r/InternationalMBA

hey folks, need some honest advice

i’m mid-20s, male from india, did bsc from top DU college (9/9/9 profile), ~4 years of consulting experience split between a 3 years in big4 consulting firm - client facing role (fast track promotion in 2 years) and 1 year in MBB consulting (backend knowledge role though)

weighing four options and genuinely confused:

1. mba (iim/isb)→ mbb consulting in india - achievable but indian mbb hours and wlb post that scare me

2. switch to front-end consulting internally in india office after 2 years

3. mba abroad (insead/lbs) → mbb in dubai/singapore/amsterdam (some place which gives better pay with least taxes and better wlb)

4. stay put - worried genai may take away what management consultant do

what i actually care about: work life balance, good savings and in hand salary, not being ai-redundant in 5 years, working abroad eventually since quality of life is becoming worse here

specific questions:

• is mba abroad still worth it with genai eating into consulting?

• who’s more at risk from ai, backend knowledge people or client facing generalist consultants?

• post-insead, what level do you join mbb at? - senior associate or consultant

• realistic scholarship chances at insead for a non-iit/non-iim but tier 1 undergrad background?

• anyone self-studied to 760+ on gmat focus? what actually worked?

would love to hear from people who’ve done insead/lbs or are at mbb outside india. real numbers appreciated 🙏

I’ve been applying to M15 MBA programs for the last 2 years with a 695 GMAT.
Profile:
Indian male, 31
6 years of work experience
Marketing background
Mostly applying to M15 schools
This year I retook the GMAT and scored a 715.

I know demographics + age + overrepresented applicant pool make things harder, and I’m trying to realistically assess my chances before going through another application cycle.

For people who successfully reapplied to M15 schools:
Did a score jump like this materially help?

How much do schools value persistence/reapplication?
At this point, should I focus more on essays/story positioning rather than stats?

Any advice specifically for Indian male applicants from non-traditional engineering backgrounds?

Would appreciate honest feedback from current students, admits, or fellow reapplicants.

Looking to connect with fellow Indians exploring MBA programs in Germany. There's surprisingly little community around this compared to US/UK routes.

A few things I'm curious about:

- Which schools are you targeting?

- How are you financing it — loans, scholarships, savings?

- Planning to stay in Europe post-MBA or return to India?

Drop your situation in the comments. Let's help each other out!

Hello , so im 20f , studying in 3 rd year of college (engineering) , i want to get into management through gmat , how do i strat studying , resources , online resources , how should i go about the syllabus , what should be my approach , how many hours .

Profile

• Age: 31 now, will be applying for next year as I'm waiting for Chevening application
• GMAT Focus: 720
• IELTS: overall 7.5
• Nationality: Thai
• GPA: Bachelor's Electrical Engineering 2.68, Master's Data science: 3.7
• Work Experience: ~10 years
  • [7 years] Esports team lead competing all around the world at high level as well as being national representative (1 year as a coach)
  • [6 months] Sales representative, B2B safety heavy lifting products.
  • [2 years] Government Consultant (Founded a company), B2B Guiding company gets benefit through government regulation via tax incentive program/ On-going CSR initiative to help local farmers with knowledge and equipment.
  • [1.5 years] General Manager tech startup experience in both business and tech side.

Goal: Working in MBB/ Big4 as Consulting (Management/Strategy/tech innovation)

Desired Schools: LBS, LSE, Imperial, Oxford, Cambridge

Questions:

1. What school would best fit my profile?

2. How would my master's degree affect my profile?

3. Is there any recommendation to strengthen the profile?

Hi everyone,

Would appreciate some honest advice on my profile and goals.

I’m an Indian dentist with ~4 years of experience across private dental practice and as a medical advisor at a healthcare insurance TPA.

Post-MBA, I’m aiming for healthcare consulting, pharma/healthcare strategy, or general consulting roles — ideally in Europe or the Middle East for a few years before potentially returning to India.

I’ve recently interviewed with IE Business School and ESADE Business School and am trying to understand the realistic outcomes.

A few things I’d love insight on:

•Are IE/ESADE good choices for my goals and background?

•How difficult is it for non-EU internationals to get consulting or healthcare-related jobs after these MBAs?

•Between IE and ESADE, which is stronger for consulting, healthcare/pharma exposure, and international mobility?

•Would the ROI make sense if the goal is to build a career in Europe or the Middle East afterward?

One important point: I don’t currently speak Spanish, but if I decide to attend, I fully plan to learn it seriously.

Not targeting investment banking or ultra-high finance, more interested in strong long-term healthcare/business opportunities internationally.

Would really appreciate perspectives from alumni, recruiters, or anyone familiar with these schools and markets. Thanks!

