I am a 26 y/o male, with an undergraduate degree from University of Illinois in Ag-Finance (nearly same as finance but takes some classes focused on commodity marketing and farm management); 2.6 GPA.

3 Years FT work experience in a sales position. Was promoted to manager well ahead of pace at 15 months. Set sales records, received honors award for top 5% of national employees. Management position was the *spark* for the ambition to get an MBA, would need more technical skills to go with top-notch people skills and sales techniques.

Extracurriculars: Former professional golfer (never made it); still teach juniors aspiring for college scholarships in free time.

690 GMAT (49Q, 35V).

Target schools are mostly MW locations:
- WashU
- Indiana
- Illinois - Champaign (already an alumni, deep family ties)
- Notre Dame

I realize my GPA is well below most averages. While most posts prompt applicants to supply a "reason" for GPA problems, I am unwilling to resort to excuses. I was not nearly as motivated as I am now, and I believe the GPA is a poor indicator of my true academic abilities. My GMAT score, taken in the last month, is closer to what I see as my true learning capability.

I am currently looking for opportunities to offset my GPA. I have looked into graduate certificate programs as an option. Would this be a good place to prove my abilities, or would an alternate transcript focused on specific areas be a more productive route? I am looking to spend the next year strengthening my application, and shooting for early rounds of next year (Aug 2014 start date).

Thank you in advance for the help!