Profile Thoughts (Low GPA) : Ask Admissions Consultants

doggdetroit

Manager

Joined: 01 Mar 2010

Posts: 107

Location: United States (FL)

Concentration: Finance, Nonprofit

Schools: Ross '16 (D) McCombs '16 (D) Marshall '16 (WA) McDonough '16 (M)

GMAT 1: 630 Q42 V34

GMAT 2: 640 Q42 V35

GMAT 3: 620 Q42 V34

GMAT 4: 700 Q45 V40

GPA: 2.71

WE:Underwriter (Other)

Profile Thoughts (Low GPA) [#permalink]

29 Mar 2010, 10:41

GMAT: 650, Q43 (67%,) V35 (73%,) AWA Unknown
GPA: 2.7

Educational Background: Attended small liberal arts college ranked in the top 75 according to US News. Majored in English. Didn't take any quantitative courses. Overall, didn't really take school too seriously hence the low GPA, including one F in a Spanish course. Studied abroad in Spain for a semester. Completed a junior year and senior year thesis paper as part of the college's graduation requirement. Interestingly, this capstone program is ranked as the #2 such program in the country behind only Princeton (again, according to US News.)

Extracurriculars: Played lacrosse for 4 years.

Work Experience: By the time I start applying to MBA programs in October, I will have had almost 5 full years of employment. All five years will have been with a community bank in Chicago where I have held various positions. Management experience is virtually non-existent as my jobs have been more customer service related.

Supplemental Transcript: Took an online accounting course through UCLA Extension and receievd an A. Also retook the same course that I got an F in, at Depaul University, and receieved an A. I plan on taking one more quant oriented corse as well.

I did a quick search on US News and Business Week, and came up with the following list of schools that I think I would have a good shot at:
Purdue
Texas A&M
Illinois
Vanderbilt
Maryland

My questions is whether I even have a good shot at these and if so, are these schools even worth getting an MBA from? Are there any other schools out there that would be a good fit for my profile?

vraptor

Manager

Joined: 25 Jul 2010

Posts: 81

Re: Profile Thoughts (Low GPA) [#permalink]

31 Dec 2010, 23:53

Low GPA is a possible show stopper!

StacyBlackman

Stacy Blackman Consulting Representative

Joined: 03 Nov 2010

Posts: 2558

Location: Los Angeles, CA

Re: Profile Thoughts (Low GPA) [#permalink]

14 Feb 2011, 10:55

Expert Reply

Hi doggdetroit,

With regards to your question, "are these schools even worth getting an MBA from?", the answer really depends on what you are looking to take from the experience. Many people feel that the MBA is the cure-all. But like anything, the MBA is not the end game, it’s just a means to an end, and certainly can be a very effective tool if used well and if appropriate for you.

You should consider your short- and long-term goals and figure out if the MBA will truly be an asset in helping you to get there. Admissions committees will be looking for this in your application.

With regards to other schools for your profile, it goes back to what you are looking for (post-graduation career, area focus, geographic location, etc.). Without this information it is difficult to recommend additional programs.

I hope this was of help.

Best,

Conrad and the Stacy Blackman Team
_________________

Stacy Blackman Consulting is the only MBA admissions firm with a complete panel of former Admissions Officers from every M7 program and the elite European MBA programs. If you are looking for guidance on your MBA application, we can help with hourly and comprehensive consulting services. Interested in a free 15-minute consultation with the Stacy Blackman Team? Contact us to learn more.

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bizschoolprep

Manager

Joined: 07 Jan 2011

Status:A-Z of MBA Admissions

Posts: 235

Location: Boston

Re: Profile Thoughts (Low GPA) [#permalink]

14 Feb 2011, 18:38

doggdetroit wrote:

GMAT: 650, Q43 (67%,) V35 (73%,) AWA Unknown
GPA: 2.7

Educational Background: Attended small liberal arts college ranked in the top 75 according to US News. Majored in English. Didn't take any quantitative courses. Overall, didn't really take school too seriously hence the low GPA, including one F in a Spanish course. Studied abroad in Spain for a semester. Completed a junior year and senior year thesis paper as part of the college's graduation requirement. Interestingly, this capstone program is ranked as the #2 such program in the country behind only Princeton (again, according to US News.)

Extracurriculars: Played lacrosse for 4 years.

Work Experience: By the time I start applying to MBA programs in October, I will have had almost 5 full years of employment. All five years will have been with a community bank in Chicago where I have held various positions. Management experience is virtually non-existent as my jobs have been more customer service related.

Supplemental Transcript: Took an online accounting course through UCLA Extension and receievd an A. Also retook the same course that I got an F in, at Depaul University, and receieved an A. I plan on taking one more quant oriented corse as well.

I did a quick search on US News and Business Week, and came up with the following list of schools that I think I would have a good shot at:
Purdue
Texas A&M
Illinois
Vanderbilt
Maryland

My questions is whether I even have a good shot at these and if so, are these schools even worth getting an MBA from? Are there any other schools out there that would be a good fit for my profile?

