GPA from GMAC - How authentic?

Question

Fellow experts, recently GMAC uploaded this guidance for candidates to convert their marks to a 4 point US GPA equivalent.

Now as per this guidance anyone with higher than 60% has a 4.0 GPA in US scale, and it has left me perplexed. I have a 6.9/10 Cumulative Performance Index, which translates to 66.53 percentage marks as per my University provided formula, i.e. First Division from the chart below. I was in the bottom 50% of my class with this score, and I intended to address this in my optional essay. I wasn't serious towards studies in my school, and I was working part-time for financial reasons.

However, if my GPA anyhow is as good as what GMAC suggests, i.e. 4.0

, there's no point in addressing it in optional essay.

Please guide.

Attachments

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, there's no point in addressing it in optional essay. Please guide.

AugustAcademy · Answer

There is some truth to this - WES also considers scores higher than 60% to be equivalent to a GPA of 4.0 on the 4.0 scale.

Having said this, we have observed that this is a score that could potentially be a low score in some Indian Universities (and high in others) - so a reasonable evaluation would take your university as well. This is the conclusion we've reached based on the data that we've collected at August Academy. I'm fairly certain schools would have quite a bit more data than us - and over a longer time period.

My recommendation, then, would be - if you belong to a university where the scores are traditionally high (Say Anna University, Osmania, etc. Even at the IITs a score fo 8+ merely places you in the top 30%), then write the optional - provided you have a good explanation. If you don't have a good explanation, then the point is moot.

If you belong to a university where you score is good, then don't worry about the optional essay.

Given that you clearly state that your score placed you in the bottom 50%, I would say the former applies in your case.

gmat2k17 · Answer

Hi Karthik,

Thank you very much for responding. 
Follow-up query on explanations - 
Supporting your family financially by taking part-time tuitions of more than 30 hours a week while studying is a good explanation? In addition, maturing as one ages and realizes the importance of giving his best to everything in life is a good explanation?

Also, I have tried to search through linkedin, but filtering with 'AND' criteria is not yet possible in Linkedin, and hence I haven't been able to figure out students who have gone onto study in US elite universities, particularly for MBA. I don't know a single person from recent batches who has gone to study for MBA abroad from my university. Many have preferred MS path, but none have taken the MBA route.
So when you say that universities know based on data over many years, how can one ascertain this fact?

AugustAcademy · Answer

GMAT2k17,

Supporting your family is a noble endeavor. Working 30 hours a week during college doesn't seem convincing, however. That implies that you would'nt have time to attend college, leave alone study after hours. There is a balance between helping your family, and not giving college work the importance it deserves.

The second is acceptable. It would help if you can demonstrate that you've matured using examples from your recent past.

About business schools having data about students from your college, that is just a hypothesis.

Best wishes,
Karthik

PersonalMBACoach · Answer

I tell most applicants not to convert their GPA/CGPA to a US equivalent. If you came from a school that is well known (or even somewhat well known) then I as well as the admissions teams know how the school grades. It is pretty clear that a 7.5 at some schools is really good (where the #1 in the class may only get an 8.2) while at other schools it would only be a half decent score. I wouldn't worry too much about this and instead report the score as you have it.

Good luck!

Best,
Scott

99Colleges · Answer

Hi gmat2k17,

To add, an overwhelming majority of schools advise to report GPA on the original scale (and not convert). And if any school wants a conversion, they prescribe a standard way to do it (otherwise there will be chaos, as the context of the GPA will be different from one University/ School to the other). They’ve plenty of historical data (from past applicants) and data from other sources to know what GPAs mean what. And, as you know, you should explain any valid reasons for a poor performance (which is relative to your class). You may find   this post   useful in this regard.

GPA from GMAC - How authentic?

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