LOW GPA: What you can do

Thanx....But what about the level of course to take? Undergrad level courses or Grad level?

Here are my AUD$0.02…

Why on earth does your GPA count towards anything for your mba application? Take me for example. My undergrad marks are pretty crappy…that’s because I was chasing girls, getting drunk and taking drugs every night. This was 6-7 years ago. So what…I was 18-22 and doing what an 18-22 year old does!

Now does a b school think that I’m going to have the same attitude when it comes to my MBA? Given that I’m forking out $100k plus forgoing my lost income while I study? I don’t get it!

Also, building an alternative transcript by taking extra courses, subjects that you’ll learn in your mba, in the hope to score high marks and show adcom you’re not dumb…might be the most loser-ish thing to do! Go spend your time, money and effort and gain some life experiences and build yourself personally. That way you’ll at least have some compelling essays to write!

Feel free to give me another warning with no explanation if you don’t like this post!

Assman out!

Chasing girls, getting drunk and taking drugs every night is not what every 18-22 year old does.
Your undergrad score has less importance as you get older. Undergrad scores for a 30 year old applying to business school will probably not have the same importance as for a 24 year old. The average age at HBS is 24-25. Would you discount the undergrad experience then? Because it is only 2 years out.


"Loser-ish" is quite a perspective thing, don't you think? Nobody thinks taking alternative courses and getting life experiences are mutually exclusive. If you have traditionally scored low in quant courses and your GMAT quant is not that great, taking few quant courses will probably help in dispensing the doubts in the adcom's mind about your analytical abilities. Also taking alternative courses which are exactly the same as things that you are going to learn in your B School may seem counter productive but it may be a pretty cool thing to do if you have the time. I hear B School is extremely engaging in general. It does not harm to have the basics in place.


Sure, when necessary. Thanks for being so compliant

Do schools care what classes you have taken?

For example, in my case, I took mostly advanced 400-level math courses throughout my senior year in college and this resulted to subpar gpa.

Looking at my transcript, would the adcom give me a pass for taking more challenging courses, instead of per say gpa booster courses?

Posted from my mobile device

Yes. they care what classes you took, but they don't expect you to take classes that you shouldnn't have taken because they were too hard or you didn't have appropriate pre-reqs. Nonetheless they will consider the rigor of your curriculum.

Best,
Linda

That depends. What's the purpose of your taking the classes? How you did in your previous classes? And if you have the pre-reqs for graduate classes. If you are taking classes to prepare for business school and create an alternative transcript because you don't have a background in business, you can take undergrad classes.

Best,
Linda

Hmm.....Thanx every1 for ur replies...Makes me more clear on what I need to do.... Being from a different country doesn't help...In India the whole grading system is completely different and having lowish GPA on a different scale made me wonder how will the adcom view my app... So, if an international transcript can make my position more clearer to them so be it....

You're welcome. You may find this resource helpful: https://reports.accepted.com/against_the ... applicants .

Best,
Linda

First off, I just want to say that souvik101990 is awesome and I agree with everything he has to say. However, I would like to share my personal (negative) experience on having a low-ish undergrad GPA.

In terms of numbers, I have a 3.2 GPA STEM undergrad. I'm over 30, so my undergraduate record is well over 10 years old. I also have 45 credits (50% more than what is needed for a masters degree) of graduate coursework with a 3.8 GPA, also STEM. And lastly, I have a 740 GMAT.

Largely, I feel that if you don't fall within the 80% range of a class profile (whether it's GPA or GMAT), you'll have a hard time getting in, unless there's something else outstanding about your profile. I was rejected by a top 20 school (haha okay, more than one) and they specifically told me it was due to my undergraduate GPA. To even quote an admissions officer: "I know it’s frustrating because you can’t go back in time and change your undergraduate record."

I encourage future applicants to aim for schools where you do fall within the 80% of the class profile. Schools such as Cornell and Duke have lower incoming GPA than other schools of similar caliber, if I recall correctly. (Be aware that the chart on the first post of this thread is outdated). If you have a lower GPA (or GMAT), the schools will need to report a lower 80% range, so make sure you have something extra special about yourself to compensate for being in the bottom 10%.

