Importance of HBX

Question

Hi all,

I am thinking of applying to B-school with a major in finance or business analytics. My GMAT is decent, 710 first try. However, my undergraduate GPA is very low (2.77) due to a lack of effort in my undergraduate years and a mistake in choosing to major in actuarial science when I am not brilliant at math. I am wondering how a certificate from programs such as HBX would help with my graduate application if I have no work experience and only two finance-related internships at a large investment bank and a consulting firm.

Thanks!

touchmba · Answer

I got Admissions Directors from Cornell Johnson, CEIBS and IMD to give their opinion on this issue.

In short, your best way to show off your quant skills is to retake the GMAT and get a higher score - especially on quant section / IR if that's possible. There are many other ways you can show quant skills i.e. through your work experience and recommendations. If you do choose to take online courses, focus on well-known b-school brands (like HBX, Wharton, etc) or mbamath.com, which is required by many top business schools.

https://touchmba.com/how-to-show-quant-skills/

MBAPrepCoach · Answer

TheRealStig it sounds to me like what you are really asking is do you have a chance if you successfully complete HBX, will that fix the mess you are in with regards to your undergrad grades, and on top of that you don't have work experience. It's kind of rare that candidates get accepted with no work experience outside of internships unless it's through one of these formal programs like 2 + 2, Silver Scholars, Yale or Future Scholars, Darden. I just got finished working with someone doing a Masters program after graduating and is submitting to 2 + 2, that might be a good route for you honestly to do a master's program that is not related to Professional School. A way to get a secondary transcript on your record and also another year to pump up your leadership, extracurriculars Etc because you will kind of need those. And make sure to lay the groundwork for some good letters of recommendation as well. I think that's actually the best thing to do is to do...master's program in preparation for getting an MBA and get good grades! I will say for HBS it's very focused on STEM applicants however so Yale or Darden might be the better choices for you.

https://mbaprepcoach.com

mbaMissionKrista · Answer

Hey  TheRealStig 
Thanks for posting. If you haven't already, look at the overall class profile of each school you'd like to attend and compare yourself to their stats. You'll notice that most schools average 4 years of work experience and average GPAs are around 3.6. HBX Core is really fantastic and it help shows your self-awareness, maturity, and quantitative ability, but unfortunately, that GPA is the number they have to report that goes into their overall GPA average. 
My suggest would be to get 3+ years of work experience and definitely start building an alternative transcript through HBX Core and then give b-school a shot!
Hope that helps!
Krista

BoundMan · Answer

Do schools have to report GPA from non- US universities? Wouldn`t that be like comparing apples and oranges?

Admissionado · Answer

TheRealStig :

Unfortunately, taking HBX courses is not going to change your GPA. It's a minor nice-to-have on an application, but will not be viewed anywhere on the same level as your undergraduate studies. The GMAT and any other ways you can demonstrate technical aptitude are the only bona fide ways to mitigate a lower GPA. You should also try your best to come up with a valid reason in your optional essay as to why your GPA is lower than average if you want to stand a chance at these top programs.

BoundMan :

Yes, they do. The admissions committees are all of these schools have their own processes for comparing GPAs from non-US schools. In fact, the same issue presents itself even within the U.S. Not every university, school within a university, major, coursework within a major, and so on is the same. These admissions offices are very meticulous in building an evaluation method for understanding your academic performance on an absolute and relative basis. If you are applying from an international school or there is something unusual about your GPA, you should can contact the admissions office directly with any inquiries about how it should be handled in your application and/or note that peculiarity that in the optional essay for each school.

Importance of HBX

Prep Toolkit

Top 5 GMAT Debrief Videos

615 to 715 in 15 Days (Ria's Strategies)

More than Quant/Verbal Abilities: Speed vs. Accuracy

745 with Only Self-Prep and GMAT Club

From 555 to 765: 210-point Improvement

Perfect 805 Score Debrief by Julia

My Rewards