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emoryhopeful
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Low Undergrad GPA Success Stories 11 Jul 2009, 04:49
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I had a 2.88 undergrad GPA in Engineering, with 2 F's and it took me 6 years to graduate, and then another year and a half to get a job in the engineering field.

I applied to only one school and got in with a scholarship to Emory, and had an extremely successful first year, looking forward to my second.

Sometimes, I think schools are looking for someone who can overcome adversity and failure.
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Low Undergrad GPA Success Stories 11 Jul 2009, 17:14
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emoryhopeful
I had a 2.88 undergrad GPA in Engineering, with 2 F's and it took me 6 years to graduate, and then another year and a half to get a job in the engineering field.

I applied to only one school and got in with a scholarship to Emory, and had an extremely successful first year, looking forward to my second.

Sometimes, I think schools are looking for someone who can overcome adversity and failure.
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cool! what else beside your GMAT "stood out"? did you have great xtracurricular? I think i am similar to your boar with little bit better GPA but havent taken GMAT yet (although I prob have to get close to your score...)
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emoryhopeful
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Low Undergrad GPA Success Stories 12 Jul 2009, 12:34
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shaselai


cool! what else beside your GMAT "stood out"? did you have great xtracurricular? I think i am similar to your boar with little bit better GPA but havent taken GMAT yet (although I prob have to get close to your score...)
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I don't know if anything else "stood out". I had quality work experience with solid extra curriculars, but nothing crazy. If anything else stood out it was my passion for the school and enthusiasm to make a difference. The GMAT obviously was a big factor.
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Low Undergrad GPA Success Stories 14 Jul 2009, 04:31
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Low Undergrad GPA Success Stories 17 Jul 2009, 18:28
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2.54 GPA from a top Liberal Arts school.
Dings from uh...everywhere except georgetown w/l. I got in off the waitlist.

I got a 750 on the gmat. absolutely necessary if you're applying with a low UG gpa. My essays were kind of weak as well, or I think I would have been more successful. I spoke to the people at Tuck and Columbia and basically they said that because of my GPA I needed to have stellar essays to show them why they needed to ignore my past failure. Since I wasn't able to do that they felt like I just didnt' have good experiences to talk about and might have been a decent enough candidate in a few years, but that I seemed under prepared at present.

With any severe weakness in your application materials the onus is on you to MAKE them ignore it. You may know that you're not the bad risk you were as an 18 year old idiot, but the admissions department has never met you, so you have to show them why they should ignore the evidence that you've been a complete idiot in the past. I have more thoughts on this, but I'm in costa rica and the hotel computer kinda sucks so...
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Low Undergrad GPA Success Stories 23 Nov 2009, 15:55
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isa
Not sure if this is "low" or not...

1. Undergrad GPA of 3.1, GPA in majors 3.7/3.8
2. Dinged at HBS (w/o interview), Columbia (w/ interview), MIT (w/o interview), Wharton (interview, WL, then ding)
3. Accepted at Booth, Kellogg, Duke, Tuck
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How did you do on your GMAT? I assume your work experience and extra curricular activities were excellent?
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Low Undergrad GPA Success Stories 24 Nov 2009, 10:09
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isa
Not sure if this is "low" or not...

1. Undergrad GPA of 3.1, GPA in majors 3.7/3.8
2. Dinged at HBS (w/o interview), Columbia (w/ interview), MIT (w/o interview), Wharton (interview, WL, then ding)
3. Accepted at Booth, Kellogg, Duke, Tuck

How did you do on your GMAT? I assume your work experience and extra curricular activities were excellent?
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ISA had 760 GMAT.
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Low Undergrad GPA Success Stories 24 Nov 2009, 15:59
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Wow, that is a very impressive score!
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Low Undergrad GPA Success Stories 07 Dec 2009, 03:48
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This gives me hope! I got a 750 on the Gmat and have a similar GPA issue. I have great work experience so it feels great that I could get in as long as I have excellent essays. Yay!

Sleepy
2.54 GPA from a top Liberal Arts school.
Dings from uh...everywhere except georgetown w/l. I got in off the waitlist.

I got a 750 on the gmat. absolutely necessary if you're applying with a low UG gpa. My essays were kind of weak as well, or I think I would have been more successful. I spoke to the people at Tuck and Columbia and basically they said that because of my GPA I needed to have stellar essays to show them why they needed to ignore my past failure. Since I wasn't able to do that they felt like I just didnt' have good experiences to talk about and might have been a decent enough candidate in a few years, but that I seemed under prepared at present.

