Ask Stacy Blackman

1) Indian Male - 31- Under grads - Business Management ( non IT and non Engineer )
2) Undergrads - Bachelors in Business Admin - First class - among top 10% students
3) A few more achievements with extra ordinary scholarship at national level during undergrads.
4) Experience - nine years of experience in Financial Services
Functionally - Business Development, Retail
Excellent exposure in terms of leadership, have been leading and managing people for the last seven years now

Career progression == trainee TO sr. manager

Now, here come the weaknesses too

1) No international work exposure because my job doesn't demand it all
2) Have already reached an age of 31

Now comes the question Why MBA ?

Want to get into consulting, so my focus would be sales consulting, marketing and strategy.

I have been preparing for GMAT and have been consistently scoring 600-640, but am afraid that this score won't help me in reaching anywhere so am still giving some more time to reach up to 680-700 at least or 700+.

My target schools are

INSEAD
LBS
Oxford
Cambridge
IE

I am sure that i appear for gmat right now i would score around 650 , so should i appear for gmat or should i make it sure that i reach to a level of 700

what should be an ideal score for such profile with higher work experience like mine ? I want to ensure that my profile doesn't fall behind just because of GMAT score , so what would be the ideal score for above mentioned B-schools and given my profile.

How much does an age of 31 affect?

I understand a few aspects of my questions are very relative, but would be obliged it you can just give your individual comments on the basis of your experience till date

Thanks very much for evaluating my profile

Hi Lisa,

Thanks very much for your prompt reply. I researched on the scores of these b- schools, i notience that the average score of all these b-schools range between 680-700.

I dont mind putting more efforts for my GMAT, and i know there is room to improve since i just started my prep before three months.

1) Do you think that with the kind of profile have in which i lack international experience a brakcet of 680-700 is ok ? or i need to have atleast 700+ to be on a safer side for all the options ? Why i am asking this question is because i wanna know at what juncture of prep should i appear for gmat .. if 700 is not enough and i require 730 to compensate my weakness of international exposure .. i have to stretch and this improvemnt requires more time.

2) I wanted to know another aspect as to how adcom views it.when they are comparing different students from different secotrs - My job profile and industry are such that not a single guy from the company gets an international exposure , on the other side if you see any software company even the junior guy gets an opportunity to work on internatioanl spectrum just because the industry is structured in that way.

so, in above circumstances do you think lack of international exposure still remain a hindrance ? or the adcom weighs the same aspect on subjective part for each prospctive student ?

Thanks very much again