Admissionado
Joined: 30 Nov 2009
Posts: 9211
Location: Chicago, IL
Schools:Brown University, Harvard Business School
Re: Low GPA, 750 GMAT.. Supplemental Courses?
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15 Dec 2018, 11:52
I don't think supplemental courses are really going to help your candidacy & I don't recommend investing your energy there. Here's what I would say:
1) What is the reason for the low GPA? Were there an external circumstances (illness, family or financial issues, etc) that contributed? If so, you can mention these in the optional essay. If it was just a matter of not taking school seriously, there are still ways to speak to that in the optional essay (although you want to be careful about how you phrase it). Either way, you can point to your later semesters and, most importantly, your work experience as better evidence of your abilities. Which brings me to #2...
2) You really need more work experience. My advice would actually be to wait & actually apply in two years rather than one, especially if you want to target these top schools. It will depend on what you did of course, but on the surface, the doctors office experience sounds like a job that the adcom might not see as all that relevant. (An exceptionalities might be if you plan to go into a health-related industry following b-school). The wealth management experience on the other hand sounds great, and if you could get two more years of experience in that and THEN apply (especially if you can get a promotion somewhere in there) THAT will be what really helps outweigh the low GPA. Your GMAT helps compensate for sure, and that paired with 3 solid years (upon entering) of work experience in a solidly business role would really make the difference in your candidacy. More work experience will also give you more to talk about in essays & will help you formulate your post-MBA goals.
A lot of this WILL depend on your goals. If your post-MBA goals have nothing to do with wealth management, then it might make sense to get some other kind of work experience in the next two years that DOES relate to your goals. But either way, that work experience (including demonstrated impact/results on your end) is going to be the key to overcoming concerns about your GPA.
Hope that helps!