Forum: Application & Admission (8 Comments)
Profile Evaluation for top ranked MiM Programs
Posted by - samvictor - on 4 July 2013 - 8:32am
Hey Thomas,
Before I get into my profile, let me give you a little background about why I've decided to do an MiM. I'm an undergraduate student in India, and I've just moved into the final year of a mechanical engineering degree. I want to work in strategy consulting and so, an MiM would be an excellent base to build upon to enter the consulting field (in my opinion!). I'll be graduating by June 2014, so I plan to apply for the Sept 2014 intake.
Scores:
- GMAT: 740
- GPA: 9.16/10
- TOEFL: took it last Sunday, should score above 110
Experience:
- Worked part time through my third year with two firms as a technical content writer and marketing manager.
- Currently interning with a private equity firm in Mumbai over the summer.
- Volunteered with Make A Difference, taught underprivileged children.
Extra-curriculars:
- Over 17 Model UN conferences (Chaired 5 of the conferences, won awards for oratory and diplomacy in 8 others)
- Vice President of my college's Model UN Conference.
- I play the guitar and drums (won an award for being the best instrumentalist in school).
- Played soccer in school, was on the school team.
- Was House Captain in school.
So whaddya think? Do I make a good candidate? I'm applying to HEC Paris, LBS, LSE, Duke (Fuqua) and Thunderbird.
Thanks for your help!
Sam
Posted by - Thomas Graf - on 4 July 2013 - 9:03pm
Hi Sam,
thank you for your questions. The first answer you can easily find out through the schools' websites or admissions departments. Check, for instance, the LBS admissions page: "In most cases, candidates receive a final decision within six to eight weeks after submission of their completed application. Interview decisions are communicated within this timeframe, generally within two to three working weeks after submission."
As for the batch sizes, do you mean how many students apply? Or how many become accepted? Or how many are in the final classes (organized in cohorts)? For example, it may be that 200 apply, 120 become accepted, 100 accept this offer, and are organized in 2 groups with 50 each.
I am confident that the schools you mentioned prepare you well for a career in consulting. But if they actually "specialize" in strategy consulting.. this you can find out if you check the curricula - for instance, whether they offer electives in consulting.
As for McKinsey, with a Master in Management you are a graduate and start on the entry level (Fellow).
Best wishes
ThomasBy Thomas Graf
Posted by - samvictor - on 5 July 2013 - 3:57am
Thanks Thomas,
By batch sizes, I meant the number of acceptances they give out. These programs are all highly selective right? There isn't any information about how many acceptances they give out in total.
And what I mean by specializing in strategy consulting is for example, alumni from schools like HEC Paris have a very strong presence in consulting firms; the percentage of people who eventually join these firms is higher as compared to a school like IE Business School. So I was wondering whether this trend is the same for other schools as well.
Sam
Posted by - samvictor - on 8 July 2013 - 12:24pm
Hey Thomas,
I had another question with respect to job opportunities after the MiM. If I get a Fellow position (Business Analyst/entry level) with a management consulting firm right after I finish my engineering, should I still consider doing an MiM or should I just work for two years instead and apply to MBA programs later?
The reason I ask is because it seems that doing a one or two year MiM after engineering will still mean I'll be enterering a consulting firm at the same level, so it seems illogical for me to spend two years (and a lot of money) to achieve the same result I could achieve right out of engineering. I was wondering whether there's some other dimension to this problem that I haven't considered.
Best,
Sam
Posted by - Thomas Graf - on 8 July 2013 - 7:12pm
Hi Sam,
I agree. In that case I would go for an MBA.
Best wishes
Thomas
Posted by - Thomas Graf - on 5 July 2013 - 1:26pm
Hi Sam,
thank you for clarifying. The acceptance rates, unfortunately, are not released by schools - clearly, the acceptance process is quite competitive. I wouldn't worry too much, however, since you have a great profile and you apply for schools with big cohort sizes (e.g., LBS has about 160 students in the current cohort).
As for the question on a consulting career, the best way to find that out is by screening the schools' websites (which firms come to campus to recruit MIM graduates) for carer statistics and by contacting each schools' career office (what's the percentage of MIM graduates starting their career at a consulting firm after graduation?).
Best wishes
ThomasBy Thomas Graf
Posted by - samvictor - on 4 July 2013 - 11:15am
Whoa! Thank you for your confidence, helps me boost my confidence as well! :)
I had a few more questions, if you wouldn't mind,
The programs that I'm applying to, do all of them require interviews or will they just screen my profile and essays and send me a verdict?
What are the batch sizes like? (I went through your Global MiM Study Report, fantastic stuff! Didn't find much school specific related info though, which is why I thought I'd ask you.)
Are the schools I'm applying to (HEC, LBS, LSE, Duke) good for eventually specializing in strategy consulting?
I'd like to work for a company like McKinsey after I finish the MiM. Will I be recruited at a Business Analyst level or at a higher level like an Associate or Consultant?
Thanks again for the support!
Posted by - Thomas Graf - on 4 July 2013 - 11:07am
Hi Sam,
thank you for your question. I think you are a perfect MIM candidate! You shouldn't face difficulties to become accepted based on your cv.
All the best
Thomas
