Hi there,

I was hoping you might be able to give me some advice please?

I applied to Oxford in Round 2 for this year and today received an email stating that i had been unsuccessful in securing an interview. I wasn't surprised as i completely flunked my GMAT Quant section (did quite well in the Verbal though) and ended up with a score of 480. However, i decided to submit my application despite this in the hope that the strength of the rest of my application would perhaps enable me to get to interview stage.

I have a 3.9 GPA and 7 years work experience. I founded and managed an international NGO and worked there for 5.5 years. I have considerable volunteer and extracurricular experience and am currently working in PR and communications consulting. I am also in the final stages of launching an internet start up with a social focus. I am very keen to attend Oxford under the Skoll Scholarship as i have a strong interest in social entrepreneurship. I am also currently completing a Graduate Certificate in Business Administration at an Australian university and am halfway through, however i do not wish to complete the MBA there as it is not of that standard i want. I plan to apply again to Oxford in Round 1 for the school year starting 2014, and have engaged a tutor to assist me with bringing up my GMAT score significantly.

My main query at this point is whether i should continue on to complete the Graduate Certificate in Business Administration here in Australia, or whether i should exit halfway through and concentrate on bringing my GMAT score up, and launching my business. I am concerned that i might look bad if i exit the course without completing it. However, i am also concerned that it may go against me to have completed what is essentially one third of an MBA.

Any advice you may be able to provide would be hugely appreciated.

Thank you

Thanks for your reply.

I can exit the course after i finish the unit, and i would actually like to exit as i don't want to double up on units when i do finally get to Oxford!

However, i am just concerned it will look bad on my academic transcripts to have not completed the course.

I work part time at the moment as i have 2 young children, and am launching my business in my spare time as well as trying to study. I would really love to exit the course and just concentrate on the GMAT and the business, but i am really concerned that it may look bad!

Thanks