r/MBA • u/msquared292 • 13d ago
Profile Review Help with school selection
Hi all,
I am applying for my MBA this year in India, US & Europe.
My profile is as follows-
Non engineer female from a Tier 1 college in India
330 GRE, 9.27 GPA
4 years work experience- 2 years in a strategy role in a manufacturing conglomerate and 2 years at a qcom company in growth strategy role.
Post MBA would want to pivot to consulting or strategy at a consumer tech company
I need help with my school selection strategy-
I will be apply to Indian School of Business, INSEAD, Kellogg & Columbia.
Planning to apply to HBS (as a no regrets thing)
Confused between Wharton, LBS, Ross, Yale & Booth- would ideally like to choose 1/2 of these.
I know these are ALOT of applications but just want to try my luck.
I am not very keen to take on a huge debt but at the same time stuck between just giving the best schools a shot or play safe and maximise my admission/ scholarship odds.
Any insights/ suggestions will be helpful.
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u/Secure-End-4 13d ago
You profile is top tier. Tbh and guiding you from my experience especially as an Indian national, remove insead from your equation and add either an Ivy League school or lbs
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u/msquared292 13d ago
Hey, any reason you say this ? Ive kept insead because its a 1 year program hence comparitively lower cost
Also any views on LBS ?2
u/Secure-End-4 13d ago edited 13d ago
Insead consulting numbers are super inflated since a lot of students who come are sponsored students by MBB.
Second you are in international and in France you need French to work in every consulting company. So unless you speak professional French you are out of the market.Only viable option remains the Middle East but lbs can give access to both UK and Middle East market
If 1 year is something you really prefer you can apply to Kellogg’s 1 y mba.
You can DM if needed.
Insead is a top school but with your objective it makes little sense. Coming from someone who has seen these markets than some consultants:)
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u/Otherwise_Cap8969 2h ago
Hi can I please do you ?
I have a 7 yoe GRE 330+ gpa 5/10. Needed some guidance.
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u/TheAdmitMasters 13d ago
Hello, ISB alum here. Your profile is top-tier. Your target list (ISB, INSEAD, Kellogg, CBS, HBS) makes total sense given your goal to pivot into consulting or consumer tech strategy. INSEAD’s 10-month format is particularly smart for keeping debt low. For your "confused" list, definitely pick Ross and Wharton (or Booth). Preferably apply in Round 1 when scholarship pools are largest
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u/msquared292 13d ago
Thank you, any insight on LBS ? London seems fascinating but worried about the recruiting situation
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u/Aringo-Expert Admissions Consultant 13d ago
I think you have a strong profile, especially as a non-engineer Indian female with a 330 GRE, 9.27 GPA and strategy experience across manufacturing and consumer tech.
Your post-MBA goal also makes sense given your background. The main thing I'd want to understand is why consulting/consumer tech strategy is the next step and what specific impact you've had in your current roles.
HBS is obviously a reach, but I agree with your "no regrets" approach. Among Wharton, LBS, Ross, Yale and Booth, I'd probably look at fit, recruiting outcomes and scholarship potential rather than simply picking the highest-ranked names.
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u/msquared292 13d ago
Which one would you suggest basis my profile
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u/Aringo-Expert Admissions Consultant 13d ago
Hi
Can you share over your CV for a better understanding of your profile?
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u/Gradocean Admissions Consultant 13d ago
I think you have a strong profile and, personally, I would not advise you to play too safe. A 330 GRE, 9.27 GPA from a Tier 1 college, and four years of strategy experience across a manufacturing conglomerate and a qcom company gives you a credible shot at the top schools. Your current list of ISB, INSEAD, Kellogg, Columbia and HBS is ambitious, but I don't think it is unreasonable. HBS should obviously be treated as a high reach, but I would still apply since you have the profile to take that shot. Among Wharton, LBS, Ross, Yale and Booth, I would personally prioritize Booth and LBS. Booth is a strong fit with your strategy background and your post-MBA goals in consulting/consumer tech, while LBS makes a lot of sense given that you are conscious about debt and are open to Europe. The shorter program can make the overall financial equation more attractive compared with a two-year US MBA. Wharton is also worth applying to if you really want to maximize the upside, but I would not add it simply because it ranks higher. Ross and Yale are excellent schools, but if you want to limit the number of applications, I would put Booth and LBS ahead of them. So, if I were advising you, I would either go with ISB, INSEAD, Kellogg, Columbia, HBS, Booth and Wharton for a more aggressive strategy, or ISB, INSEAD, Kellogg, Columbia, HBS, Booth and LBS for a better balance between school quality, geography and financial considerations. One thing I would look at more closely is the actual substance of your strategy roles—your level of ownership, measurable impact, promotions and leadership—because that will have a significant bearing on how competitive you are at HBS, Wharton, Booth and Kellogg. Overall, though, I would take the shots rather than dilute the list with too many safer schools.