MBAPrepCoach wrote:
hbs2020 wrote:
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.
close
13 Feb 2017, 21:52
