Hello and thanks for your post.
The application process is truly holistic, and committees will look at your stats (GPA and GMAT), work experience, and extracurriculars.
Your GMAT of 710 and your HBS CORe do help to compensate for a lower-than-average GPA. But I agree that to gain admissions into your target schools, if you have the time, you should try to boost your quant profile even more. (You should certainly mention HBS CORe in your application, as that is the most impressive supplemental course you can take.) I would suggest you give the GMAT another try (or 2), as opposed to additional business courses. If you haven’t already, I suggest taking it up to 3-4 times. You have nothing to lose since schools will only look at your highest score. And even a slight increase can boost your profile. (And in general, two 710’s are actually better in the eyes of admissions than just one 710!) In your application, you may still want to illustrate to the schools that you have the academic ability to succeed in the classroom. You could showcase your quant ability in your resume, and your recommenders could do the same in their recommendations.
Your work experience has been impressive. Do your best to show you have made an impact and demonstrated leadership in your different roles. You can also illustrate the skills you already have which are transferable to consulting.
Regarding extracurriculars, make sure to really emphasize your leadership or impact you have had as President of the chapter; that is one aspect of your profile on which you can elaborate.
If you continue to strengthen your profile, you do have a chance at some of these schools, but they are extremely competitive, and each school simply does not have the room to admit all the world's qualified applicants. For that reason, I am glad to see that you will be applying to a range of schools. Hopefully at least one of them will see that you have a compelling story and are someone who will add value to the classroom and community.
If you would like to discuss your story or anything else in greater detail, please sign up for a free consultation or send me an email to
michael@mbamission.comGood luck!