r/ISB_Aspirants

Hello! I am currently working as a software engineer in an European bank, for last 3 years now.
My profile-
2017-10th - 9.6 cgpa CBSE board -> 91.2 % (CGPA*9.5) someone told this formula
2019-12th - 83.4 %, screwed up pretty badly
2023-college - 8.63 CGPA Btech computer science from private university in TN.

I want to ask is it feasible to get into ISB/ IIM A PGPX in one attempt(Academic year)?

I am asking this question since I am targeting to get into an MBA programme by mid 2028, and currently I am trying to switch job which is very mentally taxing, I have an imaginary deadline of job switch by this year end, else it would be very difficult to accommodate in new job and also prepare for GMAT and profile building by mid 2027!

My current company is way too chill and new hires in my project are not able to deliver, hence for time being there I am an important resource for them, but the issue is pay here is not good. Also there's no POR in this organisation.

So should I continue for job switch or start focusing on profile building and GMAT from January and stay in my current org? Hence the question regarding the feasibility.

​

I’m considering ISB’s PGP and one of my long-term goals is to work outside India after my MBA.

For people who are currently at ISB/alumni pls give your inputs

Would appreciate insights from anyone who has actually gone through the process.

Hi everyone, I’m looking for some guidance regarding my profile and chances for ISB PGP.

My academic and professional profile:

- 10th: 8.2 CGPA

- 12th: 60%

- Engineering: 8.5 CGPA

- Work experience: ~3 years

- Experience: Project domain, primarily in Drug Discovery and Engineering Execution

- Currently preparing for the GMAT

- Planning to pursue PMP certification as well

Given my relatively low 12th percentage, I’m trying to understand how much I should compensate through my GMAT score and overall profile.

Questions:

1. What GMAT score should I realistically target to make my profile competitive for ISB? Would 700+, 720+, 740+, etc. make a meaningful difference?

2. Considering my academics and 3 years of work experience, how would you assess my chances for ISB PGP?

3. Does my experience in Drug Discovery/Engineering Execution add differentiation to my profile, and how can I present it effectively?

4. Would a PMP certification meaningfully strengthen my ISB application, or would it be better to focus that time on GMAT preparation and building stronger leadership/impact at work?

5. Are there any specific areas I should work on over the next 6–12 months to improve my chances?

Any honest feedback, especially from current ISB students/alumni or people with a similar academic profile, would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!

Hi everyone, looking for an honest assessment of my profile for ISB PGP. Planning to take the GMAT/GRE but haven’t taken the exam yet.

Academics

Gender: Female
Class 10: 92%
Class 12: 89%
B.Tech in Computer Science & Engineering from a Tier-2 engineering college
CGPA: 8.89/10

Work Experience

1. 3 years of full-time experience in IT/Technology at a large multinational corporation
2. Internship experience at a Big 4 firm
3. Received 3 workplace awards for innovation and outstanding contribution
4. Achieved the highest performance rating in the most recent performance cycle
5. Due for promotion in ~1 month

Leadership / Extracurriculars

1. Worked as a teacher during college as part of a robotics internship, teaching/mentoring multiple students
2. Participated in social entrepreneurship/community-impact initiatives during college

Test Score

GMAT/GRE: Not taken yet

Would appreciate an honest assessment of:

1. How strong is this profile for ISB?
2. What are the biggest strengths/weaknesses?
3. What GMAT/GRE score should I target?
4. What can I improve over the next 6–12 months to maximize my chances?

Title: Realistically, what MBA colleges can I target with a 6/7/7 profile and 2 years of work experience?

Hi everyone,
I’m a General Male candidate with the following profile:
10th: 69%
12th: 79.4%
Graduation (B.Com Hons): 7.35 CGPA

Work Experience:
Total work experience till now is 2 years in Compliance operations Anti money laundering basically Fincrime

I recently spoke to an IIM alumnus who told me that with my academic profile, getting into top IIMs or ISB would be very difficult and that I would likely need 99+ percentile for newer IIMs as well.

So do i hold any chance for ISB???

How much GMAT SCORE do i need to target?

How much does my 2 years of work experience help offset my academics?

Are placements significantly affected by a 6/7/7 profile even after getting into a good MBA college?

Would appreciate honest feedback from current students, alumni.

