This is the video of the second zoom hangout we hosted this year:
The following major topics were discussed (copied from the zoom chat transcript. Please excuse typos):
0.00
Welcome and Introduction
5:36
My question is few schools like Tuck, Darden, Duke etc have an early decision round. How are the admit chances different between round 1 vs EA?
7:40
Hey, I have cleared all 3 levels of CFA but have not applied for charter yet. Will a charter add anything to my candidature? I just means getting to write FirstName SecondName, CFA
8:00
I have a GMAT 700. Will AWA 4 will be a concern? Planning to apply to colleges in Ontario Canada. Rotman, Ivey, Queens, Shulich.
10:00
I gave GMAT twice last year and scored 710 and 660 respectively. Is GRE better suited to me if I am better at verbal?
12:00
Has August Academy worked with applicants from non traditional backgrounds, like entrepreneurs? Does not having a name brand or a large scale firm hurt my chances? And if so, is there a way to compensate for that? Either through the GMAT or through my essays?
17:20
Which round will it be better for applying to the stretch schools and for applying to the safe schools. ?
21:05
Quant is a weakness. Targeting HBS, GSB, INSEAD? What kind of GMAT scores should I target?
24:00
Doing MBA @ 35 and opting for 1 year MBA in USA. Challenges for admission/scholarship/Job opportunities?
I already have an MBA from a Tier-2 College in India. Would that have any detrimental effect on my application for 1 year MBA. I already have a 6 year Financial Services Industry.
32:54
Can I use the ampersand ‘&’ instead of ‘and’ in my resume to save space and contain points to a single line?
34:00
How do Adcoms weight the Social Work, How do they know what I have done?
(like teaching underprivileged kids or teach for India. How do they know I’ve done something good? Or this guy’s just bluffing?)
36:48
I got my undergrad score of around 58%. Will this impact my application as a whole? Can I do some pre-MBA courses online to overcome this deficiency? On top of that, I have this chartered accountancy degree also. 720 GMAT.
38:48
Have you worked with non-Indian applicants? Are the chances better for under-represented countries like Nepal
40:00
Hi, I’m a CA with 3+ years post qualification experience and 6+ years including articleship, mostly in big 4s. I’ve done BCom from IGNOU(correspondence). Does this adversely affect my chances of getting into ivy leagues like Harvard, Stanford, Wharton etc?
41:12
I have 2 years of work experience as a software developer. I have experience showing leadership and communication skills. I have good grades 8.5+ cgpa in 10th, 12th and BTech. Is this enough for having good chances for an admit from Warwick, LBS, Imperial, Said, Judge school of business i.e. top UK colleges? I’m aiming for Sep 2022 intake.
42:48
How bad is 720 score to expect scholarship for women? Which schools to choose?
44:00
On the subject of brand names and feeder schools – Does a software unicorn (which feeds candidates into top Indian B schools and hires execs from top EU/American B Schools) have brand value on a Resume? can the brand value be leveraged in the essays/interviews?
44:38
I see two Forte programs for women – ondemand and in person. Is it good to go for ondemand program just for application waiver? Confused between two programs . with 450$ and 600$ What to choose?
47:09
Hi, I have 2 years of work experience and currently running my startup and have received first round of funding too. What are my chances for getting through fall 2022?
48:23
Hi, I have got 730 in my GMAT. However, I’m a CA Finalist, will my non-completion of CA affect my acceptance? In relation to Work Exp, I’ve worked 4.5 years at KPMG which includes 3 years of articleship
51:00
I’ve represented India at the London Olympics for my dancing. Would this add any value to my extracurriculars?
52:55
How crucial is the international experience for Insead? I have a strong work experience but none international.
53:46
I have 760 GMAT and 5 years of business experience but I have less academic score (65%). Can I expect M7 schools ?
57:05
I have a 325 in GRE and will have close to 2.5 years of work experience at the time of joining MBA. I have international exposure in terms of a Research internship in the US. My work experience has been diverse, I’ve cut across 4 functions thru a rotational program at GE. What are my chances at INSEAD/M7?
58:04
Coming from a non front-office/client facing role like risk management in banking, should I aim for getting into more prestigious company within the same role or should I consider moving into less prestigious firm with more front-office type role? I will start my professional life this month.
59:15
I have experience with a company where I worked with German and US clients. Does that count towards international exp?
1:01:05
I have just graduated and am working in my family business. I believe without work experience; an MBA will not benefit me. What are your thoughts on this and is there any number of years I should work for before I apply?
1:01:50
I’m planning to give my GMAT by Mid-August, will there be enough time to grab the R1 deadlines?!
1:02:07
I’m a Senior Research analyst working in a Financial Services Consulting form with 3years of work experience, including 1+ years of experience in leading a team. Gmat: 680. Undergraduate: B.Tech(CS) with 9.48CGPA. What are my chances at Simon, Anderson, Kenan-Flagler, Foster, Kelley, and Scheller?
1:02:36
How to shortlist B-schools if a person isn’t sure which industry/function they want to pivot to after MBA?
1:03:22
Hi, I have a score of 760 and 3 years of experience in early stage startups. Also I have work year gap from May 2020 till date though I have been doing some freelancing work and working on my own startup during this time. Does this work year gap affect my application? If yes, how can it be justified?
1:13:22
Do mba colleges accept 3 years in under-graduation or do they require 4?
1:13:43
I’m a Software Engineer (2+ years of work Exp now), working parallelly in Family Business as a Credit Risk Manager, in prep GMAT, Planning to do MBA in Singapore (Primary NUS) /NTU OR Melbourne B school/ Manchester MBA. 7.95/10 in UG (B.E CSE), Co-founder of a small startup (Have Run it successfully for 3 years during UG and closed), Have a good set of Volunteering experience, National player in Badminton etc… Any Inputs to this profile?
1:14:54
Indian Female – (Economics from Christ)
Work Experience – 5 years – KPMG, Goldman Sachs (current) – Compliance
lead the colleges NGO chapter (50 volunteers) – passsionate about social work
Target GMAT – 700
Chances at LBS, M7, Oxford? Do I need a higher or lower GMAT?
1:15:53
I have a gmat of 680 with nearly 7 yrs of work experience in different high growth AI startups predominantly in client facing roles with some leadership experience. Do I stand a good chance for any of singaporean colleges like NUS, SMU and NTU?
Also, is 7 years exp a little too old to apply for these colleges?
1:16:12
If I haven’t done any concrete social work, will it affect my application?
