sm0k3rz wrote:
Hello everyone this is my first post on the gmatclub forum and i would like to start of by thanking everyone who is contributing to this forum. It has been a great help for me and too countless others. I plan on taking my gmat in june 2010 and currently preparing for it. I have two questions that i would like to ask.
A brief history about me, I am 25 yrs old ( well in 4 months time i will be) from Pakistan, currently managing my family business for the past 2 years. i graduated in 2008 from Royal Holloway, University of london with a 2.2. did BSc (hons) Management with Accounting.
Q1) Ive asked alot of people here and they tell me its not possible to convert my 2.2 grading system into a gpa.
is this true? Uk grading system is different to others around the world. so i have been told. is there are a way to
convert my 2.2 into a gpa? i would like to know what exactly it is.
Q2) I would like to pursue my MBA in the next 1-2 years. So my work experience will at the time of admit would be 3-4 years
hopefully. A month prior to my graduation my dad passed away and being the only son i had to get involved in the
family business with my mom being the CEO of the company. the business is logistics based. When the time will
come to get someone to write recommendations for me, who will i go too? my mother being the CEO will obv write
brilliant things which i dont think will hold any value. I can take up a job in a bank at entry level position but i think i
learn so much more managing my own business. Ive shown leadership qualities and introduced new ideas to our business
which has resulted in improved over all performance. I can get people (family friends) such as MD or country heads of
MNCs or banks to write recommendations for me but how will that be perceived by the university admission officers?
Sorry for making my first post this long but ill be extremely grateful to hear from people who can give me some advice on my current situation. I just dont see the idea of joining a bank or related businesses at entry level positions just so i can get good recommendations.
Thanks alot in advance.
Hi sm0,
A precise conversion from a UK to US GPA is difficult, since incredible as it sounds, there is no one single established method of conversion. Different universities use different scales. That being said, your UK GPA of 2.2 translates to around 3.4 to 3.7 for a US GPA. If you graduated with Honors, an AdCom will take that into consideration as well and possibly peg it at the higher end. To make it relevant to your application, your GPA is within the range of applicant profiles at business schools, and you can rest easy on that front
If you are doing well in your family business, I agree that there is no reason for you to take up an entry-level job in a bank just for recommendation letters. Recommendations can come from anyone not related to you, which in your case could mean business partners, coworkers or clients. We always urge our clients to demonstrate impact, preferably quantifiable, and it sounds like you are having that kind of impact on your business. Although letters are important to your application, essays, and the experiences detailed therein, are much more so. Hence, I would recommend that you stay in your business and continue bringing changes and developing soft skills that will be helpful to describe in your MBA applications. Your recommendations can come from anyone, excluding your mother, who you have worked with during this period and has been privy to the benefits you have been bringing to the business.
We have successfully worked with many applicants to get their inspirational stories down on paper, and helped them choose and describe those experiences that are tailored to the attributes a program is looking for. Email us at
mbaconsult@mymbaadmit.com when you are ready to start applying, or check out our affordable
Volume Discounts and Application Packages.