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hbs2020
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Low GPA chances for HBS 13 Feb 2017, 21:52
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I plan to apply to HBS and only HBS.

When I started college I didn't do so well. It was a blend of financial strain (working while studying), health issues (documented too), and some other personal issues I was dealing with that I plan to explain on the application. After struggling a few semesters at two different schools I had a death in the family and uprooted my life to be the live-in caregiver of the surviving spouse. Eventually I transferred into a new school and received a 4.0 in all my courses for 3+ years (changed major and not all transfer credits were applied towards degree) including summer school. However, because I got off to a bad start my overall cumulative GPA is 3.01.

TL; DR: Overall college GPA is 3.01 but last school was 4.0 for 3+ years.

Do I have a chance of getting admitted despite having a horrendous start and a perfect finish?
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Low GPA chances for HBS 14 Feb 2017, 04:25
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hbs2020
I plan to apply to HBS and only HBS.

When I started college I didn't do so well. It was a blend of financial strain (working while studying), health issues (documented too), and some other personal issues I was dealing with that I plan to explain on the application. After struggling a few semesters at two different schools I had a death in the family and uprooted my life to be the live-in caregiver of the surviving spouse. Eventually I transferred into a new school and received a 4.0 in all my courses for 3+ years (changed major and not all transfer credits were applied towards degree) including summer school. However, because I got off to a bad start my overall cumulative GPA is 3.01.

TL; DR: Overall college GPA is 3.01 but last school was 4.0 for 3+ years.

Do I have a chance of getting admitted despite having a horrendous start and a perfect finish?

I hope that I or someone manages to talk you off the ledge with only applying to HBS. That is like saying the only job acceptable to you is Miss Universe or something. it is insane. I have an amazing track record with all schools and thinking about the candidates of mine who were dinged, well, the competition is definitely ferocious.

The answer to your question lies more in your "UPSIDE" than your weaknesses and limitations. I don't think it would be an absolute dealbreaker but there would need to be serious offsetting entries.
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Low GPA chances for HBS 14 Feb 2017, 05:36
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hbs2020
I plan to apply to HBS and only HBS.

When I started college I didn't do so well. It was a blend of financial strain (working while studying), health issues (documented too), and some other personal issues I was dealing with that I plan to explain on the application. After struggling a few semesters at two different schools I had a death in the family and uprooted my life to be the live-in caregiver of the surviving spouse. Eventually I transferred into a new school and received a 4.0 in all my courses for 3+ years (changed major and not all transfer credits were applied towards degree) including summer school. However, because I got off to a bad start my overall cumulative GPA is 3.01.

TL; DR: Overall college GPA is 3.01 but last school was 4.0 for 3+ years.

Do I have a chance of getting admitted despite having a horrendous start and a perfect finish?

Your chances of getting into HBS with a 3.0 are very low. And even lower if you did not graduate from a top school.

The only way would be if your profile is EXCEPTIONALLY strong.

Otherwise, you will need to adjust your strategy to make it more realistic.
Best,
Jon
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Low GPA chances for HBS 14 Feb 2017, 08:15
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JonAdmissionado
hbs2020
I plan to apply to HBS and only HBS.
My take is yes- the odds are very low with a 3.0 GPA. However, the HBS essay does allow you to tell your story so you can explain your situation if you do so in the larger context of how you have made an impact in your career and how you have a habit of leadership in all you have done. If it is something you want to try- then give it your best- but I might consider doing this in R1 and being ready to apply somewhere else if it does not work out as the odds are not in your favor. That being said, anything can be possible if you are compelling enough. I recommend you consider getting a counselor to work on your HBS app and also thinking up a good plan B just in case... Here is a link to our site for a free consult if you'd like to learn more about us: https://stratusadmissionscounseling.com/ ... b-visitor/
When I started college I didn't do so well. It was a blend of financial strain (working while studying), health issues (documented too), and some other personal issues I was dealing with that I plan to explain on the application. After struggling a few semesters at two different schools I had a death in the family and uprooted my life to be the live-in caregiver of the surviving spouse. Eventually I transferred into a new school and received a 4.0 in all my courses for 3+ years (changed major and not all transfer credits were applied towards degree) including summer school. However, because I got off to a bad start my overall cumulative GPA is 3.01.