Your low GPA, in combination with lower Quant score in GMAT and liberal arts background, is going to raise adcom concerns about your quant skills to handle analytical nature of MBA coursework. You should definitely talk about your alternative transcript.

Second, choose your schools based on your career goals and not just by ranking. Check out this post titled"How to select the target business schools" to know more.

doggdetroit

Manager

Joined: 01 Mar 2010

Posts: 107

Location: United States (FL)

Concentration: Finance, Nonprofit

Schools: Ross '16 (D) McCombs '16 (D) Marshall '16 (WA) McDonough '16 (M)

GMAT 1: 630 Q42 V34

GMAT 2: 640 Q42 V35

GMAT 3: 620 Q42 V34

GMAT 4: 700 Q45 V40

GPA: 2.71

WE:Underwriter (Other)

Re: Profile Thoughts (Low GPA) [#permalink]

15 Feb 2011, 11:12

Since my original post has generated a few responses, I thought I would post an update to my situation...

The 650 GMAT score that I alluded to above was the result of my third attempt. Because of my low GPA I figured I would give it another shot. After getting a 620 on my 4th attempt in August, I contemplated throwing in the towel, but I didn't want to give up. Fortunately in December, I was able to break through after incorporating some unorthodox study strategies. Now, I possess a 700 GMAT score, and I am finishing up my round 3 applications.

Because I spent so much time and effort studying, I didn't have a chance to work on essays nor did I have an idea of what schools I wanted to apply to, since I was still holding out hope that I would get a higher score. Therefore, I wanted to make sure I put forth my best effort in terms of the application packages.

So now I'm going to be applying the following: NYU, UCLA, Michigan, USC, Texas, and Georgetown. My essays are just about done for NYU, Michigan, and USC. I would like to apply to the remaining three, all of which have later deadlines, but I still haven't decided whether I want to continue to slave away at writing all these essays, as they have proven to be quite daunting.

jordanhendrix

Current Student

Joined: 07 May 2010

Posts: 722

Re: Profile Thoughts (Low GPA) [#permalink]

15 Feb 2011, 11:29

^^^^ you may be better off applying next year.....
r3 is notoriously tough. especially at every school you mention (eh...maybe not Gtown)

People who are above the average in every metric get routinely rejected come round three.

Do you research before you burn some apps in r3 when you would 100% be better off applying r1 or r2 next year...

josiebella

Senior Manager

Joined: 01 Dec 2010

Posts: 267

Schools:CBS Class of 2013

Re: Profile Thoughts (Low GPA) [#permalink]

15 Feb 2011, 11:56

OK, I agree that you may be better off applying next year R1 rather than R3 when you already have some other concerns to address (i.e. GMAT and GPA.)

But the good news is - DO NOT let a bad statistic discourage you from reaching for your dream school. I have a 2.9 GPA and I didn't think I had a shot in hell at Columbia or NYU but I got into both. The secret is to do an exceptionally great job on the rest of the app (essays, extracurricular if you have them) and also to explain why you didn't have as good a GPA from college. Trust me on this - I didn't believe this when others told me but now I have evidence that it is true - schools do look at the whole picture, not just some numbers.

Also, if you have the time, maybe take some extra classes to build an "alternative transcript." That helped me I believe.

Good luck!

StacyBlackman

Stacy Blackman Consulting Representative

Joined: 03 Nov 2010

Posts: 2558

Location: Los Angeles, CA

Re: Profile Thoughts (Low GPA) [#permalink]

17 Feb 2011, 12:32

Expert Reply

doggdetroit,

I agree with Jordan above in regards to the Round 3 applications. Do not be discouraged by the results as the 3rd round can be notoriously difficult. I know your essays may be difficult, but do not underestimate their importance. Your essays and personal recommendations can separate your application for your peers.

I hope this was of help.

Conrad and the Stacy Blackman Team
_________________

Stacy Blackman Consulting is the only MBA admissions firm with a complete panel of former Admissions Officers from every M7 program and the elite European MBA programs. If you are looking for guidance on your MBA application, we can help with hourly and comprehensive consulting services. Interested in a free 15-minute consultation with the Stacy Blackman Team? Contact us to learn more.

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jordanhendrix

Current Student

Joined: 07 May 2010

Posts: 722

Re: Profile Thoughts (Low GPA) [#permalink]

17 Feb 2011, 12:51

on another note, some people may say apply now with figer crossed and see what happens....if someone were 28 and wanted to go this year than there are a few caveats:

Apply to some "more than safety schools" that you would actually go to. That the hardest thing with safety schools: picking one you like enough to actually go.

Be careful about sending in crappy apps/essays this year to any school you would reapply to next year if dinged. if NYU didn't give an interview the year before you have in some ways another hill to climb in their eyes.

Bottom line if you can wait until next year your chances go up significantly. all the rejects from harvard/stanford/wharton will be your comp.

gmatclubot

Re: Profile Thoughts (Low GPA) [#permalink]

17 Feb 2011, 12:51

Profile Thoughts (Low GPA)

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