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10 Mar 2020, 20:28
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Hello. I'm a business school prospect from Brazil. When I apply I'll have ~4 years and 10 months of full time + full time intenship experience. of those.
- 2 years working at a tier 2 well-known american consulting firm (Intern - Associate I - Associate II)
- 1 year working at a top e-commece tech company (Strategy Senior Analyst)
- 1.9 months working at a LATAM unicorn startup (Operations and Stategy Manager).
My GMAT grade is 740 (Q50 V40)
When I was at the e-commerce tech company I saw people of my level going to top 5 business schools so I don't think my professional background would be a roadblock. But my problem is with my GPA. I studied at the most competitive engineering school of the country (acceptance rate <1%) and my GPA was not as high as the ones I read in blogs. Here in Brazil the minimum grade for approval at a top engineering school is 5 out of 10. I finished my undergrad with a GPA of 7.6/10 (~3/4), that is not so bad for brazilian standads and even so considered the university I studied is definitely the hardest one to get to in the country.
I'm aiming at top 5 business schools to apply on round one 2020. Should I address this issue in an optional essay? Should I aim lower?
- 2 years working at a tier 2 well-known american consulting firm (Intern - Associate I - Associate II)
- 1 year working at a top e-commece tech company (Strategy Senior Analyst)
- 1.9 months working at a LATAM unicorn startup (Operations and Stategy Manager).
My GMAT grade is 740 (Q50 V40)
When I was at the e-commerce tech company I saw people of my level going to top 5 business schools so I don't think my professional background would be a roadblock. But my problem is with my GPA. I studied at the most competitive engineering school of the country (acceptance rate <1%) and my GPA was not as high as the ones I read in blogs. Here in Brazil the minimum grade for approval at a top engineering school is 5 out of 10. I finished my undergrad with a GPA of 7.6/10 (~3/4), that is not so bad for brazilian standads and even so considered the university I studied is definitely the hardest one to get to in the country.
I'm aiming at top 5 business schools to apply on round one 2020. Should I address this issue in an optional essay? Should I aim lower?
mykrasovski
Joined: 17 Aug 2018
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10 Mar 2020, 20:57
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hi braziliantechguy, I am not a consultant at all but want to share some thoughts.
You have a VERY strong GMAT score which shows that academically you are ready to sail through the MBA curriculum. Also, your GPA is not low at all. Conversion of non-USA grades into US is not that straightforward and I would not stress out a lot about having 76/100 in Brazilian system. I am coming from a country which uses a 10 point system, and any score >7 is a pretty good score. Also, I bet somewhere in the application there is an optional section in which you can explain your undergrad grades. So... I think you are overthinking.
Here is where your argument is flawed [you got V40, so be careful about making bold claims
]:
The fact that your colleagues got accepted into top-5 MBA program does not guarantee that you will get accepted. How do your experience and contributions compare to those of the colleagues that got admits?
Also, the rest of the application matters quite a bit. Essays, resume (which shows your impacts and leadership), and references will complete the profile. Think about whether you have a well rounded package to present to ad com people.
Good luck!
You have a VERY strong GMAT score which shows that academically you are ready to sail through the MBA curriculum. Also, your GPA is not low at all. Conversion of non-USA grades into US is not that straightforward and I would not stress out a lot about having 76/100 in Brazilian system. I am coming from a country which uses a 10 point system, and any score >7 is a pretty good score. Also, I bet somewhere in the application there is an optional section in which you can explain your undergrad grades. So... I think you are overthinking.
Here is where your argument is flawed [you got V40, so be careful about making bold claims
]:Quote:
When I was at the e-commerce tech company I saw people of my level going to top 5 business schools so I don't think my professional background would be a roadblock.
The fact that your colleagues got accepted into top-5 MBA program does not guarantee that you will get accepted. How do your experience and contributions compare to those of the colleagues that got admits?
Also, the rest of the application matters quite a bit. Essays, resume (which shows your impacts and leadership), and references will complete the profile. Think about whether you have a well rounded package to present to ad com people.
Good luck!
11 Mar 2020, 03:56
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A few thoughts on your profile and queries/concerns braziliantechguy:
Hope this helps some more.
Cheers,
- The academic pedigree as well as GPA, both matter. While absolute is important, bschools also are usually aware of the relative standards. If your school has been a feeder in the past, they'd already be aware of the standard. You can also help by further elaborating in the resume. Typically, optional essay explanations work in case of issues, not to explain average/above average grades. The GMAT will certainly help them get a sense of things too.
- While the professional profile looks decent, the slightly more than average job changes will need to be put into the right perspective. Being from a feeder employer definitely helps but also bear in mind that that has been your shortest stint - not likely to get a reco from there perhaps?
- Do guard against the syndrome of 'my friend got in, so can I'. It is extremely tough to know the entire application and also, the dynamic changes from year to year. Use that as a starting point to assess deeper as to where your profile may be lacking, for instance, do you have ECs to boot?
Hope this helps some more.
Cheers,
