and livelihoods that have been decimated due to travel restrictions, lockdowns, and mandates that limit the gathering of people. Since you work with a Technology startup where most of your involvement is with Technology, complement your experience with operations or communication roles. For US schools, volunteering is extremely important, and it is better late than never. For European or UK schools, there is no culture where volunteering is valued over regular professional experience.
2) Understand the Trend in India
A big reason why the Indian IT application pool has become competitive is because of the proliferation of startups after 2009. Even F1GMAT started after the 2008 financial crisis, and there was a boom in startups that peaked around 2014. The funding ecosystem also evolved. So the societal attitude towards startups also changed, and Indians now are more likely to join a startup than ten years ago. This presents a huge problem for the MBA admissions team. They don’t have all the data points to make a call on the startup. Your startup, as you quoted, is one of the fastest-growing in India. Unless the brand is a household name or had a global presence that eventually reached the admission team’s news cycle, you really have to develop a strategy for branding your startup.
How you sell the startup will determine your admission chances. This is because all your experience (3+) is with this one startup. If, at some level, the admission team feels that the startup is not worth the attention, then no matter how much you spin your contributions in the organization, it is unlikely to move the admissions team. I would recommend that you subscribe to F1GMAT’s Essay Review Service. I can definitely help you out with the story.
3) GMAT Score
To remain competitive among the Indian IT application pool, regardless of where you apply, you need a 730+ GMAT score. Also, a balanced score, that is, the difference in verbal and quant scores, should be less than 7 points.
You will hear about applicants who made it to a top school with 710 or 690, but most of them had some amazing extra-curricular or life setbacks that make even 690 a big miracle. So unless you had some disruptive life events that made it extremely challenging to complete your education or even prepare for the GMAT, or you have a learning disability, retake the GMAT. Better apply with your best GMAT score than trying out top schools just for the sake of it. Push your application to Round 2 if you can’t manage work and GMAT preparation simultaneously.
4) Global Experience
Most candidates would have some experience working with an international or a multicultural team. But since this kind of experience is common among startup applicants, travel or working in the US, UK, or Europe, at least for 3-4 months is important to stand out. This is because adapting to a different culture will not come naturally to you. The school doesn’t want you to spend 3-4 months being in a culture shock. Also, your performance in the MBA class is not just measured by academics. Global experiential learning is a big part of the MBA experience. They prefer that you have at least some experience in adapting and understanding a different culture. Most importantly, you are likely to be placed in the US post-MBA. So international perspective or mindset is extremely important for the smooth transition from MBA to post-MBA opportunities.
If you don’t have international experience, another alternative is to work on a non-profit research project where you get the opportunity to shadow or work closely with a known public figure in the US or Europe, helping the person find the right beneficiary to allocate their fund. Or it could be conducting a feasibility study for a project led by the United Nations or any international organization and compensate for your lack of international travel or onsite experience.
I hope I have answered your question. If you need my services, subscribe to F1GMAT’s Essay Review Service or Career Planning Service by visiting store.f1gmat.com/essay-review or store.f1gmat.com/career-planning.
I am Atul Jose. See you in the next #askAtulJose series.
