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gijoedude
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Joined: 17 May 2010
Last visit: 13 Jul 2013
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GMAT 1: 710 Q47 V40
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Profile Evaluation- Railroads 04 Jan 2011, 11:55
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Hi All,

Here is my profile:

Age: 23
GMAT: N/A
GPA: 2.6
Major/School: Electrical engineering/School ranked between top 5-10 in North America in the last few years.
Work exp: 2 years at the time of application in railroad industry in an engineering/project management role. F500 company.
Post MBA career: Transportation banking (ideally at MS/GS or Macquarie Group).
ECs: Strong

Targeting:
Tier 1 (H/S/W): Stanford
Tier 2 (Rest of M7): Tuck, Booth
Tier 3 (Rest): Stern/Columbia, Ross/Duke, Ivey (in Canada)

Assuming a GMAT of 700+, am I realistic in my school choices and goals?

Thanks for your time!
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jordanhendrix
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Profile Evaluation- Railroads 05 Jan 2011, 13:22
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Ok,
SO at your age GPA is more important than someone with 10 years experience. That GPA will be an automatic ding form almost every school you listed. You need to strengthen your profile. Take some more classes (get A's), distance yourself form your 2.6 GPA with a couple years of WE. Your well below average age at most b-schools so wait it out, get stronger and calm the ad coms nerves about your drive and maturity (usually what low GPA indicates).

Google the turn alternative transcript. Things can be turned around for you, its a lot of work and M7s are almost certainly impossible without some ridiculous story or connections.

Sorry but thats they way it is for most cases like this.
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method
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Location: United States (MO)
Concentration: Nonprofit, General Management
Schools: Michigan (Ross) - Class of 2015
GRE 1: Q170 V166
GPA: 3.22
WE:Management Consulting (Non-Profit and Government)
Schools: Michigan (Ross) - Class of 2015
GRE 1: Q170 V166
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Profile Evaluation- Railroads 07 Jan 2011, 15:48
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Agree. Maybe if you knocked out a 750+ GMAT things could be brighter, but you are throwing money away by applying to those schools. Ross is probably your best U.S. chance from the schools listed, but you should take some extra classes and earn As.
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gijoedude
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Profile Evaluation- Railroads Updated on: 15 Apr 2011, 11:09
Originally posted by gijoedude on 06 Apr 2011, 10:50.
Last edited by gijoedude on 15 Apr 2011, 11:09, edited 1 time in total.
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-Edited-
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method
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Status:Go Blue!
Location: United States (MO)
Concentration: Nonprofit, General Management
Schools: Michigan (Ross) - Class of 2015
GRE 1: Q170 V166
GPA: 3.22
WE:Management Consulting (Non-Profit and Government)
Schools: Michigan (Ross) - Class of 2015
GRE 1: Q170 V166
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Profile Evaluation- Railroads 06 Apr 2011, 11:16
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Accounting or finance might be good courses because they would have at least some indicative value of your performance in MBA coursework. They would also help you hit the ground running a little faster. I don't think the issue is your quantitative strength. If anything, your GMAT Q score will be a strong signal of that. It's just an outright low GPA, and of course we don't know anything about the trendline, which courses didn't go so well, or why things didn't go so well.

You currently have two major weak points, which are your undergraduate GPA and just 2 years of work experience. Time will improve both of those. If you're set on applying this year, maybe look at some schools like Carnegie Mellon and Cornell which are good finance schools that have significantly lower GPA bell curves than their peers.

Ultimately, though, you know your own story best. If your project management work experience is killer, your recs are killer, you slaughter the GMAT, and you have a sick story to tell, then nothing is ever truly out of reach. Apply to the schools you really want, and if you get in: great! If not, bulk up another year and try again.
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gijoedude
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Profile Evaluation- Railroads 11 Apr 2011, 08:05
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method
Accounting or finance might be good courses because they would have at least some indicative value of your performance in MBA coursework. They would also help you hit the ground running a little faster. I don't think the issue is your quantitative strength.
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Oh I see. This is what I was concerned about. Whenever I read articles about alternate transcripts I found that their main point was: take a calculus course (or two) to prove that you can handle the 'rigorous' MBA curriculum and to lay to rest any doubt about your quantitative ability.

I was confused as I had already taken 5 different math courses as an engineering major and wasn't sure whether I still needed to demonstrate my 'quant' abilities. If I need to take a course or two (and score well) to show that I am not the immature person I was back in university I see the point.

My GPA is trending up from second year: 2.6 in first year, 2.3 in 2nd year, 2.6 in 3rd year and 2.9 in 4th year for a CGPA of 2.6.

Thanks so much for your time!