GMAT scores - how much is too much ??

' How important is GMAT score for ISB'
Thanks Vinit Garg for suggesting this topic to us - here you go..

First, some facts:

• The average score of students at ISB is almost always greater than 700
• The indian applicant pool generally has a higher average GMAT score (mostly skewed by the fact that a lot of engineers make up this pool)
• The breakup in the gmat score for indians is mostly skewed towards quant rather than verbal...

If you go by the above facts, they obviously point towards the fact that DON'T take GMAT lightly...and especially your verbal section because a good verbal score definitely can make you stand out. And hey I am stating the obvious here - 'a good score is a good thing' is a complete no brainer!

That said, here are some things to remember and some points to consider when applying with your gmat scores

a.) less than 640 - There is no question about it. Give it another shot. Go back, prepare, do whatever it takes - maybe just a lil more prep or who knows a better day or mood - but try again. Not that with a score in this band you CANNOT get through ISB - last year we did help a few folks with scores less than 640 and they DID get through ISB - just that it is so much more difficult and needs so much more hardwork on the rest of the application. And if you do get shortlisted - the added pressure of justifying your score in the interview and yet missing out the edge when someone of the same callibre and background came in with a better score. Trust me - you would be better off without that pressure.

b.) 640 -670- I would still try again. This range puts you in the 'borderline' where the evaluators would still be a little critical about your application, both while evaluating the essays and application AS well as when you enter for the interview. But just in case you are already running late for the admissions or if you have already given it two shots or think that it is not worthwhile going for another attempt, here is what you need to do - you HAVE to do a kickass job of your essays and interviews. There is JUST NO OTHER way out. Your essays have to be so good and compelling that the evaluators cannot resist meeting you - remember you have so many ways of impressing them once you are in front of them, you get a chance to justify your score. So we just cannot emphasize enough, the importance of your essays if you are in this band.

c.) 670 and above - Don't worry about your score as far as your application goes now. Don't bother giving it another shot - you could put that time to better use. You have done a good job and that part of your application is taken care of and wont be a negative in any way. Obviously the greater it is the more positive it is ( especially if you have passed the 700 psychologically). But it is not THAT important that you need to fret about it - definitely NOT. What you now need to worry about is the rest of the application. Remember, a good score is just 25% of the battle won - there is your profile, your essays, recos and then the interview. ALL of them are important or I would say even more. We know of people (infact many of them) who got rejected even after a heavenly score of 780!! For simple reasons like too much of attitude in interview, callousness shown in the essays etc etc. So watch out!!

..So go there crack the GMAT if you haven't done it as yet..and if you have ..the fun has just begun, enjoy the process of app'ing..its one of the better experiences of your life!!

Is MBA worth it?

The question on most MBA aspirants' mind (also in a Bschool graduate's mind??)
: Is MBA worth spending so much money, time, blood and sweat after all?

Let's be realistic.

The one big mantra you need to remember - "MBA is a long term investment - do not start your ROI calculations the minute you step out of campus. "

MBA adds value to you - so it's a value add and not an end by itself. What you do in life and what you end up being is dependent a lot on you, your priorities in life, ambitions and what not ..you decide how you want an MBA to work for you.

OK - so what exactly do you get out of an MBA
Some obvious things like...
1. Exposure to varied fields like finance/logistics/marketing/etc
2. Frameworks/knowledge/skills to give you a "structured" way to attack varied problems in varied ways
3. A different perspective - again thanks to the exposure to look at a bigger and holistic picture
4. A chance to change your stream if you plan to do so.
5. Possibly, an accelerated career path and of course a chance to get jobs that are open only for MBAs
6. A decent starting pay package (compared to plain vanilla graduation)

... but then there are some not so obvious things..
1. Network (alumni, professors, investors, etc.)
2. Exposure to the intricacies of a business organization
3. Pressure handling ....and the list goes on..

