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18 Dec 2008, 00:14
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I saw another thread about admission results and profile sharing here on this forum. All of the profiles have very good GMAT scores. It seems very discouraging for those who are applying to top B-schools with low GMAT scores. If you've been admitted to top B-schools with a GMAT score not higher than 650, please share your profile with us. I hope your profiles can give some encouragement to those who are beaten by the GMAT. 
Please follow the format as follows:
GMAT: 6XX (Q:XX, V:XX, AWA:X)
University attended:
Major(s):
GPA / Honours:
Nationality:
Age: (at matriculation)
Gender:
Work Experience: No. of Years / Industry / Role
Extra-curricular Activities:
Community Services:
Business Schools (Admitted):
Business Schools (Applied but Dinged):
What do you think is your biggest advantage?
e.g. Diversity, Leadership, Good Essays...
NO DISCUSSION!!
Please follow the format as follows:
GMAT: 6XX (Q:XX, V:XX, AWA:X)
University attended:
Major(s):
GPA / Honours:
Nationality:
Age: (at matriculation)
Gender:
Work Experience: No. of Years / Industry / Role
Extra-curricular Activities:
Community Services:
Business Schools (Admitted):
Business Schools (Applied but Dinged):
What do you think is your biggest advantage?
e.g. Diversity, Leadership, Good Essays...
NO DISCUSSION!!
Hey Guys/Gals,
I have a low undergrad GPA (2.99) and a low GMAT (650/44Q/35V/5.5AWA).
All in all, I applied to 8 schools (Kellogg, Tuck, Yale, Darden, McDonough, Kelley, Owen, Olin) and I was accepted to all of them. I also received significant scholarships (half tuition or full tuition) from 4 of them (Yale, Darden, Owen, McDonough).
My success, I believe, was a product of my research efforts and application strategy. Using my research on the GMAT Club and several other sources, I realized that I had several attributes that were appealing to admissions committees and I worked hard to highlight every one of them.
My approach:
Two and a half years ago, I realized that I wanted to attend graduate school. Specifically, I wanted to attend a competitive b-school program but I realized that my undergrad GPA was low. Therefore, I took graduate level classes within an MA in leadership and management program. I only took four classes within a year and a half period but I received a 3.75 GPA. I was able to highlight this GPA on my application to counter my undergrad GPA. Although I only took four classes, I argued that I earned good grades despite working full time as a general manager, dealing with several life changing events, and volunteering/etc...
About a year ago this month, I started researching b-schools in depth. I was addicted to the GMAT CLUB, BW Forums, the GMAC website to see GMAT statistics, books ("How to get into top B-school"), and 15 b-school websites. I also attended MBA Fairs and discovered groups like The Consortium. Basically, I was a research-a-holic last year.
Using my research, I decided to apply to the 8 schools I listed above. Given my low GPA and GMAT, I didn't know where I'd lie on the competitive ladder among b-school applicants. Therefore, I decided to apply to 1 top-5 school, 1 top-10, 2 top-15, and a couple of other programs that lied in the 15-35 range according to US News and BW rankings.
I then developed a very specific essay strategy that highlighted any and every attribute that I thought gave me a competitive advantage. My goal was to show that I was a success story, that I could succeed in any rigorous academic program, and that I would contribute to any b-school as a student and alum.
In my opinion, my positive attributes include: I'm a first generation hispanic/ I'm the first member of my family to pursue a graduate degree/ I'm in the Army and have deployed twice/ While I was at my undergrad institution- I was heavily involved in my student government as an elected officer/ I served as a tutor, Div 1 athlete, and as an elected and appointed club leader throughout my time in college / I continue to serve as a Class Officer for my undergrad alumni organization/ I earned a 3.75 GPA in graduate level courses despite losing two family members and working full time as a general manager. As a general manager, I received formal ratings that eventually placed me in the top 2% of my peer group. There were a couple of other small data points I added to my essays but you get the point.
When I was writing my essays, I tried to answer the unique questions of each b-school while inserting these attributes to develop a unique story of enduring success. After endless revisions to my b-school essays, I submitted all of my applications by Round 2 for each school. I applied to 5 schools through the Consortium and 3 schools independently.
Some other things that I believe helped me:
I visited every school to which I applied and I highlighted that fact during my interviews. I searched for "key" terms each admissions committee was likely looking for. In my opinion, some of these include: Olin: Research driven thinking/Kelley: family, community, involvement / Kellogg: collaboration, Look at their 4 pillars ie. Intellectual Depth, Diversity of thought.../ Tuck: loyalty, community, friendship, advantage of a b-school education in a rural setting (ie. less distractions, community, focus, etc.)/ Darden: Case Method, working on a team to solve cases, interactive classroom environment.
