Q: I’d like to read your opinions about this. Is a GMAT of 680 good enough for a top MBA program (HBS, Stanford, Wharton, Booth) for international applicants?

A: The term “international” does not hold a lot of meaning on it’s own. If you are international and from India or China, there is fierce competition and so your GMAT has to be significantly higher than the class average just to be a contender.

But if you are an Iranian feminist – or otherwise highly diverse – ie, from a very underrepresented country, the situation is different.

680 could possibly be good enough *IF* you have proof of quantitative aptitude and a TOEFL score of 100 or better so they know you won’t fail. Harvard actually recommends a TOEFL of 110.

So, it depends upon the competition you are facing – what the scores are for others with your profile (citizenship, gender, work industry, role, etc)?

Because you are male I am inclined to say 680 is not enough for a top 5 MBA and it would put you at a major disadvantage; if you have some really unique unrepeatable contribution to make to the class that would add to the learning experience of others, it’s not impossible.

I kind of feel like I am sending my kid off to kindergarten, even though he is 33. It’s been a long process preparing my candidate…as of late, for his interview at IMD…but also so rewarding, navigating all the questions has allowed us bring about a more concrete vision and path for his future.

So, by preparing for interview, it has been a quest into many other areas. how is your post-MBA goal job going to make you happy? Why aren’t you just going for it now? How can you do more of what you love and less of what you don’t? Given that IMD is known as highly introspective leadership program I’m glad for it.

Now he’s in Switzerland, prepping for the case analysis tomorrow and Friday is Assessment Day at IMD. It’s so surreal that he made his way from the middle east to Geneva to Lausanne in a matter of a few hours and now he’s sitting in a hotel room, eating his $22 burger, practicing his French, looking out on to a lake.

So much work has gone into this process, some days easier than others. We have done a ton of introspection, figuring out his brand, values, what separates him and now he’s standing at the station waiting to get on the train (figuratively.) 

I can’t imagine how I would feel being in a foreign country and then being asked to deliver a presentation, do a case analysis with your competitors, do a 1-1 interview, then the alumni interview over lunch…..it’s a long a$$ day y’all.

Maybe I can imagine it; I had to argue my thesis in front a panel of French professors but it was at the end of the semester, when I could finally speak the language fluent-ish. So, I am sure it is a bit like that but they are asking for him to jump, hum, bark and dance all in the same show.

Then, back to work on Monday and he’s interviewing with IESE on Friday, thankfully via Skype. I think the bulk of the work is behind us thankfully. I am feeling a bit confused like now what? We have been saddled up side by side for several months, it will be a little weird to put this level of focus on other clients. Maybe I will feel better once he has his first acceptance letter; or maybe it will be that much harder.

Strategy consulting is a subset of management consulting.

Management consulting pertains to answering questions raised by someone who manages either the whole or a part of the business. The questions can range from ‘I have been facing problems in delivering my product by the due date. How can I manage my operations better?’ to ‘We have lost a huge chunk of market share in the last quarter. How do we fix it?’

Now, there are various types of questions which an organization needs help with and each question is resolved by a specific consulting group.

How do I better manage operations in my organization – Operations Consulting
What role should IT play in my business and day-to-day operations – IT consulting
How can I optimize my HR functions such as benefits and talent management – HR consulting

Most of the above questions are raised by mid-management team members who strive to meet the year end targets set by the CXOs.

Strategy consultants usually are brought in to answer questions which are raised by CXOs and Board members. The question that they try to answer ranges from ‘What is the reason for drop in this years profits ?’ to ‘Does it make sense to acquire our nearest competitor ?’.

Thus, the different categories of consultants try to answer different set of questions and strategy consultants usually end up answering the ones which the CXOs and board members need help with.

​​What possession or memento do you treasure most and why?

If you had an extra hour every day, what would you do with it?

What piece of technology could you not live without and why?

What word describes you best and why?

Tell us about the first job you ever had?

What’s the best book you have ever read and why?

When you have a problem, whom do you approach for advice and why?

What accomplishment are you really proud of?

What’s the best piece of advice you have ever received?

If you could witness any event..past present or future-what would it be?

What one interesting or fun fact would you want your future kellogg classmates to know about you?

If you could teach a class on any topic. What would it be and why?

If you were given a chance to meet anyone, current or historical, who would you meet and why?

What was the most interesting class you took at University?

Tell us about an organization or activity in which you have dedicated significant time. Why was it meaningful to you?

What have anyone done good for you and how did you felt about it?

Tell us about the most interesting place you’ve traveled to. What did you enjoy most about it.

What invention during your lifetime has had the biggest impact on you and why?

If money was not a concern. what would you do?

Why did you choose your college major?

What is the most meaningful thing anyone has done for you in your life? X 2

If you could live anywhere in the world, where would it be and why?

What food do you like? Will you be able to eat that food everyday?

How have you changed in the last 5 years?

Whom do you respect most, and why?

What is your favorite motto or quote, and why

What risk have you taken and what did you learn?

What impact do you have on your co-workers?

What inspires you?

What qualities would your friends use to describe you?

Please respond to the following statement: “Without Arts, an education can not be accomplished” Do you agree or disagree? Why?

Please respond to the following statement: “As businesses become more global, the differences between cultures decrease.” Do you agree or disagree? Why?

Tell us about a challenging work experience and how you handled it.

Tell us about how you engaged with a community or an Organization.

Tell us about your leadership style.

How did you contribute to your company/organization?

Please respond to the following statement: “Imagination is more important than knowledge. For knowledge is limited to all we now know and understand, while imagination embraces the entire world, and all there ever will be to know and understand.”Do you agree or disagree? Why?

What accomplishment are you most proud of?

Tell us about a difficult decision and how you handled it.

Tell us about a creative solution you designed.

How will you resolve a conflict with your future classmates at the program?

What would you say is the biggest challenge facing leaders today?