MyGPASucks wrote:
Stats-
Gmat: 750 Q49 V42
GPA: 2.65 (see username)
Major: Dual major computer science and cognitive science
College: non HYP ivy
WE: 2 years technology consulting at a well known company
Alternative transcript: Took extension classes from UCLA and aced them all.
Reason for bad GPA: I'm not sure if this qualifies as a good excuse, but I was an athlete in college. We never really had an "off" season and practiced 20+ hours per week 6 out of 9 months of the academic year. Me being young and naive, I thought I could manage not just an engineering major but also a liberal arts major in addition to D1 athletics. I was never able to successfully ping pong ball from morning practice to hard computer science classes, back to afternoon practice and then home to study. Any advice on how to spin this?
ECs: I volunteer at an organization that teaches computer programming to underrepresented high school kids, and we aim to foster enthusiasm about software development.
Goal of MBA: not really fleshed out at all because I'm probably a good 2-3 years from applying anywhere, but I'd like to use an MBA to become a technology manager, leveraging my existing knowledge of computer technology to do so.
So what is my ceiling here? Do I have any chance at Ross or Fuqua? Also I'm a white male.
Dear
MyGPASucks,
I'm happy to respond.
I'm a GMAT Expert, not an Admission Consultant, so I can't give detailed advice or comment about your chances at individual schools. I will contribute my two cents. I would recommend contacting an Admission Consultant for those more detailed questions.
B-school is trying to answer a few questions about each candidate. One question is intellectual ability: does this applicant have the raw brain processing power to handle what we want them to do? Basically, a GMAT of 750 is a loud "YES" to this question. Clearly, you have the brains to handle business school. In your interview/essay, it wouldn't hurt to spin the "I've grown up so much" line---you thought you could handle sports + double-major when you were younger---you were more ambitious than realistic. Some B-schools might like to see the ambition. Reaching and not quite succeeding is considerably more impressive than playing it safe.
Here's what I would suggest. Between now and the time that you apply, become a business news junkie. Especially in the particular work fields that most interest you, learn as much as you possibly can know. Read a book or two about economics of the particular fields in which you want to work. If you can walk into your interview citing facts and statistics and models and current trends in the market, you will stand out from the legions of others who simply say, "
well, I jumped through the hoops and now I want to make a truckload of money." Do everything you can to develop business-sense intelligence, because ultimately that's worth much more than book intelligence to the folks at business school.
Finally, remember that
vision and passion trump everything. If you believe in your vision so deeply, so passionately, that you can get other people excited when you talk about it, then that is worth its weight in gold. Of course, you can't fake that: that has to come directly from the heart. Live from your passion and your deep sense of purpose, and doors will open for you.
Does all make sense?
Mike
close
01 Apr 2016, 13:15
and let us know how it goes 
