wcf5016 wrote:
Oh no, I would never ASK them to recommend me, and I definitely wouldn't ask them to be my professional recommendation. I just read on a Tepper student's blog that they can put in a good word for you and was wondering if you've ever heard of that. I probably could have been a little more clear.
You mentioned that schools may look at a high GMAT and low GPA and think an applicant is lazy; Did you have to overcome that in any of your applications, and if so, how did you address that issue? I will probably use the supplemental essay to address my GPA.
I guess that it's possible to have a current Tepper student go to admissions to vouch for you, but I've never personally heard of it. I'm not sure of how someone in admissions would view that but I can see it possibly being a good thing and a bad thing in other ways. Anyways, I don't think I'd talk to students and actively seek an endorsement, instead I'd just talk to them to show your genuine interest in the program and to hear their personal experience. Throughout my application process I actually found the Tepper students the easiest to reach out to.
As for the high GMAT/low GPA combination, I did use the supplemental essay to admit the "elephant in the room" and showcase all of my accomplishments since undergrad. Throughout the rest of my application I tried to give specific examples that showed that my academic record did not actually reflect my abilities to perform in a professional environment.
Honestly, there was no secret about how I addressed my low GPA. I kinda just let it all out there and told my story as honestly as I could. For some schools I succeeded in convincing the adcom to give me a second chance, with others I failed horribly (take a look at my application record).
Like I said earlier, quality over quantity is important and the use of specific examples or scenarios are essential as well. The statement "This person is a hard worker" is not as good as "This person worked 100 hour weeks to finish XYZ project while their peers worked 40 hour weeks."
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