tiv333333 wrote:
I went undergrad to UCLA with majors in business economics and political science and minor in accounting. Took a lot of accounting, finance, math, econ and stats classes - mostly As and Bs. I had full scholarship at UCLA and was accepted there as high school valedictorian. Since I was born outside the United States and immigrated to the US when I was 14 (now US citizen), English is not my native language. I also had to work full time during all 4 undergrad years to support my needs and help my family abroad. My profile is perfect, except my GPA. I maintained 3.2 at UCLA. GMAT is 740. Excellent recommendations, good company, a lot of leadership and international experience. How will my low GPA hurt me at top-20 schools?
While most schools know how difficult and competitive UCLA (elite public) is with grading curves compared to many schools, i'm worried that my GPA is lower than average GPA at most top schools. How will this affect me? Can I still be competitive at top schools or should I go get some classes or second undergraduate degree?
tiv333333,
I think you are over-worrying your GPA. As long as you explained in your application all the factors affecting your GPA that you just explained to me, then the schools will have no concerns, especially given the quality of your undergrad institution, your high GMAT, and the full-time work. They will be completely on board. No worries.
Good luck,