Hi,

I have been contemplating an MBA from Europe and wanted some advice related to Asset Management prospects for those who have studied from LBS or INSEAD.

Target Role: Macro Research/Multi-Asset Strategy (ex- PIMCO, other macro asset mangers- not targeting hedge funds)

Background: Indian male. 3 years F&O trading in commodities. Have decent knowledge of and exposure to global asset movements. Want to transition to longer term asset management. (Total 4 years experience by joining time). Have also completed CFA.

Q) I understand visa sponsorships are tough to come by but weighing whether the extra ~$50K cost is worth for my target roles since most these are based out of London which INSEAD won't give me access to?

Q) Given that I do have some prior experience for my target roles, do the chances of getting a full time offer increase with or without the summer internship route?

Q) Confused whether betting on networking through INSEAD's 10 month program to get a full time roles without the UK graduate visa option would be prudent?

Any advice would be appreciated. Focus would be on London finance ecosystem.

Need some advice on an MBA decision between other schools in Jan27 or reapply HEC for Sept27

Profile:

• Indian male, 27
• Software Engineer 2 at Nutanix, ~4–5 YOE by matriculation
• GMAT FE: 695 + very strong academic record
• Strong extracurriculars in college/Nutanix around event management, sponsorships, and operations
• Goal: transition into the sports ecosystem post-MBA (operations/strategy/consulting roles initially, entrepreneurial route later)

Dream school is HEC Paris because of the balance of a strong global brand + a mature but relatively less saturated sports/events ecosystem compared to Spain/UK, along with specialized opportunities within HEC to build this profile. Got rejected for the Jan 2027 intake earlier this year.

Current admits (Didn’t apply widely because I was mainly focused on Jan 2027 intake)

• IE Business School (scholarship pending)
• Likely Rotterdam School of Management

Now confused between:

1. Taking IE now, pivoting earlier, and starting my post-MBA career sooner vs
2. Waiting for Sept 2027 and applying to: (for stronger global presence, wider networks)

• HEC
• INSEAD/ESADE/IESE
• IE/RSM/Warwick as safeties
• Maybe Oxford/Cambridge

Honestly, I feel my biggest improvements over the next year would come from sports extracurriculars/volunteering, stronger essays/storytelling, and work leadership rather than improving the GMAT itself.

Would appreciate thoughts on whether holding off the MBA makes strategic sense, or if I should go ahead with the IE MBA for Jan 2027 itself.

Part of my thinking is also based on the assumption that with another year of profile improvement, I’d still have a fairly good shot at getting an IE admit again in the Sept 2027 cycle.

Thanks

Hi guys,

I will be starting my MBA in London this August. I am excited, have taken the leap, but the financial angle is still bugging me a bit. I'd feel much better if I could earn something over the next 2 years alongside my MBA.

I took a small career break to prep for GMAT, and between the applications, exams, consultant fees etc my savings have taken quite a hit.

Right now, I have a lot of free time before the program starts, I can easily dedicate ~6 hours/day to building something. BUT I genuinely don’t know what to work on.

My past exp :

• Product & growth analytics at an Indian fintech
• Demand forecasting / supply chain analytics at a Quick commerce company
• Comfortable with analytics, strategy, decks, stakeholder comms, problem solving, etc.

I am also open to something completely outside of my work exp if its realistic. Ideally something laptop based, so that I can continue during MBA too.

Having a slight existential moment wondering whether I even have skills people would pay for, or if I can start something of my own 😅

Would love honest advice from people who’ve done built side income streams, what are some things that are actually doable, relatively easy to start, pay decently, and can survive a busy MBA schedule?

Thank you!!!!

Hi everyone, I would appreciate feedback on my MBA profile, school selection, and career goals.

Indian, Male, 29

Total Work Experience: 6 years

1. WebMD.com, Senior Product Manager (2+ years, recently promoted from Product Manager):
   I currently manage a product portfolio in Continuing Medical Education (CME) that serves about 1 million healthcare professionals and generates approximately $12M in annual revenue( WebMD operates within KKR’s private equity portfolio; product managers are directly accountable for measurable business outcomes)

My work involves defining product strategy, roadmap prioritisation, and launching new distribution channels and partnerships. Recently, I worked on expanding reach through pharmacy network partnerships (e.g., Walgreens, CVS) and led several cross-functional launches involving clinical, commercial, and technology teams.

2. YouGotaGift.com, Dubai-based Fintech, Associate Product Manager (1 year 9 months)
   I managed an employee incentives and rewards platform built around a closed-loop wallet infrastructure. My role focused on product redesign and regional expansion across the MENA market. I led the revitalisation of the platform in KSA and launched phygital corporate-branded cards (digital + physical) for enterprise clients, integrating fintech rails for rewards and incentives.