I really have a very low GPA(2.33). I did my undergrad from India(Here we have a gpa out of 10 in which I got 5.82). I want to know what are my options?(even if I score well in my GMAT(around 750ish as I am pretty good in aptitude).
This was mostly due to me going by herd mentality and opting for civil engineering so that I could just go into the college with the best reputation. I didn't like my core discipline. Hence I did relatively well in the common subjects like physics and chem in the beginning of the semesters, and my gpa started declining after my 3rd semester.

Jhonnytorrio,

What schools are you interested in attending? What do you want to do with your MBA?

I want to know what are my options in b-school even if I get a good score. My main aim is to venture in the field of general management or consulting.

PS: Sorry. I can't quote your reply(It can't be done till I have written 5 posts)

Since they are both indicative of your academic performance, GPA can generally be supported by (and in some extreme cases completely substituted with) a good GMAT score. If you have got low scores on both, it is a sign to the admission committee that you may find difficulty to stay competitive from a courses/grades perspective.

In all cases, everything on the application can be forgiven if something else is awesome. The only thing, from I have come to know so far, that is hard to forgive is a poor extracurriclar record. Don't take that information for granted, but it seems that it's the only one thing all students across b-schools have in common

Ok, So I have a low Undergrad GPA from Pakistan but then I have a really good MSc GPA which i did from England.

How much weight will my MS carry to offset my low Undergrad GPA?
I had a 2.82, should I apply to schools who admit a mean GPA of more than 3?

Jhonny,

Sorry for my late reply.

Please see Overcoming Weaknesses: Low Stats for several articles with tips on how to overcome a low GPA. Your grad GPA will definitely help you, as will above average progression on the job. Aim for schools where your GMAT is clearly above average and that support your goals. So if you get a 750 or something close to it, apply to programs like Darden, Ross, Cornell Johnson, Duke, Yale, and Emory.

Best,
Linda

Saadi,

I can't recommend schools to you without having a clue what you want to do in the future or what you have done in the past other. In other words, your GPA is not enough info. I can tell you that your masters GPA will mitigate the impact of the undergrad GPA provided it is combined with a strong GMAT or GRE. In addition you will need strong work experience, evidence of leadership or management ability, and a clearly thought out goal that requires an MBA.

Best,
Linda

For your own good, I will have to be frank with you and tell you what I heared a previous HBS adcom once say. generally, they don't rule out UG's GPAs even when combined with a good MS GPA mainly because most MS grads get high GPAs; so UG GPAs definitely give a different way to view applicants' academic performance. However, it is far better to get a good MS GPA than nothing or even worse, a lower MS GPA. Going forward, you have to understand that if you are aiming for a top 10, 20, or even 30 (Judging by the school selections on your profile), you should not have any other major weaknesses beside your GPA.

I am not the most experienced in terms of applicants candidacy, but I can give you my suggestions based on what I learned from my story

1. You need to get a high GMAT score, higher than the average of the schools you are applying to. This, along with your good MS GPA, will offset you low UG GPA.
2. You must have a good reason (regardless if it represents your real goal) why you want MBA. You should clearly show to the school why you want to pursue your short-trem goals (after you told them what they are) and, most importantly, why getting an MBA is an amportant step to achieve that goal.
3. When you apply to a certain school, put some extra effort in searching what is special about this school and try to show it the school to, at least, prove that you are a good fit in terms of culture. I share a similar profile (I have a bad GMAT score) and I had to search a lot, visit the school and attend classes, and interview with students to write the most "made-for-this-school-specifically" type of essays. The outcomes were pretty satisfying I guess (I got in!).
4. After doing the above, spend every single bit of energy remaining in beefing up your extracurricular activities and community leadership. This is like an open-ended file that sets no limits to what you can impress the school with. Don't save any effort here.
5. If you feel like your struggling with the details of the above points or in the applicantions in general, it doesn't hurt to reach out for an expert. Consultants and people here can pave the road for you as you are dealing with many things all the same time.

all the best making the best out of your skillsets. Let me know if you have any question.