Thanks!

Hi everyone,
I’m a 26F with the following profile:
Academics:
10th: 86%
12th: 66%
Graduation: Civil Engineering from a Tier-3 college — 8 CGPA
Work Experience:
4+ years of work experience in the infrastructure/construction sector. Currently working as a Billing/Planning Engineer in a Metro Rail project.
I’m planning to pursue an MBA and would really appreciate some honest feedback on my profile.
What B-schools can I realistically target with an 8/6/8 profile and 4+ YOE?
How much can my work experience help compensate for my academic profile?
Do I have a realistic shot at ISB/IIMs or other top B-schools?
How much does the Tier-3 college and relatively low salary affect my chances?
Would my experience in a metro rail/infrastructure project be considered a strong profile point?
Are placements significantly affected by a 6 in 12th even after getting into a good MBA college?
Would really appreciate honest feedback from current students, alumni, or anyone with a similar profile.
Thanks!

Hi,

I am deciding between applying for PGP YL for 2027 intake vs PGP Core next year.

Profile:

- Age/Gender: 22F, India

- Education: UG Economics, Tier 1.5 college, GPA 8.7/10. 10th: 96%, 12th: 86%

- Work Exp: 1.5 years at Big4 in Risk Consulting - Treasury, covering 11 international geographies.

- Pre-grad: 2 years part-time with research institute on development policy. Led creation of inequality index + 40+ articles in national/international media.

- Internships: UN body, US Consulate

- Leadership/ECs: Led student body, drove financial literacy drive that set a world record. Fellowships in development + media.

- Currently part of World Economic Forum’s youth wing and Mercedes-Benz Fellowship - running my own social startup. Along with pro-bono consulting for NGOs.

- Leadership programs at Harvard & Oxford

- Test Scores: Yet to give GMAT/GRE

- Career Goal: Development Finance / Impact Investing

Looking forward to any advice! Thank you!

Hi everyone! Looking for a blunt assessment of my profile for ISB PGP YL. I’ll be applying as a fresher.

Profile (19F):
B.Sc. Economics from a Tier-1 college
CGPA: 9.17/10
Class 10/12: 97.6% / 97.2%
GMAT FE: 695 | 715 superscore
CFA Level I cleared
Consulting internship at a Big 4 + research/marketing internships
Selected for a highly selective womens program at MBB
Won a national-level economics/business competition
A few Leadership roles like headgirl and college extracurriculars

My main questions:

1. Is it worth applying to PGP YL as a fresher with this profile, or would I be significantly better off working for 2–3 years first?
2. Is a GMAT retake worth it? Would moving from 695 to a 715+ single-sitting score meaningfully improve my chances, given that I already have a 715 superscore?
3. Overall, how competitive is this profile for PGP YL?
4. If I do apply, what is the biggest weakness/gap I should work on?

Would especially appreciate perspectives from current ISB students, alumni, or recent applicants. Please be honest — I’m looking for realistic feedback, not reassurance.

Hii y'all !

I'm an engineering grad (Mech TBP) with 10 years of experience in one of India's biggest automotive companies currently working as Senior Manager in Product design & dev. My GRE score is 321 (V=157; Q=164). I already have an admit from Ivey business school, Canada but not sure to take the offer. I have HEC , INSEAD & ESADE in mind .

Do let me know my chances with current situation ? I also might be giving GRE again to cross 325+.

Should I take Ivey offer (Scholarship 60000 CAD) ?

Also do let me know my chances of transitioning to product management or strategy roles.

Thanks in advance ...will be grateful for constructive feedbacks and suggestions.

I am a Company Secretary working in Advisory, with work ex of 4 Years 2 months as on 31st March.

Alongside my professional work, I have been engaged pro-bono with a few NGOs, primarily supporting them with registrations and regulatory compliances, CSR fundraising, and other operational and governance-related matters.

I have also been involved in building a small consulting venture focused on helping MSMEs solve business and operational problems. We were able to onboard our initial clients and generate our first revenues

Academics

Class 10: 79%

Class 12: 83%

B.Tech in Mechanical Engineering from NIT

CGPA: 8.40/10

Work Experience

Total of 5 years of full-time experience in Senior Management Consulting & Business Analytics in Manufacturing & Mining Sector in 2 Indian MNCs.

