Intern
Joined: 20 Jun 2016
Status:Applying
Posts: 7
Location: Saudi Arabia
Concentration: General Management, Entrepreneurship
GPA: 3.33
WE:Business Development (Real Estate)
Undergrad issue to alternative transcript
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20 Jun 2016, 22:09
Hi,
Have been a long time lurker. Love the community as I have learned a lot in terms of GMAT and MBA applications. I needed important guidance on the following :
I am a 31 yr old Indian male Engineer working in Middle East in the construction/real estate industry. My work experience ,though not from the usual top tech,banking or consultancies, is unique and non traditional with lots of leadership experiences.
I am planning to apply to top schools (some re-apply) this fall. I got rejected by few top schools (5-15 ranked) in Round 3 of last application cycle which I am thinking might be because its Round 3 and my applications were not fully up to the mark.
However I feel that my undergrad is an issue.
In 2003 ,I started my Computer Engineering in a not so well known Canadian University(very North of Canada) but one with a well recognized Engineering program in Canada. I got 'A' in both Calculus I and II during my first year. During my second year I started having problem of Cystic Fibrosis (Heavy unexpected nose bleeds and random severe headaches). I couldn't cope up and got 2 'Fs' along with 2 'Ds' out of 5 courses. University did not have any option to redo the courses and only option was to repeat the whole semester next year.Disappointed and not to waste my time, I immediately did some electives the next semester such as Micro and Macro Economics and they also were bad (2 'Ds'). My head was not in the right place.
So during the following Summer Semester I went to the Middle East and worked as a Full Time Engineer Trainee in a Middle East Fortune Top 5 Company(I also worked there for 5 years post Engineering). In the same summer I saw a specialist in regards to my condition and was advised medication only as I was young for a surgery.
I came back to Canada to repeat my semester in 2004-05. Did alright.Did the next semester also alright even though I again had severe problems during the winter(had to defer 2 of my final exams) but somehow I managed to finish my second year with a gradual improvement in GPA. My following summer semester was a Fulltime Engineering internship in a local Canadian Company(was the only International student out of many in my batch to get one) which I got thanks to my previous summer's Middle East working experience.
I started my 3rd year semester positively in the fall but again towards semester end(end of 2005) in the winter my condition got bad and I got 2 'Fs' and a 'D' resulting in CGPA of 2.2. I had to again repeat the whole semester next year. I saw that me being there was not working and I was not well nor mature enough to handle myself in that environment.
So after consultation with the Doctor I decided to move to a warmer climate. I applied for transfer of my credits and in 2006 Summer I got accepted in a not well known but rigorous UAE Engineering University. Only my 'C' above credits were transferred. In order to not waste any time , I immediately started there in the Fall of 2006.
There I put my mind to single point objective to improve my GPA ,worked hard and took extra course loads without any semester off and finished Engineering by end of 2008 with a GPA of 3.33 . In the meantime I gradually got better with treatment from a ENT specialist. My nosebleeds have almost stopped since then and I also had a minor nose polyp surgery done.
I had explained all of this in my previous applications' optional essay in the most concise manner possible.
TL;DR I got some 'Fs' and 'Ds' from a not so well known Canadian University mostly because of sickness and by start of 3rd year Engineering my GPA was 2.2. Upon Doctor's advice transferred to a University in a warmer climate.Got accepted in a not so well known UAE University with only 'C' above grade transfer. There I worked hard to finish Engineering with 3.33 GPA.
My GMAT(first take) is 750 Q49V44 IR 7 AWA5.0
My TOEFL is 111(without any studying,took it 5 months after GMAT).
I need advice on :
What should I do to improve my application and help cover my Undergrad performance?
Do the admission officers look at student sickness problems during undergrad as genuine? Should I supply medical records ?If so ,how do I attach them in the application?
Or do I just say that I got sick but I was not mature enough to handle my condition and let my grades fall (though this was not the complete case as my condition did substantially affect me) .
Also, to further show I am serious about the application and that my Undergrad does not reflect on my true potential , I plan to make an alternative transcript.
I got C in 'intro to business' and 'Probability and Statistics' and D in 'Micro Economics' and 'Macro Economics'.
I plan to do the following from UCLA Extension or UC Berkley Extension(which one is better between the two?):
1.Finance
2. Accounting
3.Micro/Macro Economics
4.Statistics
Are these 4 the right courses and are they sufficient enough to cover the grades that I mentioned above?
Also ,does doing such an alternative transcript give away desperation and signal that my Undergrad is very bad.
If I do the alternative transcript and secure A in the courses, do my chances improve or has my mentioned undergrad performance from the not so well known universities cemented my application chances in the minds of admission officers.
Thank You for reading and appreciate your time .
Very much welcome advice and suggestions, especially quick ones since time is running short in my case(apply in R1 and have to complete extension courses before it).