International MBA: Making it a level playing field for Indian MBA applicants

Dec. 3, 2010 - PRLog -- When Sameer Kamat (Cambridge MBA graduate and the founder of MBA Crystal Ball) was working on his MBA application, he struggled a lot in terms of getting access to the right data, the right process and the right approach. Everyone in the media was hyping up the MBA without talking about the other side of the story. So it was difficult to build a complete picture of what he was getting into. The few good MBA admissions consultants that he was aware of were all located outside India and their sky high fees made it impractical to even consider hiring them. So he went about the process the hard way, like most Indian MBA candidates still do.

He thought it was unfair that Indian MBA applicants, despite the potential, were not able to approach the extremely competitive international MBA admissions in the right manner, while others who were earning in Dollars, Pounds and Euros could engage international MBA admissions consulting firms and strengthen their application further.

That prompted Sameer to launch his initiative, MBA Crystal Ball, to make it a level playing field as far as possible for the applicants his team works with. He says, "Most of the candidates who come to MCB have excellent credentials, many are from IIT and most have some fantastic corporate experience to talk about. But they also have big question marks on the approach as they just don't know how and what to present in their applications. Our undergrad education doesn't train us to address the introspective (at times, almost philosophical) topics that business schools ask for."

Sameer's partner MG pitches in, "For many candidates, the content is all there. It's a matter of making them aware of it, structuring their thoughts and helping them present it in the best possible manner." MG has worked with McKinsey & Co and has strong academic credentials (IIT topper, ISB Dean's list). It's not too difficult to believe MG when he says that as he's already helped several candidates (including re-applicants) get into one of the toughest schools in the world, the Indian School of Business (ISB).

Speaking of adopting a structured approach, the most popular product from the MCB shelves is the multi-school profile fitment simulator (more popularly known as the 'MCB report'). The cost of applying to each business school can be substantial. The MCB report simulates the candidate's application to close to 100 schools based on the strengths and weaknesses inherent in the profile. The candidate can then choose a mix of schools from the list to spread out the risk and maximise the chances of success. The image explains how it works.

The innovative MCB report might be the only 'Indian' product to have made a splash in the international MBA admissions field. It is being re-sold by MCB's partners in other countries (including the US and Russia) and other international consultants have expressed an interest in working together. MCB's unique business model allows it to explore collaboration options with other players in the field (GMAT test preparation companies, other admissions consultants) without stepping on each other's toes.

The vision for MBA Crystal Ball is to create an ecosystem of services that will help many more deserving Indians get access to the opportunities that currently seem out of reach. Sameer says, "Indians have spent a very long time in technical roles within India and outside. It's time for us to start moving up the value chain - in business roles and in the board rooms. Deeper down, I also hope some of them will come back to India, if not immediately after graduation, then after a few years. It'll be good if they can divert some of the efforts to stimulate our own economy."

For more information about MBA Crystal Ball, visit http://www.mbacrystalball.com or send an email to: info [at ] mbacrystalball [dot] com.

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MBA Crystal Ball, an MBA admissions consulting team, provides business school application help to Indian candidates aiming for the top MBA programs. Their services include MBA profile evaluation (a.k.a. the MCB report), MBA essay editing, rejection analysis and interview preparation.