LOW GPA: What you can do : The B-School Applications

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iVoRy

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Re: LOW GPA: What you can do [#permalink]

14 Mar 2016, 20:58

Accepted.com wrote:

iVoRy wrote:

Thank you for both of your answers, It been very helpful.
For now I think it'd best for me to focus on my gmat prep first and aiming for mid-700.

Accepted.com

As I did my undergrad in business. I have quite a few business related courses that I got A namely quantitative marketing research, marketing strategy, accounting and a few others. Do you think I'd benefited from taking courses in business related subject.

Edited As I read your article I think It might be a good idea to enroll a statistic or calculus course from local university.
May be I'll think about this again after I take GMAT.

I think it's a matter of time. Certainly a few recent A's in business courses can only help. On the other hand, if you had that upper trend, A's in quant courses, and earn an above average GMAT, then those recent A's are probably a little less important and then it's really a time-budgeting question. Where can you spend your time most effectively? If work is slow and you have the time for a class like this, do it. However if work is crazy or other commitments call and you're struggling to get the applications done, rely on the other elements.

I'm a big believer in the art of the possible. :-)

Linda

Accepted.com
Hi Linda,

A bit of a late follow-up.
After took GMAT I managed to score 700 (Q48, V38,IR5,AWA5)
It's not a mid 700 score that I was hoping for, but hopefully, it's good enough score.
Since there's still a bit more time before the R1 deadline.
I think I have to choose between 1) took some quant classes at local college/Online from UCLA extension 2) retake the GMAT and aim for 720-740.
With the time constraint, I think I can only choose one of them, which would you recommend?
Would appreciate your insights.
Thank you.

D

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Re: LOW GPA: What you can do [#permalink]

26 Mar 2016, 23:16

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iVoRy wrote:

Accepted.com wrote:

iVoRy wrote:

Thank you for both of your answers, It been very helpful.
For now I think it'd best for me to focus on my gmat prep first and aiming for mid-700.

Accepted.com

As I did my undergrad in business. I have quite a few business related courses that I got A namely quantitative marketing research, marketing strategy, accounting and a few others. Do you think I'd benefited from taking courses in business related subject.

Edited As I read your article I think It might be a good idea to enroll a statistic or calculus course from local university.
May be I'll think about this again after I take GMAT.

I think it's a matter of time. Certainly a few recent A's in business courses can only help. On the other hand, if you had that upper trend, A's in quant courses, and earn an above average GMAT, then those recent A's are probably a little less important and then it's really a time-budgeting question. Where can you spend your time most effectively? If work is slow and you have the time for a class like this, do it. However if work is crazy or other commitments call and you're struggling to get the applications done, rely on the other elements.

I'm a big believer in the art of the possible. :-)

Linda

Accepted.com
Hi Linda,

A bit of a late follow-up.
After took GMAT I managed to score 700 (Q48, V38,IR5,AWA5)
It's not a mid 700 score that I was hoping for, but hopefully, it's good enough score.
Since there's still a bit more time before the R1 deadline.
I think I have to choose between 1) took some quant classes at local college/Online from UCLA extension 2) retake the GMAT and aim for 720-740.
With the time constraint, I think I can only choose one of them, which would you recommend?
Would appreciate your insights.
Thank you.

Quant classes. They are safer and if you get A's you will show you know how to apply yourself in related coursework.

Linda

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StratusDonna

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Re: LOW GPA: What you can do [#permalink]

05 Apr 2017, 12:07

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Accepted.com wrote:

notadmin23 wrote:

Do schools care what classes you have taken?
Rest assured that adcoms will look at the rigor of your program! But if you take all physics classes and get "D's" that is still going to look bad. It is good to have some quant courses in your transcript even if you are an English major. So if you don't have quant, consider taking something like MBA Math or doing some university classes in business subjects like microeconomics, accounting, statistics or even calculus. One thing that can help for International students is that your gpa may not be counted in the overall ranking results because it is hard to standardize transcripts across countries. But also some intl pools are very competitive and so it helps to be higly ranked in your academic work to stand out in your pool. The short answer to Low GPA... what can you do... is knock the socks off the GMAT! The second best answer is to take quant classes at respected schools and get "A's" and the third best answer is to get your recommenders to comment on your quant skills. Or for the home run have all 3 to counter the low GPA. This is where admissions consultants can help you manage your weaknesses and submit the most compelling application you can under the circumstances. I had a client recently with lower GPA and test scores but excellent work experience. He put in very thoughtful essays, did well in the interview process and was accepted at a top M7 program despite less than ideal grades. He even had some low grades in quant courses but his work experience was superior and he highlighted his quant knowledge in his work examples. So nothing is impossible- yes the odds can be lower- but everything can be managed and the MBA admissions process is holistic so every part of you is considered.If some part is low, some other part should be higher.
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?

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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

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ankitnoida2018

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Re: LOW GPA: What you can do [#permalink]

05 May 2018, 10:52

I have below Average GPA. What kind of a GMAT score will help in offsetting that. I belong to BITS Pilani. Does coming from a reputed college has nay benefit?

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Re: LOW GPA: What you can do [#permalink]

11 May 2019, 21:07

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ankitnoida2018 wrote:

I have below Average GPA. What kind of a GMAT score will help in offsetting that. I belong to BITS Pilani. Does coming from a reputed college has nay benefit?