With any severe weakness in your application materials the onus is on you to MAKE them ignore it. You may know that you're not the bad risk you were as an 18 year old idiot, but the admissions department has never met you, so you have to show them why they should ignore the evidence that you've been a complete idiot in the past. I have more thoughts on this, but I'm in costa rica and the hotel computer kinda sucks so...
Show more
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Low Undergrad GPA Success Stories 07 Dec 2009, 14:48
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It appears hard enough with a solid GMAT score and a solid gpa to be admitted into a top school.
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Low Undergrad GPA Success Stories 20 Dec 2009, 02:56
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hi, ~3 gpa

submitting for r2 this year! we'll see what happens
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Low Undergrad GPA Success Stories 17 Feb 2010, 13:02
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i think my gpa takes the cake on this one - 1.9 (and that's rounded up). a bunch of F's, especially in 2nd yr when i broke up with my ex and just didn't even sit for any of my finals.

i have pretty good work experience though and a 760 gmat.

here's the link to my story. my-road-to-oxford-sbs-and-insead-89413.html
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Low Undergrad GPA Success Stories 25 Feb 2010, 01:31
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I had a 2.8 as well, no Fs but I did have a D. I wrote an essay explaining a lot of personal issues I had gone through in college, and in my interviews I was very honest about how I didn't take education seriously. I ended up getting a 700 on the GMAT after a lot of studying, and I think this was a good way to prove I was now focused on school. I have been accepted to Foster so far, have had several other interviews, and am waiting to hear back from the other schools I have applied to in rd 2.
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Low Undergrad GPA Success Stories 25 Feb 2010, 03:24
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JesseT21
I had a 2.8 as well, no Fs but I did have a D. I wrote an essay explaining a lot of personal issues I had gone through in college, and in my interviews I was very honest about how I didn't take education seriously. I ended up getting a 700 on the GMAT after a lot of studying, and I think this was a good way to prove I was now focused on school. I have been accepted to Foster so far, have had several other interviews, and am waiting to hear back from the other schools I have applied to in rd 2.
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congratulations... when did you applied for and interviewed with foster?
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Low Undergrad GPA Success Stories 25 Feb 2010, 10:11
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This is great!
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JesseT21
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Low Undergrad GPA Success Stories 25 Feb 2010, 10:54
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westsew
JesseT21
I had a 2.8 as well, no Fs but I did have a D. I wrote an essay explaining a lot of personal issues I had gone through in college, and in my interviews I was very honest about how I didn't take education seriously. I ended up getting a 700 on the GMAT after a lot of studying, and I think this was a good way to prove I was now focused on school. I have been accepted to Foster so far, have had several other interviews, and am waiting to hear back from the other schools I have applied to in rd 2.
congratulations... when did you applied for and interviewed with foster?
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I applied at the end of round 2, and interviewed 2 weeks ago. Heard back from them last week.
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Low Undergrad GPA Success Stories 26 Feb 2010, 00:16
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JesseT21
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JesseT21
I had a 2.8 as well, no Fs but I did have a D. I wrote an essay explaining a lot of personal issues I had gone through in college, and in my interviews I was very honest about how I didn't take education seriously. I ended up getting a 700 on the GMAT after a lot of studying, and I think this was a good way to prove I was now focused on school. I have been accepted to Foster so far, have had several other interviews, and am waiting to hear back from the other schools I have applied to in rd 2.
congratulations... when did you applied for and interviewed with foster?

I applied at the end of round 2, and interviewed 2 weeks ago. Heard back from them last week.
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that's so soon to hear a decision :) I interviewed with them last week. I applied on the deadline for the 3rd round- jan 15th. I hope I hear them soon. I am really curious...
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Low Undergrad GPA Success Stories 26 Feb 2010, 01:27
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westsew
I applied on the deadline for the 3rd round- jan 15th. I hope I hear them soon. I am really curious...
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Oh my mistake, it was round 3 for me as well, Jan. 15th. I think it was one week to the day that the person who I interviewed with called me and told me the good news. Good luck!
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Low Undergrad GPA Success Stories 26 Feb 2010, 02:14
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JesseT21
westsew
I applied on the deadline for the 3rd round- jan 15th. I hope I hear them soon. I am really curious...

Oh my mistake, it was round 3 for me as well, Jan. 15th. I think it was one week to the day that the person who I interviewed with called me and told me the good news. Good luck!
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thanks,
good luck to you also :)
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Low Undergrad GPA Success Stories 26 Feb 2010, 21:00
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I'll add my story too, although I consider it to be more of a work in progress rather than a success story (which is why I didn't post earlier). I have a 2.5 gpa in math from a top 15 school. I had an F or two, and a couple of Ds. I took a very ambitious schedule, but above all decided to focus on online poker rather than my studies. All day, all night, I was playing poker. Skipped class to play poker, missed assignments, etc. The story is awful, and I feel like a jerk telling it. I cleaned up my act, worked at 2 blue chip companies, have done meaningful work, and scored a 780 on my gmat. (As an aside, if you have a low gpa and low gmat, you really better have something very special [e.g. you played professional sports, founded a charity in Africa, or came up with the next facebook] to have a chance at the very top programs)

Anyway, I'm still waiting to hear from CMU (I had an interview and visited and liked it). My other decisions are in the books:

Accepted with scholarship to Emory,
Interviewed and rejected from Booth and Kellogg
Rejected without interview from HBS, Stanford, MIT
Not interviewed, but not officially rejected yet from Duke
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