3. o9 Solutions, Business/Technology Consultant (1 year 6 months)
   Worked on implementing a Master Supply Planning solution for Estée Lauder, collaborating with global supply-chain stakeholders. My responsibilities included requirements gathering, solution configuration, and coordinating cross-functional teams to deliver planning capabilities for enterprise supply chain teams.

Other Details
Entrepreneurial Experience – Creator Economy Startup (2024)
In 2024, I attempted to launch a startup focused on the creator economy to improve how brands discover and collaborate with influencers. I successfully built and launched the platform, onboarded four local brands, and validated early demand. However, due to co-founder misalignment and financial constraints, we paused the venture. The experience gave me hands-on exposure to early-stage startup challenges.

Education:
Punjab Engineering College (PEC), India
B.Tech (CGPA: 7.6/10)
I realise my GPA may be slightly on the lower side. However, grading at PEC was relatively stringent; the highest GPA in my branch was 9.2, with only one student scoring above 9.
Based on WES conversions reported by other alumni from my school, this CGPA typically translates to approximately 3.3–3.5 on a 4.0 scale.

EC
During college, I served as Chief Secretary of the Astronomy and Space Physics Club, one of the most active technical societies at PEC. The college has a strong aerospace legacy with alumni such as Kalpana Chawla and Satish Dhawan.
In this role, I managed ~70 student members and a ₹2 lakh annual budget, organised technical events and workshops, and led collaborations with institutions such as Indian Institute of Science and the Indian Institutes of Technology.

I was also awarded a Certificate of Achievement and the Achievers Award by the Dean for consistently winning multiple Astronomy and Space Physics competitions over two years and for representing the college at the national level at various institutions.

Even after graduation, I continue to conduct astronomy outreach programs in rural schools to promote interest in science and STEM education. Each year, I lead two 15-day workshops during the summer and winter breaks, where we organise hands-on learning experiences for high school students. These workshops include DIY projects such as building simple radio telescopes, constructing Dobsonian telescopes, and conducting night sky observation sessions to introduce students to practical astronomy.
Through these initiatives, I have directly mentored and inspired around 50 students to pursue STEM-related education paths by sparking their curiosity in space science and physics.

Post MBA Goals
Short term-
Product Management / Product Marketing / Strategy roles in Big Tech or high-growth tech companies (unicorns).

Long term-
Move into strategy-led leadership roles at a leading Tech company, potentially combining product, growth, and platform strategy. My long-term aspiration is to build and scale technology products that operate at global scale.

School List

Dream
Kellogg MBAi
Insead

Target
Ross
Duke
NYU Tech MBA
Cornell Tech MBA

Safety
CMU
Texas
UCLA
Cambridge
Oxford

I have not taken the GMAT yet, but I am currently preparing and targeting a score in the 685–705 range.

I would really appreciate feedback on the following

1. How competitive does my profile look for top global programs and potential scholarships?
2. Does my school list look realistic, or should I rebalance it?
3. Are there other schools strong in tech/product management that I should consider?
4. What’s the reality of tech placements in Europe? should I consider some other European B schools?

Hi everyone,

I’m considering pursuing an MBA, but I’m unsure if it’s the right move given my background. Here’s a quick rundown of my profile:

• Work Experience: 1 year experience in sales and marketing in Real Estate industry (India)
• Education: got enrolled for BBA from a tier 2 city in an Indian College (grades are 7/10) through a full funded scholarship (ICCR Scholarship)
• Age: 25
• Background: Before pursuing for BBA i was doing my CSE in my country in a private uni and completed 1 sem over there
• Target B.Schools: I would apply to top European programs (Bocconi, INSEAD, LBS, etc.)

My main concerns:

• I only have a bachelor’s degree (no master’s). Would this put me at a disadvantage for MBA admissions?
• My GPA is on the lower side, and I didn’t attend a prestigious university. Could this hurt my chances at top programs?

I’m mainly looking at MBA programs to pivot into marketing, brand management or a corporate sales or marketing role, but I’m open to other options.

Would an MBA be a good investment in my case? Should I aim for a top program, or would a strong regional MBA work just as well? Any insights or advice would be greatly appreciated!

Thanks!

I am planning to do MBA abroad. I am seeing two option

A) One year MBA

B) Two year MBA

How are the two different? Do companies treat them differently when hiring?

Hey everyone,

I’m a Canadian admitted to an M7. Wanted to know what are the best options for loans. Do the Big 5 give loans for US MBAs? How do they structure it?

Would also love to hear from fellow Canadians who’ve navigated this and the options!

Thank you