Explaining a backlog and low GPA, Where would I stand in the future?
[#permalink]
04 Jul 2015, 12:06
I'm currently in my second year of Engineering in a typical Engineering college in India. I have a backlog which I will clear eventually before I even write the GMAT and within the next two years, I would probably be able to bring my GPA to 3/4 (7.5/10, in Indian terms)
Here's my reason explaining the backlog.
I SEM - 8.5
II SEM - 7.2
III SEM - 6.0
IV SEM - 6.2 (WITH BACKLOG)
To get a GPA of 8/10, I need to score 9.0 GPA consistently in the remainder of my 4 semesters, which I will strive to do.
Realistically, lets assume I probably end up with 7.5/10 Indian GPA. Understand that, the correction methodology and exam pattern is a dogmatic, and I hope the ad-coms are aware of that, and I really pray that there is a fair way of converting an Indian GPA from Anna University to American GPA.
Psychological difficulty:
"I was subjected to rote learning till grade XII. This became an obsession throughout the years of my college that it eventually led to my depleting grade and me getting a backlog. During the second year, the theory paper on "Microprocessors and Microcontrollers" is probably the biggest theory subject in terms of volume and there were 5 other medium-sized subject that I had to handle. I was too stubborn to correct my study methodology. I learned WORD BY WORD and I had an obsession that made me reproduce WORD TO WORD as given in the prescribed foreign author textbook. In Engineering, this is not a feasible learning methodology for vast syllabus. The right way to do it was "Understand what they teach, take notes, and try to reproduce with relevant diagrams". However, this was not encouraged in high school, and I was very stubborn and really couldn't change the way I did my college learning. The "understanding" and "taking notes" part was perfectly alright. But when I allotted time to study, I would spend a disproportionately high number of hours trying to replicate EXACTLY as it were given in the textbook, I had to keep polishing it until it became perfect and ONLY when I thought it was perfect would I move on to study the next syllabus in the topic. As a result. I NEVER completed learning the syllabus on time because it took hours and hours of polishing to learn something so technical, and it lead to me knowing very little to fill my exam paper. But what I wrote? I wrote to my full satisfaction and it was PERFECT. But I studied very little and reproduce that little only. My parents decided to poke their nose into what was going on with my studies, whether I was in some relationship or was doing drugs or anything, I sat them down and explained to them my psychology while studying and my dad decided to take me to a psychotherapist and get me fixed, this happened in my second year. and after going through therapy and putting effort to remove this obsession, I finally, got out of this stigma and went on to fair really well with grades plummeting upwards in the remaining 4 semesters (2 years) of my Engineering study"
Every single bit of this is and will be TRUE. I have an obsessive compulsive disorder.
Is this even considered a valid explanation to my LOW GPA and the single backlog history?
Lets say, I have a 7.5/10 Indian GPA, with a GMAT score of 750/800 and the typical 3 years of IT field work experience.
In college,
1. Class representative, 2015-2016
2. Requirements gathering and Marketing of an Application built as a project.
3. Rotaract club member, actively contributed to social causes.
I found my interest for Marketing and I have a lot of stories from my childhood and adulthood where Marketing things became another one of my morbid obsession and I can explain that very thoroughly along with my clear career goals and plans for the future.
What business schools will I probably get a shot at? I just want a ballpark figure of the rank in which those schools may fall, because only then my parents will decide based on the ranking whether to spend for the tuition fees for the b-school in US or UK, OR whether to make him do a management course in a reputed Indian B-school. They just want value for their money. and if they are going to spend 95000 USD, then they want the b-school to be atleast a decent one.
I want you to be truthful and realistic. I know the typical IT Indians really bring nothing new to the school, but hey! I can only play with what I have! Suggest me other ways I could make my application unique. Most of the admission consultant reviews are really sweet sometimes that I actually disbelieve what they say :p. Don't give me any hope that is not there! You can tell me which B-Schools I may have a shot at based on the given information, and I'll take my steps from there! Probably even consult you (The admission consultant replying to this post)