Every school has a unique community and academic experience that they want to sustain. Figure out what that is and show how you could contribute to it.
Many of you have pointed out that, unless you are an underrepresented minority, female, or have unique work experience, you may not be able to overcome a low GPA or GMAT. Overall, that may be true. However, there are no absolutes in this world. I think everyone has positive attributes that can make them look very competitive despite poor stats. I could have easily applied to less prestigious schools and have saved a lot of time & money in dropping my Kellogg, Tuck, Darden, and Yale applications. Also, had I failed to highlight my strengths to the admissions committee, I could have experienced multiple rejections that some applicants with very high GPAs and GMATs have experienced. In the end, it never hurts to fight for your candidacy and apply to the b-school programs you love.
Furthermore, I believe that, even as a minority, I still overcame major weaknesses in my application. I am certain that over 80% of the minority applicant pool at Kellogg had better stats than I did. It is rare to have both a low GPA AND low GMAT and get into a top 5 program.
Now that my application journey is over, I hope that this post will help some of you. I feel indebted to all of you who have contributed to GMAT Club and have educated me for the last couple of years.
Good luck on your applications!
-Via
I have a low undergrad GPA (2.99) and a low GMAT (650/44Q/35V/5.5AWA).
All in all, I applied to 8 schools (Kellogg, Tuck, Yale, Darden, McDonough, Kelley, Owen, Olin) and I was accepted to all of them. I also received significant scholarships (half tuition or full tuition) from 4 of them (Yale, Darden, Owen, McDonough).
My success, I believe, was a product of my research efforts and application strategy. Using my research on the GMAT Club and several other sources, I realized that I had several attributes that were appealing to admissions committees and I worked hard to highlight every one of them.
My approach:
Two and a half years ago, I realized that I wanted to attend graduate school. Specifically, I wanted to attend a competitive b-school program but I realized that my undergrad GPA was low. Therefore, I took graduate level classes within an MA in leadership and management program. I only took four classes within a year and a half period but I received a 3.75 GPA. I was able to highlight this GPA on my application to counter my undergrad GPA. Although I only took four classes, I argued that I earned good grades despite working full time as a general manager, dealing with several life changing events, and volunteering/etc...
About a year ago this month, I started researching b-schools in depth. I was addicted to the GMAT CLUB, BW Forums, the GMAC website to see GMAT statistics, books ("How to get into top B-school"), and 15 b-school websites. I also attended MBA Fairs and discovered groups like The Consortium. Basically, I was a research-a-holic last year.
Using my research, I decided to apply to the 8 schools I listed above. Given my low GPA and GMAT, I didn't know where I'd lie on the competitive ladder among b-school applicants. Therefore, I decided to apply to 1 top-5 school, 1 top-10, 2 top-15, and a couple of other programs that lied in the 15-35 range according to US News and BW rankings.
I then developed a very specific essay strategy that highlighted any and every attribute that I thought gave me a competitive advantage. My goal was to show that I was a success story, that I could succeed in any rigorous academic program, and that I would contribute to any b-school as a student and alum.
In my opinion, my positive attributes include: I'm a first generation hispanic/ I'm the first member of my family to pursue a graduate degree/ I'm in the Army and have deployed twice/ While I was at my undergrad institution- I was heavily involved in my student government as an elected officer/ I served as a tutor, Div 1 athlete, and as an elected and appointed club leader throughout my time in college / I continue to serve as a Class Officer for my undergrad alumni organization/ I earned a 3.75 GPA in graduate level courses despite losing two family members and working full time as a general manager. As a general manager, I received formal ratings that eventually placed me in the top 2% of my peer group. There were a couple of other small data points I added to my essays but you get the point.
When I was writing my essays, I tried to answer the unique questions of each b-school while inserting these attributes to develop a unique story of enduring success. After endless revisions to my b-school essays, I submitted all of my applications by Round 2 for each school. I applied to 5 schools through the Consortium and 3 schools independently.
Some other things that I believe helped me:
I visited every school to which I applied and I highlighted that fact during my interviews. I searched for "key" terms each admissions committee was likely looking for. In my opinion, some of these include: Olin: Research driven thinking/Kelley: family, community, involvement / Kellogg: collaboration, Look at their 4 pillars ie. Intellectual Depth, Diversity of thought.../ Tuck: loyalty, community, friendship, advantage of a b-school education in a rural setting (ie. less distractions, community, focus, etc.)/ Darden: Case Method, working on a team to solve cases, interactive classroom environment.
Every school has a unique community and academic experience that they want to sustain. Figure out what that is and show how you could contribute to it.
