Intern
Joined: 14 Dec 2013
Posts: 6
Location: United States
WE:Project Management (Computer Software)
Advice Requested - Low GPA, High GMAT, Story
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16 Dec 2013, 07:36
Hello all,
Longtime reader, first time poster. Like many b-school underdogs, my undergraduate record is less than stellar. The weakest point first: I received a BA in Philosophy from a large, undistinguished state university with a cumulative GPA of 2.7. I floundered around a bit in undergrad, unable to commit to a major. As a result, I received many low grades in introductory courses throughout the early years of college in a variety of fields. While my trajectory was positive in my latter years of undergrad, it was not miraculously so.
The strong points: while I have not yet taken the GMAT, my practice tests are all in the middle 700's, so I expect to score about 720. The reason for my low undergrad grades is this: when the American recession hit in 2008, I was just beginning college. My parents were particularly hard-hit by it, and I was forced to get several jobs (full-time and part-time simultaneously) to support them and myself. Throughout college, I worked 50+ hours/week, pulling graveyard shifts at a hospital and daytime work at an e-learning software company. I was promoted quickly from QA analyst to project manager to production manager, and I now have 10 direct reports. I'm presently 23 years old, 1 year out of college, with 4 years of work experience. I hold the PMP certification from PMI. Finally, I was partially responsible for the acquisition of and am presently personally managing implementation of multimillion dollar pilot project to supply the entire math education curriculum of an African nation (and will be subsequently publishing a whitepaper on this subject).
I realize that my major and GPA are very weak and I lack a history of community service. I hope, however, that my circumstances and work history will make me competitive at a few good schools. My current targets are Goizueta, Georgia Tech, IESE, and Kenan-Flagler. Are these reasonable targets given my stats and story? I can readily assess where I am based on their class profile, what I'm unsure of is the influence that my resume will have.
What other schools am I a candidate for?
All help genuinely appreciated!