mbaMission Admissions Consultant
Joined: 19 Apr 2018
Posts: 222
Given Kudos: 0
Re: looking for a review, bad gpa
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25 Jul 2023, 22:52
Hello and thanks for your post.
The application process is truly holistic – schools will not reject you solely because of your low GPA. The committees will look at not only your stats (GPA and GMAT/GRE), but also your work experience and extracurriculars.
It is good that your GMAT is strong, which will help compensate for your GPA. Although an even higher score would be better. If you haven’t already, I suggest taking it up to 3-4 times. You have nothing to lose since schools will only look at your highest score. And even a slight increase can boost your profile. You should still illustrate to the schools that you have the academic ability to succeed in the classroom. You could showcase your quant ability in your resume, your recommenders could do the same in their recommendations, or you could even take a supplemental course such as stats or calculus, or HBS CORe. I would suggest that to show that your GPA is not representative of your academic abilities.
It is hard to gauge your work experience without knowing your accomplishments and impact you have made there. Make sure to show you have made an impact and demonstrated leadership there. Ideally this will be supported by strong recommendation letters as well. It will also be important to explain why you want your MBA, and to also illustrate the skills you already have which are transferable. Be sure your story makes sense, and is realistic and specific. And regarding extracurriculars, make sure to really emphasize your leadership roles you have taken on.
If you continue to strengthen your profile, you definitely have a chance at top 40 schools, and even higher ranked schools.
And if you would like to discuss your story or anything else in greater detail, please sign up for a free consultation.
Good luck!