Now, there is this frequent crib about "am I doing an MBA job"?
I am still not sure of what is an 'MBA' job - is it marketing/sales at an FMCG company, is it crunching data sheets in an i-bank, is it consulting, is it doing BD in an IT company ... what "IS" an MBA job? We know of guys doing pure coding, voluntarily, at premium software companies after their MBA from IIM. There are scores of MBAs doing high-end analytics at leading KPOs in Gurgaon and Hyderabad. Then there are ISB grads who spend their days following up with agents of supermodels to get the legal contracts signed before an ad shoot ... does all of this qualify for an 'MBA' job or does only cracking Mckinsey, BCG and GS meet the criteria ??? Remember not everyone lands there and you need to be realistic.

Be practical - you won't start talking 'strategy' as soon as you step out of a bschool. Everyone has to do some ground work - some dirty work before doing that. Yes you might be from IIM or ISB, but remember there are some tricks of the game you learn at a job and you HAVE to learn them before doing high level strategy talk. You are NOT taught everything in school. Yes you might have to learn to sell toothpaste in Munger, you might have to learn to look at spreadsheets, you might have to learn the technology in Microsoft, you might have to do presales before becoming a BDM.

Please be sure of what you want to do, how do you want to measure your success before hand and look for the long term ROI ..lest you fall in the frustration trap after your MBA.

ISB Telephonic Interviews - Tips..

Its the interview season for ISB and for all you people currently in the "phoren" land having telephonic interviews..

some things to remember..

1. They cannot see you - so what you say needs to compensate for your body language
2. Its very easy for the interviewers to lose interest in you - many a times interviewers start chatting with the mute button on..or start reading the profiles of the next candidate.
3. Its boring for the interviewers to interview a 'voice'..

...so here are some tips for you ...

1. Your introduction is the killer..catch their attention there itself..and sustain that

2. Be high on energy ...they are already bored..the onus lies with you to bring energy back in the interview ..remember a bright smile wont work here ..needs to be communicated over the wire!
So dont forget the greeting and 'how have u been doing' ..'have a good daty' etc..

3. BE CRISP...cant emphasize on this enough..general ramblings JUST wont work...u are sure to be put on mute. This in turn means..practise..practise..practise..be sure of some standard questions like "Why MBA".."your background" etc..but hey ..dont practise so much that you look rehearsed.

4. If you need to think about an answer ..be straightforward and ask the interviewers for a minute to think about it..collect your thoughts and then come back. Dont go off air in silence without any notice..

5. Background voices or sounds ..like other people talking or you typing are a STRICT NO NO ..choose a silent place while taking the call.

6. Almost always they have a 20 mins slot in mind for telephonic interviews unlike face to face ones (which might end up being longer). So jot down the points you want to talk about and try and put it through intelligently...again DONT be pushy.

7. And if you cant hear them..dont hesitate to ask them and call back ..again and again if required. But dont risk not hearing them properly and screwing up the interview...

Go on..have fun..

Recomendation Letters - a checklist

Getting recomendation letters is an important part of the overall application process. Here are a few things to remember

- Dont just go for the titles. So what if the title says 'Managing Director' ..wont impress too much if he doesnt have much to say about you, because he doesnt know you too well or doesnt have the time to write.

- Always go for someone who has worked with you, knows you well (both your positives and negatives) and supports and wishes well for you ( heck - its not always easy to find someone like that) - but try ... Be sure he/she understands the importance of their feedback and is committed emough to take out time for writing it out (remember its a time consuming thing, not something they can scribble in 5 mins)

- Give them enough time and notice. Dont walk up to them 2 days prior to submitting your app. Hurrying them would be disastrous..remember its you who needs a good reco ..

- And please please please dont fake, dont write your own recos and get it signed by them (I know alot of the busy bosses suggest this) but its a NO No, of course dont ever fake signatures - its a sacrilege (the adcom guys read thousands of recos, they read your essays - its their job boss..trust me ..it just takes seconds for them to figure it out). I have taken many interviews for ISB and we almost always knew and at times made applicants admit that they have faked the recos - not a very happy situation to be in. Remember ethics is something they just WONT compromise on ..

