2.99 CGPA from Ivy League Engineering. Advice for B-School in 2-3 year

Question

I graduated from an ivy league school with a degree in engineering with final cumulative GPA 2.99. It was because of one bad semester where I had < 2.0 due to personal reasons. After that, every semester has been above a 3.0. I am starting in technology consulting at a small company in NYC that is up and coming. Do I have any chance at top 10 B-Schools? I was thinking taking multiple post-grad courses at a public school nearby in NYC as well as taking both GRE and GMAT and studying very hard for those. I am good at standardized tests. Is this the right approach to strengthening my application for B-school or is the combined GRE and GMAT overkill? Do I even have a shot at programs that are similar in prestige to my undergrad degree? Thank you in advance!

atcooke · Answer

I don't think taking both the GRE and GMAT would buy you anything on an application. Just pick one and crush it. As far as the GPA goes, yes the number may be a tad low but you graduated with a degree from a good school with a difficult major, which is no small feat and adcoms know this. You have several years to build up a rap sheet of work & extracurricular accomplishments and if you are still worried about your academics you can always enroll in a graduate degree program between now and when you apply.

Of course you have a shot, just focus your efforts on one of either the GMAT or GRE and making an impact on your workplace/community and you will be fine

Of course you have a shot, just focus your efforts on  one  of either the GMAT or GRE and making an impact on your workplace/community and you will be fine

stevkang8 · Answer

Hi there,

Personally I am just starting to apply for B-schools this summer, so I do not have the experience. However, I think I can share with you what I have learned from some of my research.

1. GMAT matters:
Let's face it, if it didn't, we would not have this forum to discuss this issue on. Try to get a 720+ on your GMAT, and it will significantly help you overcome the low GPA you had back in school. Every school or even program has their way of measuring the students' academic achievement, which we all know is not the most accurate science out there. GMAT is a fair playing ground for you to demonstrate what you are really capable of. Especially after a few years of working like you mentioned, you're experience and your GMAT are way more important than your undergrad grades. Don't get me wrong, it is awesome for some people coming out of school with 4.0 average, but you consistently (except for one term) have above 3.0 from and Ivy league school, I don't think it is something you have to lose sleep over for.

2. Optional essays:
Most top-tier (top 15) schools have an optional essay for the admission officers to understand you a bit more. Utilize that opportunity to explain your experience back in school, and how you tried to mitigate it afterwards to make them realize you are not a quitter and you just screwed up that one semester.

3. Work and reference:
This is probably the second most, if not the most, important part of the whole application package you will present to your dream schools. Make sure you outline some great achievements you have during your work, and this will help you gain an edge over some other people with great undergrad marks but crappy work experience. Each school, with the exception of HBS, typically asks for two professional references. Try your best to establish a good work relationship with your manager and co-workers so you get good references.

4. Extra-curricular activities:
This one is up for debate, but I would say join some organization for a good cause and actively spend time there. This, in my most humble opinion, will be the tie breakers when you have a bunch of smart applicants with 700+ GMAT scores in front of you.

To summarize, I think you still have a fair chance. I am not saying you're guaranteed a spot at Columbia or MIT, but you should definitely try to gear your education future towards that.

Those are just what I have learned from researching and discussion with people who have gone through the application process, maybe it was all garbage, but maybe some of the things I pointed out will turn out being helpful. Good luck buddy!

stevkang8

jz4analytics · Answer

I think all adcoms have different criteria. Some may sympathize with your major and undergrad institution while others will not; some pay place a high significance on GPA, but not all. It's difficult to really guess who will like you... some people "fit" better at different schools. You may have better odds at a higher ranked school based on fit. Columbia, Cornell, Kellogg, UVA Darden, and Michigan Ross are schools that seem to be more flexible on GPA whereas Harvard, MIT, Wharton, Yale, etc... probably weigh it more heavily. One person may look at your profile and think a 2.99 Ivy means "Did well in high school, got lazy/disorganized when independent." Or maybe they understand engineering = harsh grading. Either way you should demonstrate that you're motivated NOW through high GMAT scores, good work experience, extracurriculars, and so on.

Focus on the GMAT only. BSchools prefer it if you score high and you'll be spreading yourself thin by studying for two exams. They're different... the GMAT has different types of questions (and is a little bit harder).

Focus on the GMAT only. BSchools prefer it if you score high and you'll be spreading yourself thin by studying for two exams. They're different... the GMAT has different types of questions (and is a little bit harder).

dtse86 · Answer

I guess I'll chime in here since I can definitely relate. Aside from the excellent advice already posted on here, I'd like to say that time, patience, and persistence may also help you counteract a lower GPA. To some extent, the undergrad GPA becomes "less relevant" the further it is in the past. For me, it was ~6 years since I had graduated when I applied to schools. Because my poor GPA was so many years ago, I believe some of the adcoms thought that it was not truly reflective of my current abilities and character. I had enough time and accomplishments since that time to counteract the damage my low undergrad GPA had done. Also, I believe that adcoms appreciate persistence in the form of reapplications. If you were rejected one year and re-applied after improving your application, then I think the adcom would appreciate and recognize your persistence. If you're deadset on certain schools, then I'd suggest making a list, researching, and applying whenever you think you are ready. Lay out a plan and a timeline, but also remember that an MBA may not be the end all be all for you. In a few years, you may find an alternate path or degree that will get you on course for your "dream career". :gl

!

2.99 CGPA from Ivy League Engineering. Advice for B-School in 2-3 year

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