Events & Promotions
|
|
GMAT Club Daily Prep
Thank you for using the timer - this advanced tool can estimate your performance and suggest more practice questions. We have subscribed you to Daily Prep Questions via email.
Customized
for You
Track
Your Progress
Practice
Pays
Not interested in getting valuable practice questions and articles delivered to your email? No problem, unsubscribe here.
Nov 2007:30 AM PST
-08:30 AM PST
Learn what truly sets the UC Riverside MBA apart and how it helps in your professional growth
Nov 2010:00 AM EST
-10:30 AM EST
If you’re applying to Columbia, NYU Stern, or Yale SOM, you need more than strong stats. Each school defines “leadership” differently, and your essays must reflect that. Join Sia Admissions founder, Susan Berishaj on November 20th
Nov 1201:00 PM EST
-11:59 PM EST
Get expert MBA strategy, instant essay feedback, and personalized advice on your entire application. Join My Admit Coach, the AI-powered MBA admissions platform built on 10K+ successful application docs for HBS, Stanford GSB, MIT and other top programs.
Nov 1909:00 AM PST
-10:00 AM PST
What’s in it for you- Live Profile Evaluation Chat Session with Jenifer Turtschnow, CEO ARINGO. Come with your details prepared and ARINGO will share insights! Pre-MBA Role/Industry, YOE, Exam Score, C/GPA, ECs Post-MBA Role/ Industry & School List.- Nov 19
10:00 AM EST
-01:00 PM EST
Get expert MBA strategy, instant essay feedback, and personalized advice on your entire application. Join My Admit Coach, the AI-powered MBA admissions platform built on 10K+ successful application docs for HBS, Stanford GSB, MIT and other top programs. 
Nov 1911:00 AM EST
-12:00 PM EST
Looking to secure a coveted spot at a top business school? Our team of seasoned MBA admissions consultants, including top B schools alumni and industry leaders, is here to help turn your dreams into reality. Let’s kick-start your journey to success!- Nov 19
11:00 AM PST
-12:00 PM PST
Round 2 is here — and it’s your chance to make your MBA dream happen! Join GMAT Club’s LIVE discussion with two top experts from The Red Pen, Gunjan Jhunjhunwala and Natasha Mankikar, as we break down everything you need to know 
Nov 2009:00 PM IST
-10:00 PM IST
Join our free expert-led Essay Workshops to discover how to choose impactful stories, highlight your core values, and align your background with each school’s distinct culture, making every word truly count.
Nov 2108:30 AM EST
-09:15 AM EST
Get the inside scoop on what makes Emory’s Goizueta Business School great, learn how you can present a strong MBA application, and connect with an Admissions Director to get your questions answered.
Nov 2112:00 PM EST
-12:30 PM EST
Join Assistant Dean for Admissions Laurel Grodman for a live walkthrough of the 2025–2026 MBA application. Laurel will provide insights into what the Admissions Committee looks for and offer tips on key components of the application.
Nov 2109:30 PM IST
-10:30 PM IST
Learn how to craft powerful, authentic essays by mastering the 3 “WHYs” every top MBA program looks for: Why MBA, Why Now, and Why This School.
Nov 2408:00 PM PST
-09:00 PM PST
Inquire for a free profile evaluation and guarantee statement for possible admits and scholarships!
24 Mar 2014, 20:04
Kudos
Bookmarks
Hi Team,
What are my chances with:
750 GMAT
2.51 GPA (BS. Industrial Engineering, Georgia Tech)
2yrs work experience as BA at McKinsey
Confident in my essays and recommendations
US Citizen - white male
Intern experience in UK, China and UAE
Leadership experience / involved in extracurriculars during undergrad
Looking at:
HBS
Stanford
MIT Sloan
London Business School
Booth
Undergrad GPA is extremely low. There was an upwards trend through out the 4 years (went from 1.6 to 3.7), and was initially low as I working part-time while attending classes
What can I best do to offset my low GPA allowing the reviewers to focus on what matters: story/work experience?
What are my chances with:
750 GMAT
2.51 GPA (BS. Industrial Engineering, Georgia Tech)
2yrs work experience as BA at McKinsey
Confident in my essays and recommendations
US Citizen - white male
Intern experience in UK, China and UAE
Leadership experience / involved in extracurriculars during undergrad
Looking at:
HBS
Stanford
MIT Sloan
London Business School
Booth
Undergrad GPA is extremely low. There was an upwards trend through out the 4 years (went from 1.6 to 3.7), and was initially low as I working part-time while attending classes
What can I best do to offset my low GPA allowing the reviewers to focus on what matters: story/work experience?