- Even if your boss hands over the reco letter to you after writing and signing it..take this tip - DONT read it. You wont be doing anything wrong by doing so - might just do it out of curiosity . But it just might happen that because you have something at the back of your mind , it might just get expressed in some way or the other during the interview. Can again be disastrous - you dont want the Adcom to have even the slightest doubt in their minds...be safe than sorry!

Remember ISB wants to know you - the real you..and would be happy to accept an honest applicant who has his share of negatives as well as positives..

ISB Vs IIM part 2...

Voooww!! I feel like I am ages behind in this discussion. Just yesterday i googled up IIM Vs ISB and I had like hajaar new links thrown up on my face :) ..looks like its not exactly a new topic and has been discussed, rat holed, beaten to death and what not !! But hey isnt this really cool ...ISB is just 5 years old and there are heated discussions comparing it to IIMs ( I dont know when each of them were established but I know for sure they were there even before I was born ) hmmmm... its very very good news for ISB and I am proud of it (ok ok..so what if my other team members from IIM also own this blog but hey I am allowed to get senti about my school once in a while ;))

So here are my view points on this discussion. You can go dig more here, here or here...

Q: How many years of experience do you have ? Are you looking for a mid management career after MBA.
A : If its >3 years, go for ISB, if its <2 is ="2">

Q: Are you looking for a shift in your career line?
A: I am not sure how many will agree but I personally think that if this is true - go for the IIMs. Of course there have been many from my batch who did manage to shift careers but in my mind - a) A 11 mths course is not good enough to equip you enough to join a mid management level in a new career path b) Again you might need to compromise on the level and the salary that you will be offered cause you will be treated almost like a fresh hire c) I dont know - its like going all over it again ....
That said many folks do manage to do this and that too comfortably but they are more of exceptions to the rule and I would definitely hold this point of view of mine

Q: Are you looking for an indepth learning or do you think you are kind of there but want to acquire some special skills and understanding to complement your self
A: If you need to dig deep - go to IIMs. Not to say that ISB doesnt provide good stuff...the profs there absolutely ROCK bigtime and the quality of education is very good but u know what..you have to digest everything just VERY quickly. ok - chew this...when me and my friend started out with the corp fin course together (me @ISB and he@ IIM) and while he had not yet had his med term, I had already finished my end term and moved on to the next term. Get what I mean ?

Q:. How are you placed in your personal life?
A: Hmmm..so this one might not be applicable to everyone but it did to me. I in no way wanted to be away from my married life for more than a year. I wanted to get back ..move on ..plan a family and so on and on...I had my 4 years of work ex when I went to ISB so one year away from home and work was just soo ideal.

So here are my two cents. Feel free to write in your comments and thoughts...

ISB Vs IIM

I am an alum of ISB and I have a huge circle of both ISBians as well as IIM grads so you can safely say that I am going to be fair.

To me ISB Vs IIM is like comparing apples to oranges (hmpphhhh!!! - Yikes dont hit for the cliche) !! No seriously...ISB is geared for a different profile, different requirement and so is IIM (obviously I am talking about the two year courses and NOT the one year ones).

Here is a simple checklist that you can run through to find out which is best for you. But DISCLAIMER, DISCLAIMER - you yourself know the best whats good for you..so just take this as a piece of advice..

1. How many years of experience do you have ? Are you looking for a mid management career after MBA.
2. Are you looking for a shift in your career line?
3. Are you looking for an indepth learning or do you think you are kind of there but want to aquire some special skills and understanding to complement your self.
4. How are you placed in your personal life?

I am sure there are some other items in the checklist that I may be missing (feel free to add them) - but at least this is what I considered while taking my decision.

Stay tuned on for on how I think ISB and IIMs rate over each other in all of the questions above depending on your answers.

Oh BTW - did I mention that we have started this blog (and by we I mean that we are a group of ISb and IIM alums) to discuss our journey/thoughts/ideas as well as your queries/concerns as far as getting into one of these schools is considered and well..also life beyond that.

We also provide professional services in helping you "get that admit!" - visit us at www.bschool-admit.com for more details

ciao