Profile Evaluation: 3.1GPA, 690, B-School in 3 to 4 years

Question

Hi,

First of all, thank you for taking the time to read this and offer your advice. As I take upon this journey, all of this expertise is really invaluable to me.

Male, 26, in Chicago, Illinois

GMAT: 690, Q48, V37, AWA6, IR7

Undergrad: B.S. in Integrated Mathematics, 3.1 from Ohio Dominican University

Work Experience (in order):
-1 year as a high school and middle school math teacher
-Intern, SQL Server Developer
-1 year as a Quality Assurance Analyst for the City of New York
-1 year as a promoted, Management Analyst for the City of New York, directing new technology, reporting, database and management initiatives for a new, prominent New York City division.
-Currently a Senior Business Analyst for a well known e-commerce company.

Additional Skills (to name a few)
-SQL
-Tableau
-Microstrategy
-R
-VBA
-IBM Cognos
-Salesforce
-Data Modeling, Mining, Analytics
-Relational Databases and Database Solutions
-Business Intelligence and Enterprise Reporting Tools
-Employee Training, Teaching and Coaching
-Business Operations and Process Optimization
-Quality Assurance and Data Governance
-Software Development Life Cycle, UAT, Regression Testing

Additional Experiences:
-8 years of lacrosse coaching
-Volunteered on multiple humanitarian trips to orphanages in Mexico, impoverished Mississippi and inner city Chicago.

MBA Goal:  I would like to get into a top 20 school, preferably a top 10 school, with my eye on a school like Tuck, Darden, Yale, and Fuqua. However, with a low GPA from a no name school, I was hoping for a much higher GMAT score but was disappointed to get a 690. I know it's still a good score, but I am not sure how much it can counter-way my undergrad performance.

Having taken the GMAT, I actually do not want to pursue an MBA anytime soon, and am thinking of applying in around 3 to 4 years from now. I currently have a great job for a great company, and feel that not only do I want to enjoy the opportunities that I have now, but that adding three or four more years to my professional experience and progression would make me much more attractive and strengthen my chances (I feel that being a Senior Business Analyst for a large e-commerce company is in and of itself attractive). I am wondering, however, what aspects of waiting / applying to schools with a 690 score 3 or 4 years from now will hurt me. Will a 690 hold less weight 3 to 4 years from now than it does now? I've also read that schools like to have a more recent GMAT score relative to the time you apply, and having an older GMAT score may end up hurting you.

With all this being said, I am curious what my prospects are in the crystal ball of 3 to 4 years from now. Do I have realistic chances at schools such as Tuck, Darden, Yale and Fuqua, and what other schools would I be best to consider that would be more willing to look at my profile / what schools would I be a strong candidate for?

Thanks, you're awesome!
Jimmy

WyseGyde · Answer

Jimmy,

You're right in identifying your GPA as a potential hurdle you need to overcome. Even if you majored in a quantitative field, it is still relatively low and your application may need some additional posturing to defend it. Was it low because of some personal issues? Was it at its lowest when you started school and then you showed significant improvement? These are all possibilities that you can work into your narrative to help support your low GPA--not all low GPAs are created equal.

While 690 is certainly a good score, you are right in identifying that you may need something higher to help offset the lower GPA for admission to Top 10 programs. We recommend taking the GMAT again, especially if you are not looking to apply for 3-4 years. Furthermore, your GMAT score is somewhat imbalanced, so boosting your verbal score is what you should target and may make studying for it again even easier.

And with that said, a few points on your application timeline:
1) Yes, 3-4 years can be very helpful to professionally pad your resume. In that time, though, you need to engage in and demonstrate leadership in your workplace. So, if you're a senior business analyst or are promoted in that time, you need to take on more responsibilities and demonstrate leading groups and individuals. MBA programs not only want to see development/advancement in your title but also advancement in your responsibility load, and it looks excellent if you proactively seek out new challenges. Also look to explore leadership challenges outside of work.
2) You're correct in that there is a finite amount of time that the GMAT score is usable. But more to your point, is your score relevant in 3-4 years? Let's put it this way: if you are already not entirely pleased with your score, how good do you think you'd feel about it in 3-4 years? We suggest you study for it again and take it closer to the time that you will be applying.
3) The average age for MBA entrants at schools is 27/28. You are only one year shy of that right now. Age is factored into admissions decisions, especially depending on what your post-MBA career goals are.
4) In 3-4 years, the average MBA profile may have changed very significantly, so that is a variable tough to take into consideration in terms of evaluating your profile for the future. (For instance, some programs are exploring additional opportunities to admit younger applicants and maybe you'll skew even older than average for a class.)

While you may have chances of admissions at all the programs you referenced, your GMAT, GPA, and professional experience will make it rather difficult. You can't control your GPA anymore. But you can control your GMAT and your professional experience. Strengthening those in the coming years will serve you well and boost your chances of admission (We hesitate providing you additional Top 25 schools that you may want to explore without knowing your long-term career goals. Can you provide those to us so we can help you further?)

