MBA LiveWire

Background
Canadian citizen

Indian Origin male, moved to Canada on my own after high school.

29 years old, first gen

College Diploma in Electrical Engineering (3.6 gpa)

BSc in Computer Science from Toronto Metropolitan University (3.72 gpa)

GMAT Focus: 695 (Q90, V84, DI79)

Work Experience
I've spent my entire career at FAANG company - Industrial Automation/Robotics, where I've been for over 6 years. I completed my undergrad while working full time, my company sponsored me for my undergrad and meanwhile also got three promotions.

Career progression:

1. Application Engineer (2 years) Started my career providing technical support and engineering solutions for customers. Worked directly with end users, and sales teams to help design and implement automation solutions, troubleshoot issues, and support projects from concept through deployment.

2. Business Development Manager (2+ years)
Moved into a commercial role focused on growing adoption of emerging technologies. Worked with customers across Canada to identify business opportunities, build relationships, develop go-to-market strategies, and help customers understand the business value of new solutions.

3. Customer Success Enablement (Current Role)
Currently in a national role responsible for driving adoption and success of strategic technologies across Canada. I work with customers, partners, sales teams, and executives to develop enablement programs, support major opportunities, and influence strategy around technology adoption and digital transformation.

Leadership & Community Involvement
Co-chair of my company's 2SLGBTQIA+ employee resource group in Canada. Formed this committee. Host quarterly events to spread awareness and promote inclusion.

Active member of the sustainability committee. Volunteer activities include tree planting, park cleanups, habitat-building projects, and STEM outreach.

Why MBA?
Short-term goal: transition into management consulting, ideally focusing on technology, industrials, digital transformation, especially around embedding Physical AI in manufacturing / robotics.

Long-term goal: become a senior business leader helping organizations navigate large-scale technology and business transformation.

Schools
Targeting:

Harvard Business School

Stanford GSB

Wharton

MIT Sloan

Kellogg

Questions
What would you estimate my chances are at each school?

Should Ieven bother to apply at each of HSW? I was told by someone that although I am Canadian, but because of Indian origins, my chances at HSW are slim since Indians are most overrepresented.

What do you see as the biggest strengths and weaknesses in my profile?

How can i stand out? I am still not sure about my goals, i am okay with both tech or consulting or general management but in tech company.

Which schools do you think fit my background the best? including schools other than m7

1. Diversity: I am an Indian Male.
2. Acads: I have a BTech-Mtech dual degree from an IIT (got admit here with like 99.9 percentile in 1M+ students).
BTech GPA is 7.3/10, which is improved to 9/10 in MTech. I am using optional essays to explain the lower acads in BTech. My MTech GPA and then GMAT Focus 745(Q90, V88) shows an upward trajectory, which should be helpful.
3. Work: I have 5 years of software development experience in a big european tech company.
4. Leadership: I don't have a formal title for leadership in work. But a lot of leadership without authority and my letters of recommendations from current and previous supervisors can vouch for that.
5. Why MBA: Trying to build something on my own exposed gaps which MBA would help me fix. I have a strong thread going on with my childhood, college, extra curricular and with what I tried to built. Post-MBA goal of Product Management role in tech would build on top of my skills I gain at MBA to help me move in the direction of tech leadership which is my long term goal.
6. Inclination: Schools which have good tech recruitment for PM role, help build leadership skills for my long term goals, have good alumni network in tech and PM roles, and lastly a collaborative community that I would prefer. I would prefer to get scholarships because of tight finances.
7. Definitely applying in R1: Kellogg, Haas, Ross, Tuck, Fuqua, MIT Sloan
8. Not sure about: Harvard (Not sure about fit), Stanford (low selection chances + 0 scholarships hopes), London Business School (keeping because of visa situation), Cornell (Tech is good but will it help for my long term goal), McCombs (Not T15 ), UCLA (Not T15)

Please help me choose right schools and strategy for fit + scholarships based on my inclinations mentioned in point 6 above.

I want to apply for a Part Time MBA because work is giving Tuition Assistance next year. Already have a decent salary with a consulting position.

Since I'm not leaving the Philadelphia area, I'm generally only considering part time programs in the area.

How does my profile look for Full time and Part Time however?

CPA, masters degree (3.5 gpa), 1.5 years of local non profit board experience, 615 gmat focus. Promoted to senior associate after 2 years at big 4.

Looking for an honest assessment of whether M7 schools are realistic for me, or if I should focus more on T10/T15 given my GPA.

I'm a South Asian applicant who graduated from the top business school in my country with a 3.44 GPA. My GPA was dragged down by some weaker semesters early on, but I was above 3.6 throughout my last two years and showed a pretty strong upward trend academically. A lot of the early struggles were related to ADHD, which wasn't diagnosed until later during university.

I also have a 334 GRE (169Q, 165V).

Career wise, I spent 2 years at a research agency where I was fast-tracked to a leadership role, and the last 4 years at a Fortune 500 FMCG in consumer insights. My current company relocated me from my home country to their Tokyo office, where I've been working for the past 2 years, so I do have international experience and exposure to global stakeholders.

Outside of work, I volunteer as a freelance consultant for an NGO back home, helping them secure international grants and design vocational tech courses.

My post MBA goal is to pivot into strategy consulting in the US.

One thing I'm unsure about: I was diagnosed with ADHD during university and have been on medication since. Is this something worth mentioning in the optional essay to explain the GPA, or would it be better not to bring it up at all?

Would appreciate any thoughts on:

Whether M7 is a realistic target

How much my GPA hurts relative to the GRE

Whether the international transfer to Japan adds meaningful value

Whether mentioning ADHD is advisable