04 Apr 2014, 07:25
Kudos
Bookmarks
There are several things you can do to try to mitigate the low GPA. The fact is upward trending is indeed helpful.
- Take a reputable course or two and earn A grade—the work experience shows you can excel at work, and the high GMAT shows you are smart and have academic potential, but only actual good grades demonstrate that you do and can excel in the classroom – all different things, even if inter-related. “Reputable” can be a good online course such as those at UCLA or a local community college. This step also shows willingness to acknowledge a weakness and commitment to the MBA process. It’s good timing as you should be able to sign up for summer courses still.
- In the applications directly acknowledge the low GPA and discuss why it happened in an optional essay. Keep it succinct.
- As you note, optimizing the various areas of the application is also important – always a good idea, but with such a low GPA you really must “WOW” your readers with the essays and resume. The essays need to be home runs.
- Apply to as many schools as is feasible for you – I find that when there is an “outlier” factor in an application that is otherwise strong, increasing the opportunities for the application to “click” with a reader personally helps. There’s always an element of unpredictability in how this factor will appear to a given reader – adcoms (regardless of what they say) tend to be conservative, and adcoms to top programs have a wealth of great applicants of every demographic/industry to choose from, so you need to give them an affirmative reason to admit you even with this one weakness over all those other great applicants.
- Take a reputable course or two and earn A grade—the work experience shows you can excel at work, and the high GMAT shows you are smart and have academic potential, but only actual good grades demonstrate that you do and can excel in the classroom – all different things, even if inter-related. “Reputable” can be a good online course such as those at UCLA or a local community college. This step also shows willingness to acknowledge a weakness and commitment to the MBA process. It’s good timing as you should be able to sign up for summer courses still.
- In the applications directly acknowledge the low GPA and discuss why it happened in an optional essay. Keep it succinct.
- As you note, optimizing the various areas of the application is also important – always a good idea, but with such a low GPA you really must “WOW” your readers with the essays and resume. The essays need to be home runs.
- Apply to as many schools as is feasible for you – I find that when there is an “outlier” factor in an application that is otherwise strong, increasing the opportunities for the application to “click” with a reader personally helps. There’s always an element of unpredictability in how this factor will appear to a given reader – adcoms (regardless of what they say) tend to be conservative, and adcoms to top programs have a wealth of great applicants of every demographic/industry to choose from, so you need to give them an affirmative reason to admit you even with this one weakness over all those other great applicants.
02 Jan 2015, 20:27
Kudos
Bookmarks
I just stumbled on this and while it's late I thought I'd give some support as a GT Alum:
A fraternity brother of mine is finishing up his MBA at Columbia right now and heading off to a medium sized hedge fund afterwards (Received an offer at the end of his internship).
His stuff:
3.0 Mechanical Engineering
4 years US Air Force
750 GMAT
He got accepted to Booth and Columbia. He said they definitely understand GT's lower GPAs, but he took the GMAT again (originally 710) just in case. That being said, he did leave with a 3.0. Christie's advice is similar to what I was hearing at some info sessions I've gone to.
For Christie's reference. 3.0 puts you on Georgia Tech's Dean's. Graduating with Honors is 3.15, High Honors 3.35, and Highest Honors is 3.55. Our campus average when I was there was about 2.8-9.
Anyway, Good Luck!
THWG!
A fraternity brother of mine is finishing up his MBA at Columbia right now and heading off to a medium sized hedge fund afterwards (Received an offer at the end of his internship).
His stuff:
3.0 Mechanical Engineering
4 years US Air Force
750 GMAT
He got accepted to Booth and Columbia. He said they definitely understand GT's lower GPAs, but he took the GMAT again (originally 710) just in case. That being said, he did leave with a 3.0. Christie's advice is similar to what I was hearing at some info sessions I've gone to.
For Christie's reference. 3.0 puts you on Georgia Tech's Dean's. Graduating with Honors is 3.15, High Honors 3.35, and Highest Honors is 3.55. Our campus average when I was there was about 2.8-9.
Anyway, Good Luck!
THWG!