TL; DR: Overall college GPA is 3.01 but last school was 4.0 for 3+ years.

Do I have a chance of getting admitted despite having a horrendous start and a perfect finish?

Your chances of getting into HBS with a 3.0 are very low. And even lower if you did not graduate from a top school.

The only way would be if your profile is EXCEPTIONALLY strong.

Otherwise, you will need to adjust your strategy to make it more realistic.
Best,
Jon
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hbs2020
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Low GPA chances for HBS 14 Feb 2017, 14:39
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MBAPrepCoach
hbs2020
I plan to apply to HBS and only HBS.

When I started college I didn't do so well. It was a blend of financial strain (working while studying), health issues (documented too), and some other personal issues I was dealing with that I plan to explain on the application. After struggling a few semesters at two different schools I had a death in the family and uprooted my life to be the live-in caregiver of the surviving spouse. Eventually I transferred into a new school and received a 4.0 in all my courses for 3+ years (changed major and not all transfer credits were applied towards degree) including summer school. However, because I got off to a bad start my overall cumulative GPA is 3.01.

TL; DR: Overall college GPA is 3.01 but last school was 4.0 for 3+ years.

Do I have a chance of getting admitted despite having a horrendous start and a perfect finish?

I hope that I or someone manages to talk you off the ledge with only applying to HBS. That is like saying the only job acceptable to you is Miss Universe or something. it is insane. I have an amazing track record with all schools and thinking about the candidates of mine who were dinged, well, the competition is definitely ferocious.

The answer to your question lies more in your "UPSIDE" than your weaknesses and limitations. I don't think it would be an absolute dealbreaker but there would need to be serious offsetting entries.

Thanks for the reply. Your feedback is important to me.

I have looked at a few schools already and HBS is the only one I feel will work for me. I know applying only to one school is risky but I want them to know there is no risk in me declining an offer of admission.

Perhaps my question is not whether I can personally get in but do people with similar GPAs get admitted? Yes, the overall GPA looks horrible but if you were to see my transcripts it shows a vast difference in my academic performance over the length of my time in college. There were a lot of variables out of my control which impacted my ability to focus and perform.

My upsides would be my leadership as I was president of a club in school where I received awards for my work. Additionally, I was the project manager of a team that placed first in an international competition. Professionally I work for a well-known company in Silicon Valley where I am leading several projects bringing in hundreds of millions of revenue on target to reach a billion in the next fiscal year.

Would the AdCom consider the obstacles I overcame and look at what I have become instead of where I started? There's a lot more to my story than I have shared on the forum.
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hbs2020
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Low GPA chances for HBS 14 Feb 2017, 14:49
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JonAdmissionado
hbs2020
I plan to apply to HBS and only HBS.

When I started college I didn't do so well. It was a blend of financial strain (working while studying), health issues (documented too), and some other personal issues I was dealing with that I plan to explain on the application. After struggling a few semesters at two different schools I had a death in the family and uprooted my life to be the live-in caregiver of the surviving spouse. Eventually I transferred into a new school and received a 4.0 in all my courses for 3+ years (changed major and not all transfer credits were applied towards degree) including summer school. However, because I got off to a bad start my overall cumulative GPA is 3.01.

TL; DR: Overall college GPA is 3.01 but last school was 4.0 for 3+ years.

Do I have a chance of getting admitted despite having a horrendous start and a perfect finish?

Your chances of getting into HBS with a 3.0 are very low. And even lower if you did not graduate from a top school.

The only way would be if your profile is EXCEPTIONALLY strong.

Otherwise, you will need to adjust your strategy to make it more realistic.
Best,
Jon

Hi Jon,

Thank you for the reply. Poets and Quants had ranges for GPAs and GMAT scores posted for the top 50 schools. Some had GPAs below 3.0 in their range; however, HBS did not have any range listed.

Could you elaborate on what you mean by adjusting the strategy? My life has been full of challenges and obstacles which I have overcome so I tend to be a bit optimistic on possibilities and set my goals high for myself.

It is not unknown to me that HBS is a target school for many who have undergraduate degrees from prestigious institutions. This is something I have observed but I do feel they aim for diverse perspectives and unique profiles to add to the diversity of the classroom. I feel my background is unique enough to add a perspective that may not be present.

- HBS2020
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