Messed up my undergrad

Question

Hi
I did B.Tech in Mechanical engineering from SRM University. However I messed up my grades second and third year and my cgpa fell to 4.5/10. Ended up clearing 13 backlogs in my final year as well as got a good grade for my thesis. As a result, my cgpa rose to 6.6 ( First class).

I am currently scoring 670 on my mocks and have been working for my family business for the past 2 years.

So here’s my dilemma: Should I aim for a 700+ GMAT and then apply to top European programs next year or should I apply this year with a score of 670-680 to a second tier program?

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bb · Answer

I don't know

Only you can decide what's better or what works.... however, nothing (except effort) stops you from trying to apply this year to see your chances. In general a combination of working for family business and low GPA is a bad combo.

MBAPrepCoach · Answer

ziyadttp  I would recommend you put applying for an MBA this year out of your mind completely and to be honest, I think you should wait TWO years. I agree with BB; family business and bad GPA is a bad combo made so much worse by you belonging to an overrepresented profile group.

Then on top of that, your GMAT is really pretty bad for your profile group; I would not recommend you even think about schools where the average GMAT is over 650.

Would recommend that you  GET INTERESTING  over the next two years, increasing the depth of your interests and passions which distinguish you from the competition. become a multifaceted applicant, join toastmasters, become active in the community and take a leadership role where you can have a positive impact.

Of course, also make sure to have a quantifiable impact in the family business as well, and search out recommenders who can speak to that. There is a lot of work to be done, and it would likely be a waste of money and missed opportunity for you to go to a third rate school when you are still young and can improve your profile, positioning yourself for a better school.

This article contains 10 tips on improving your profile pre-MBA:  https://mbaessaycoaching.com/category/pre-mba

Cheers and good luck!
Farrell

MG4MBACrystalBall · Answer

ziyadttp , other than the aspects shared here already, also bear in mind that the   average experience   is in the 4-5 years range for most top school; even more at European programs.

Given the   GPA issue  , apart from GMAT, you should also look for ways to tackle it.

Finally, also bear in mind that for European programs, it is always very useful to have some   international exposure   too.

Hope this steers you in the right direction.

Cheers,

ziyadttp · Answer

Thank you all for your advice. I’ve been under pressure to apply this year but I’m going to wait and apply next year. 
Loved the suggestion about toastmasters but unfortunately they don’t have a chapter in my town.
 MG4MBACrystalBall  As you mentioned that I have to look at ways others than GMAT to make up for the low CGPA, do you think good grades in one or two quant intensive courses from LSE will help?

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MBAPrepCoach · Answer

ziyadttp  I would recommend investing in an alt transcript, namely HBXCORe

MG4MBACrystalBall · Answer

ziyadttp , I would second that. 1-2 courses wouldn't make much of a difference frankly. You'd need to show a bigger effort.

Messed up my undergrad

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