abhi758 wrote:
Bakfed, thats a nice piece of advice. Wanted to ask you a question though, do you think spending time improving your GMAT score (as you've done) is a better option than taking a course and scoring A's in that. I mean afterall you spend your time studying for both. And an advantage in case of GMAT is I only need to better understand the content and keep practicing to increase my chances for getting a high score.
Now suppose after doing all this one does get a good score after a retake, do you think the Adcom would still ask for the other attributes of leadership and better transcripts to beat the low GPA?
Look forward to your reply.
-Abhi
I don't think there's going to be any specific calculations to how much weight GMAT carries and how much weight several additional business-oriented courses carry. A higher GMAT is always a good thing, but if one is trying to get a 730 froma 710, I'd say the difference is nominal, if any. Having said that, I personally believe that the GMAT will carry a bit more weight since it's the only thing that puts you on a standardized scale as everyone else. No matter what, AdComs will want to see leadership ability, no doubt about that. Whether a super high GMAT can offset a low GPA, that's really going to be anyone else's guess. If you got a super high GMAT and don't have the time to take a few classes, you should definitely address the low GPA in the optional essay.
Just wanted to throw this thought in - there's no guarantee that you WILL get in even if you have a high GMAT and took several courses online to offset a lower GPA, but it helps to a certain extent.