Thanks for sharing your profile @Evelyng! Let's start! 6 years of professional experience from Vietnam, representing a first-generation undergrad female candidate with a unique, multicultural outlook. 3.0/4 GPA is lower than ideal for top programs, but not a deal-breaker. GMAT FE score of 625 is low. Broad exposure across market research, headhunting, e-commerce, non-profit education, and managing a small side business this speaks to adaptability, entrepreneurship, and leadership.

Why the gap matters & how to bridge it: GMAT & GPA are significant signalers in the schools' holistic evaluations. With a 625 GMAT, you're currently below the average range, which risks being screenable in early rounds. If possible, retake the GMAT (target: 675, 685+, higher the better) or consider the GRE if that aligns better with your strengths. Take a high-level analytics, statistics, or entrepreneurship course and earn top marks; mention these in optional essays.

Questions to personalize your story further:
1) What specific type of tech entrepreneurship are you aiming for e-commerce platform, edtech, fintech)?
2) Do you have any metrics from your small business (growth %, user base, revenue, impact)?
3) Have you led any cross-border or tech-focused consulting initiatives?
4) Are you open to European-only programs if the U.S. remains statistically out of reach at your current score?

We would love to learn more about your academic background, extracurricular activities, professional experience, and personal journey so we can offer a more tailored assessment of your profile and evaluate your chances at your target schools more accurately. If you'd like, feel free to book a profile evaluation session.

Join our Coffee Session: “MASTER YOUR MBA APPLICATION ESSAYS FOR INSEAD, HEC, LBS, AND IESE!” on August 22, 2025 | 9:00 PM IST | 11:30 AM ET. KNOW MORE DETAILS

Cheers!
Shantanu Sharma
Founder and Admissions Consultant, MBA and Beyond

Hello Evelyng,

Your story as a first-gen Vietnamese female adds valuable diversity, but your current stats are a barrier. A 3.0 GPA and 625 GMAT Focus fall well below averages at Haas, Yale, and Sloan, and even Anderson and Marshall are stretches with those numbers.

Your eclectic experience across e-commerce, headhunting, non-profit, and entrepreneurship is interesting but needs to be tied together into a coherent post-MBA vision.

If consulting or tech entrepreneurship is your goal, you will need a much stronger GMAT (680–700+) to be taken seriously. Without it, the schools on your list are mostly out of reach.

Ameer Khatri, Admissions Consultant
Schedule 1-on-1 call
https://admitportal.ameerkhatri.com/pro ... n-calendar

Thanks for your response, i understand the situation, I will retake the GMAT to improve the chance. Is it possible to submit the application the update the school with new GMAT score ( after the deadline) ?