If you have any further questions, feel free to contact us through our website (https://www.wysegyde.com) or by email directly (contact@wysegyde.com) and we'll be sure to set you up with one of our qualified consultants for a free initial consultation--we're only $59/hour after that. (You're welcome to check out our blog on Poets & Quants https://poetsandquants.com/2015/11/05/how-wysegyde-is-hacking-the-price-of-admissions-consulting/) We have experience working with clients who are as far as 3 years from applying--as you know, it's never too early to start.

- WyseGyde

jimmygm23 · Answer

Thank you Wysegyde, this is really insightful.

In terms of career goals, I am most interested in pursuing a post -mba role in consulting (maybe for only a couple years) and / or operations (especially in regards to operation management for tech and eCommerce companies while using my analytic background). I think in the end I would really be interested in becoming a COO or CEO, whether it is a company that I start myself or a smaller growing company, or one existing. Given this, and I continue to grow my resume and maybe leadership opportunities outside of work as well, what schools do you think would be safe for me, I would be competitive at, and would be a bit of a stretch? (As you mentioned, I know in three to four years from now things can change quite a bit so this would be flexible). Would I be a stronger candidate for international schools, such as IMD, London Business School, Oxford, etc?

WyseGyde · Answer

Jimmy,

We still highly recommend retaking the GMAT, particularly to boost your verbal score. With such a long lead time before you begin applying, it is definitely feasible. Look to reach 730 or beyond to help support your low undergrad GPA. But we want to be clear that a high GMAT is not a cure-all in this case.

Additional work experience is likely going to work to your advantage if you are looking to pursue a general management/operations/consulting route. That being said, demonstrating valuable work experience with leadership opportunities is going to be critical for your admissions prospects. Although you seem to excel on the analytical side of things, you need to be proactive about finding opportunities for leadership in your professional life to support your post-MBA C-suite goals.

Furthermore, if you are looking to pursue entrepreneurial opportunities after your MBA, look to demonstrate a track record of that entrepreneurial spirit now. Think of admissions into MBA programs in this way: the programs are making an investment in you and would like to see a sizable return on their investment. One way schools like to evaluate their investments is based on past performance. So, will you have done enough in your past performance to convince the top programs in the world that you are better than the other investment opportunities available on the market?

At present, it doesn’t seem like any Top 25 schools should be considered safety schools, and Top 10 schools are definitely more stretch/reach schools. But remember: time is working to your advantage in terms of opportunities to boost your GMAT and pad your professional resume. Be on the continual lookout for mentors who may help you professionally and also provide attractive letters of recommendation. It also doesn’t seem like applying to the international programs you referenced will significantly enhance your chances of admissions, based on your present qualifications—they will continue to be possible but not necessarily likely or safe.

When you’re looking at safety schools, think of what region you’d like to pursue your post-MBA career in. Many MBA programs outside the Top 25 have regional strengths and you may find a wealth of career opportunities within the particular region.

We’re happy to continue helping you in any way we can. We can continue the conversation on this platform or feel free to email us at contact@wysegyde.com (or connect with us on our website https://www.wysegyde.com).

Please let us know if you have any questions. We look forward to talking with you more.

- WyseGyde

Admissionado · Answer

Jimmy,
Good to hear from you!
I got a few words of advice for you which should help you improve your chances:
1. Don't wait 4-5 years, but 2. This will put you at the optimal age for applying
2. Retake the GMAT is you can do better. These days Top school average GMATs are going northwards of 720, and if you have a similar score it will help LOTS
3. In the meanwhile do EVERYTHING you can to improve your profile - this means seeking out more leadership, adding more community service, being more active.
4. Additionally, when you listed your skills you listed a lot of Tech skills. If you want to succeed in B-school you will need to re-conceive of yourself as a LEADER. The tech stuff matters less than the people from here on.

I hope this helps!
Best,
Jon

VeritasPrepDozie · Answer

I would not wait more than 2 years to apply to school with your profile and age. Also, you will need to re-take the GMAT to reach your goals. You are below the average scores for all the programs listed so with that coupled with your low GPA does not set you up well now or in 3-4 years. Particularly since you are looking for a career in management consulting an industry that target students with 700+ score you are putting yourself at a disadvantage both in the application process and the recruiting process.

GeneralEducation · Answer

Hi Jimmy,

Your work experience and extracurriculars are quiet good. The list of B-Schools you have shortlisted are good but your GPA and GMAT Score are below average to apply in such high ranked Business Schools. I would definitely recommend you to retake your GMAT to improve your chances of getting selected in the list of B-Schools you have mentioned above.

You may also gauge your chances of getting admission to top business school by trying this amazing tool  https://bit.ly/1C9o2Md

Hope this helps.

Cheers,

Profile Evaluation: 3.1GPA, 690, B-School in 3 to 4 years

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