Hello ankitnoida2018,

This completely depends on the school you are targetting. Yes, a higher GMAT score will help offset your below average GPA. While a reputed college may benefit your overall case, you will still need to get a higher GMAT score to showcase to the Admissions Committee that you have the ability to adjust to the demands of a rigorous academic program.

Thanks.

All the best!

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Re: LOW GPA: What you can do [#permalink]

14 May 2019, 06:34

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ankitnoida2018 wrote:

I have below Average GPA. What kind of a GMAT score will help in offsetting that. I belong to BITS Pilani. Does coming from a reputed college has nay benefit?

Hi Ankit,

Many factors influence the admit decision: 1. your GPA, 2. GMAT score; 3. Work experience (career progression, quality of work exp, your achievements and impact created); 4. extracurricular involvement/achievements; and 5. overall profile strength among your pool of applicants.

Its a competitive world for MBA aspirants. Aim for a higggh GMAT score - its difficult to say exactly how much because I don't know the programs you are targeting, but generally speaking, it should be 30-40 points above the School's average GMAT score. BITS Pilani is a known college, but then so many alumni apply from there that its not going to give you any advantage, that too with a low GPA (and quite possibly, with no real reason for it).

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Gylmitul

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Re: LOW GPA: What you can do [#permalink]

17 Apr 2020, 05:36

Thanks for the info. However, as an Indian applicant, I want to understand what the typical process for converting a percentage score (I am from Delhi University where we do not get GPA) to a GPA is.

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Re: LOW GPA: What you can do [#permalink]

24 May 2020, 21:58

I'm interested in taking a couple of classes to show that competency. I just graduated from college and most of my college career I really struggled mentally. I found myself at a school where I didn't think I was a good fit. I'm not dumb but I just didn't put in enough effort. Got A in upper level stats courses but barely passes basic stats courses. I want to reach out and ask what courses I can take to mitigate this, does a community college act as a good platform? do they hold any weightage?

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Re: LOW GPA: What you can do [#permalink]

25 May 2020, 06:30

Not sure if anyone has points this out--its not exactly a mind-blowing realization--but in situations with a bad quant stat (GPA, GMAT, GRE) or 2...just play the numbers game and apply to 7-10 programs.

I've been reading applicants' admissions prospects rise from ~35% at a TOP-50 program to 75% just by submitting 3+ apps instead of 1...

Unless one's GPA and GMAT are god awful, with stats like that isn't admission nearly guaranteed with 10 applications?

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Re: LOW GPA: What you can do [#permalink]

03 Jun 2020, 08:15

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Hi StevenTimmonsXman, while I understand the strategy of spreading risk around by applying to multiple schools, I've seen it backfire when people apply to more than 5 (maybe 6 across R1 and R2). Having an authentic, well-researched understanding of each school to which you apply is critical to showcase in your application. It's very, very difficult to obtain this if you're trying to get to know 7-10 programs. Just my two cents.

StevenTimmonsXman wrote:

Not sure if anyone has points this out--its not exactly a mind-blowing realization--but in situations with a bad quant stat (GPA, GMAT, GRE) or 2...just play the numbers game and apply to 7-10 programs.

I've been reading applicants' admissions prospects rise from ~35% at a TOP-50 program to 75% just by submitting 3+ apps instead of 1...

Unless one's GPA and GMAT are god awful, with stats like that isn't admission nearly guaranteed with 10 applications?

G

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LOW GPA: What you can do [#permalink]

03 Jun 2020, 08:51

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Accepted.com wrote:

samkhat77 wrote:

I have a couple of additional questions.

I am looking at schools like Fuqua(Duke), McCombs (UT), Jones (Rice), and Goizueta (Emory). I got a 700 on the GMAT. Retaking in the next few months to see if I can do better. I have a 2.978 cumulative undergraduate GPA at a top state school with a very rigorous major. I have 4.5 years of work experience including the last 2.5 years at a very large company that is a giant in a very specific scientific market and Columbia Medical Center as a cancer researcher before that. Additionally, I manage 10+ individuals. I am a philanthropy chair member of my university alumni base as well as an chapter organizer for a global biotechnology organization where I manage another 3 individuals and oversee 250 members (quickly growing). My GPA is my biggest detractor by far.

1) Should I take an additional classes to show my readiness for business school? Would it still be helpful if I took this classes at a middle of the road state university or would an top 25 school be necessary?

2) If you had to guess, how much would my GMAT need to go up in order to be competitive?

I will be applying early action and round 1 for all the schools mentioned. Other schools that are close to medical centers and/or have a strong healthcare MBA program are my aim.

Thanks,

You may currently be competitive at Rice.

To answer your questions:

1) It would strengthen your profile and enhance your chances of acceptance if you would have a few recent A's in business-related classes, yes. Those classes can be at a local college and don't need to be at a top-25 university.
2) Your experience is good. Your GPA is somewhat low for Duke, McCombs, and Emory. You want your GMAT to be above average for those schools, to show you have the raw ability to succeed in business school. McCombs has the highest average GMAT of these programs at 700 (per BW), and Duke is very close behind at 697. I'd like to see it go up at least 20 point. The more the merrier.

Linda

This is true. We can’t change the past, but a bang on score with surely help us clear the barriers

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Re: LOW GPA: What you can do [#permalink]

07 Aug 2022, 19:17

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Re: LOW GPA: What you can do [#permalink]

07 Aug 2022, 19:17