Dear Experts..

I would request for a profile-review as I'm planning to start my application process. Here is my background:

- Undergrad CGPA 3.03 [BBA with Dual Major - Marketing and International Business from country's leading business school]
- IELTS 7.5
- GMAT 700
- Work experience [after graduation]: 7 months of entrepreneurship [as freelance web developer], then full-time Banking job for 1.5 years [as Management Trainee]. The freelancing biz is still on, but 'sidelined'.
- Volunteer activities: Throughout college and university life and still continuing.
- Awards: Couple of Essay Contest awards in National level.

What I've found out so far from top universities' class-profiles is that more qualified candidates are there, particularly when it comes to work experience criterion Sad . Also, I'm confused if Biz Schools will consider my freelancing experiences as 'full-time work experiences'. Anyway, most important thing for me while choosing among the business schools is the probability to get financial aid/scholarships. I am therefore not sure if I should be looking to get into top 100-200 US/Global schools at all. Could you please suggest which universities should I apply to where I'll have much better chances of getting financial aid?

Or should I rather be looking for Masters programs [in International Business]? Am I qualified enough to get scholarships into the masters programs? In which schools?

I'm really confused what should be a realistic expectation... Nevertheless thanks in advance for your time!

I get the feeling that you understand that there's a trade-off between financial aid and standing. A third-tier, but well funded school will have great scholarships for students over 700. Top-tier schools don't need to discount to attract those students.

The problem is that the better financial outcomes from top tier schools are so much better. It would be a bad investment to attend a weaker school rather than a better one just because of financial aid.

By the time you'd arrive in a b-school, you'd have the three years' experience that most schools will look for as a minimum.

US schools generally have younger students. I'd look at these schools:
Michigan State University (Broad) (MI)
University of Minnesota--Twin Cities (Carlson) (MN)
University of Texas--Dallas (TX)
University of Iowa (Tippie) (IA)
University of Arkansas--Fayetteville (Walton) (AR)
Wake Forest University (Babcock) (NC)
Carnegie Mellon University (Tepper) (PA)
Brigham Young University (Marriott) (UT)
Southern Methodist University (Cox) (TX)
University of Maryland--College Park (Smith) (MD)

I think you'd be a fairly straight forward admit at most of those schools (Tepper and Broad will be a stretch).

Focus on the MBA rather than a masters in management.

Thanks a million! I'll look into your suggested schools! Couple more questions:

1. Any suggestion on how can I arrange for financing? At most I can spend around $10K initially. What should be the approach really?

2. Should I apply only when I'm sure that my chances of being accepted is high? How many schools should I apply?

Well, that makes it really hard. Lots of schools have some financial aid, but it rarely covers most of the tuition fees, let alone the living costs. To get a full scholarship you'll need a rich university with less international diversity and low admissions standards (i.e. they have what you don't have [money] in exchange for what they don't have [diversity and a high GMAT]. But the issue is that those are hard to find. They won't be top-tier schools, and it will be very labour intensive to capture their interest.

For example, here are some expensive schools with low average GMAT scores, few international students and low selectivity:
Long Island University--C.W. Post Campus (NY)
Iona College (Hagan) (NY)
Xavier University (Williams) (OH)
Belmont University (Massey) (TN)
Bryant University (RI)
Monmouth University (NJ)

PS a few more in the same vein, but some of these schools do get many international students:
Duquesne University (Donahue) (PA)
Seton Hall University (Stillman) (NJ)
Shenandoah University (Byrd) (VA)
Sacred Heart University (Welch) (CT)
Union Graduate College (NY)
Suffolk University (Sawyer) (MA)
Canisius College (Wehle) (NY)
St. John Fisher College (Bittner) (NY)

Hi, I also have 1.5 years of work experience and was just interested in hearing if you were able to secure admits based on your experience. Thanks!