Received 1 workplace awards for innovation and outstanding contribution.

Leadership / Extracurriculars

Co-founded Student Society for Mechanical Dept & led the Technical division.

Coordinator for Startup Cell.

Publications of 2 Conference & 1 Journal Papers in Robotics.

Participated in NCC & have B certificate

Organized Technical Fest.

Test Score

GMAT: Not taken yet

Would appreciate an honest assessment of:

How is this profile for selection in ISB/IIM-A/B.

In which sections, work for improvement can be done.

What GMAT scores I should target.

Hi everyone, looking for an honest assessment of my profile for ISB PGP R1.

Academics

• Class 10: 10 CGPA
• Class 12: 96%
• B.Tech CSE, IIT Mandi: 8.07 CGPA
• GMAT FE: 655

Work Experience

• ~3 years at Adobe, currently MTS-2
• Won an internal hackathon at Adobe; the framework I built is now part of a new product I've been working on for ~1.5 years.
• Received a Spot Award for taking ownership of a project and improving its error rate, maintainability and developer velocity
• Co-founded a manufacturing-tech startup focused on using deep learning for predictive anomaly detection; cleared the pre-seed funding round before eventually shutting it down
• Also ran an independent software consultancy, working with businesses across industries to automate manual processes and improve operational efficiency

Extracurriculars / Leadership

• Sponsorship Head, EXODIA (IIT Mandi's annual cultural fest): led a 20-member team and increased sponsorship revenue by 106% for the first post-COVID edition
• Secretary, Music Club: managed operations for 1 year and mentored for 2 years
• Smart India Hackathon 2022: 2nd prize; built a decentralized geospatial data-sharing platform for ISRO
• Mentored students and conducted sessions on blockchain, hackathons and related areas

Target: ISB PGP R1

My main concern is the 655 GMAT, particularly as an engineer from IIT.

Would you recommend applying in R1 with this score, or retaking the GMAT and potentially applying in R2?

Thanks!

Hi there,

Please find below my profile
10th 92.8 percent
12 87.4 percent
BTech in NITR EEE 7.87 percent
Gender Female
GRE first attempt 310
2 years work experience as Product Manager and 1 year as Product Lead

I am wondering if R2 sounds like a better option for me as I have not properly trained for my next attempt of GRE

I’m a corporate lawyer having worked at a Tier 1 law firm with 3 years of experience.

Hi everyone, looking for an honest review of my chances of getting an ISB PGP call.
Acads: 7/5/7
GRE: 335
~3 years work experience (2027 intake)
Planning Engineer at Shapoorji Pallonji
Co-founder of a residential real estate venture
Leadership, social work & research experience
My 5 in Class 12 has a genuine reason — the coaching institute I attended was involved in illegal activities/scam during that period, which significantly disrupted my studies. I can explain this properly if required.
How much can the rest of my profile compensate for the 5 in Class 12? Would appreciate an honest assessment of my ISB PGP call chances.

I’m looking to start preparing for GMAT, hoping to take it by November end. I’m aiming for a 705+ and applying in R3. I have taken a diagnostic test and the outcome was not what I expected, definitely found it more challenging than I was expecting.

While I am going to do all the OG material etc. I am looking for a good coaching/guided study plan that can help me with basic quant concepts (I’ve always been weak at Maths) and help me understand how to attempt the quant and DI section.

Also, I have no idea which quant topics to start with or how to structure my study plan.

For someone getting back into studying after YEARS, and for someone who isn’t the strongest in quant, what study plan/ coaching would you recommend?

I have heard very mixed reviews of career launcher and TOP.

Would love to hear any feedback and advice!

I currently work as a consultant with ~5 years work ex.
I have done my bachelors from NIT and was planning for ISB this year.
The issue is that I am getting around 320 in the 4-5 GRE mocks that I’ve given and I want to aim for R1 as I’ve been studying for a few weeks now because I could mange a bit with work but from next month my work is going to get hectic so I might get 0 time to prep.
My aim was to give the test on 18th this month, just wanted a suggestion if I should take the risk and go ahead with 18th because later on I might get out of touch because of work.

Acads
Graduation- 8.8
12th - 91.4%
10th - 10 CGPA