Duke, NYU, UNC, Ross, Tuck for Round 3?

Hello there!

Can you please let us know a bit more about your profile? Intended field, goals, extra-curriculars etc.

Please feel free to drop in a mail on the address below.

If you're getting Dings in Round 1 and 2, it's probably not a good idea to apply to Top schools in R3.

Far better than forcing things, would be to take a good hard look at your profile, and have someone review your application. And once you figure out a bit how to improve it for next year, work on that, and prepare a solid R1 application.

Feel free to drop us a line: https://admissionado.com/free-consultati ... n=mba_blog

Best,
Jon

I'd take a step back and think about why you're not getting the results you want. I see you got a 740 on your last GMAT attempt. How is your UG performance? Is your WE lacking? Leadership? Involvement? It could be a number of things, and without taking a closer look at changing your narrative to address your weak spots, you're likely going to continue receiving unfavorable responses. As noted by others on this thread, R3 is tough for top schools and depending on your areas of improvement, you may be better off waiting until next year. However, if there are little things we can help with that can make a huge difference in your overall story, it's worth investigating that too. Let us know if you'd like to chat about how we can help. In the meantime, take a look at some of the work we've done with others at the schools you're interested in here. Best of luck!

U.S. applicant. Sub 3.0 GPA, but everything else about the profile is above average. 740 GMAT, 8 years WE, Multiple Fortune 100 companies on resume, managerial experience, 200k+ income, good letters of recommendations, first generation college graduate, etc.

I believe the dings may be largely due to my undergrad GPA or older age? None of which I can change at this point though. Maybe I'll just either apply to these schools in Round 1 or wait to see how the rest of the results go this year. I guess our past always comes back to haunts us in some way, shape, or form.

Hi there,

I agree with the feedback above - R3 is really tough from an admissions standpoint and if you got dings from R1 at the top schools, the chances of changing that around in R3 are slim. Of your list, UNC is probably the most likely of the 5 but still a stretch.

Absent further information, I would agree with your initial analysis that your undergrad GPA and higher years of work experience are working against you. Your compensation probably isn't helping your case either since you'll presumably be more expensive (and have higher expectations) for post-MBA hiring firms. (Plus, "% increase in salary post-MBA" factors into many of the rankings, which schools care about.) That's not to focus on the negative, I just wanted to shed a bit more light on what could be going through the adcom's mind as they reviewed your application. With that said, it could still be worth considering applying again next year with the right story - including crystal clear career goals and reasons for needing an MBA now.

Have you also considered EMBA programs? I know the part-time structure is less appealing to some but you might find your profile better suited to those programs, not to mention that your classmates will be more on the same page as you from a career timing standpoint. Another option would be European 1-year MBA programs (such as INSEAD, Cambridge Judge, etc.) which offer an accelerated timeline (which means lower opportunity cost at a time in your career when you're making more money) and are more friendly to older applicants. Whether or not those programs make sense for you also depends on your post-MBA goals, of course.

Anyways, I'm happy to chat through your options with you if that would be helpful. You can sign up for a free consultation through our website in my signature below. Either way, best of luck to you!

Kindly,
Melody

Okay dude,
I see two problems here:
1. GPA - Top 10 schools have average GPAs of 3.6-3.7. You are a big outlier. Which means if they are gonna take you they have to really want you.
2. Goals/Story - If you are making that much with great experience, and are older, how is an MBA gonna help you? I don't know what goals you presented, so I can't get any deeper than that for the moment. But I see it as a potential issue.

It could also be your essays.

But whatever the case, I haven't seen anything that would justify a R3 application. Instead I'd suggest thinking about how to prepare yourself for an all out blitzkrieg in R1.

Best,
Jon

Good feedback above but to answer your question as asked. UNC would probably give you the highest likelihood of admission given the comparative competitiveness of the other programs. But overall R3 is tough sledding as stated above

Thank you for the direct response Dozie!