Many of you have pointed out that, unless you are an underrepresented minority, female, or have unique work experience, you may not be able to overcome a low GPA or GMAT. Overall, that may be true. However, there are no absolutes in this world. I think everyone has positive attributes that can make them look very competitive despite poor stats. I could have easily applied to less prestigious schools and have saved a lot of time & money in dropping my Kellogg, Tuck, Darden, and Yale applications. Also, had I failed to highlight my strengths to the admissions committee, I could have experienced multiple rejections that some applicants with very high GPAs and GMATs have experienced. In the end, it never hurts to fight for your candidacy and apply to the b-school programs you love.
Furthermore, I believe that, even as a minority, I still overcame major weaknesses in my application. I am certain that over 80% of the minority applicant pool at Kellogg had better stats than I did. It is rare to have both a low GPA AND low GMAT and get into a top 5 program.
Now that my application journey is over, I hope that this post will help some of you. I feel indebted to all of you who have contributed to GMAT Club and have educated me for the last couple of years.
Good luck on your applications!
-Via
30 Dec 2008, 22:33
Kudos
Bookmarks
Here is a post that I came across online from a guy who had a 610 GMAT, got wait-listed at Cornell and eventually admitted.
---------------------------------------
Sakira:
Ok guys, here's what I did. Lol maybe I shouldn't have picked a username that's my FIRST NAME, since there goes all anonymity haha.
I applied to Tuck (darmouth), Columbia, Tulane, Rice, and Cornell. But please keep in mind that I applied VERY LATE--at or after the last de@d lines for all of these schools. I do not suggest you do this--almost all of the seats are filled up by this time. I waited this long because I wanted more time to prepare for my GMAT, but in the end my score didn't go up much and packaging the rest of your application is much more important. I was rejected from Columbia and Dartmouth outright--this could be because of my GMAT, or it could be because of how late I applied. In the case of Tuck, they invite everyone to come interview beforehand and I never did that, so this could have hurt my case there too.
You have to treat your application like a marketing project. How will you market yourself? What are you trying to draw attention to? Don't just do the prototypical ap and hope they'll notice your strengths--draw attention to them, cleverly. I had a 2-prong strategy with my applications: use my essays to not necessarily sell them, but at least generate enough curiosity to nab an interview. Then use the interview to sell them. In the case of Johnson, they only allow 3 essays with 400 word counts, so this was difficult. They are not looking for flowery writing--they want to see what you can do in this limited space. It's like working on a commercial during the superbowl--you have a 30 second time slot to pitch to your market. How are you going to do it?
I was kind of a troubled kid when I was younger, so I used my optional essay to paint a very dramatic picture of that, but then used it to show how far I've come. When you do things like this, DO NOT MAKE EXCUSES, and ACCEPT RESPONSIBILITY for anything in your past. Then show how it made you a stronger person. You have to be yourself.
What helped me was a book called "How to get into Top MBA programs". There are a million sample essays in the back. The reason this is helpful is that you can see what EVERYONE else that is successful does--and then NOT do it. If you do this, you won't stand out, and if you have a lower GMAT score, you need to stand out on something else. Avoid the wording everyone uses, cliche phrases like "to gain broader perspective" or "I want to hone my skills". Everyone says things like that. Use your essays to really show them a little bit of yourself.
Use your personal unique experiences to show why you're a different candidate. You don't have to show you're better than everyone else--just show what's different about you. MBA Admissions teams want to build diverse classes and the more unique strenghts you bring, the more forgiving they will be if you aren't up to par on the conventional ones.
Lastly, apply a little psychology. Think about this from the admissions committee's perspective. They have to read thousands of essays on people trying to sell themselves. They get bored of all of the people bragging about the same thing. If you can hit an emotional cord with them, or make them smile or best of all laugh out loud, you've instantly made yourself stand out. But don't be fake or cheesy. Just be natural. Think about if you had to read a million essays on virtually the same thing. What would you appreciate? What would entertain you? What qualities would you look for if someone didn't have the highest GMAT or GPA?
An article that I highly suggest was written by a senior admissions rep at Virginia. Granted he doesn't work in MBA admissions, but I think this is great advice for ANY admissions essay-writing:
https://www.virginia.edu/undergradadmiss ... essay.html
One last note. I didn't get right in, I was waitlisted. Along with over 170 other people. Now I had to stand out more than ever before. In the case of Johnson, they accept updates on your grades, goals, recommendations, whatever. I knew everyone would do this--but I had to do it creatively. So I made them a brochure on why they should accept me, with pictures and such. It was just something different for them. I don't suggest everyone do this--now that it's already been done. But the point is, think of something creative and personal to do that's not flamboyantly over the top.
I also got into Tulane with a scholarship. You'll find that in general some sschools appreciate creativity and unique experiences more than others. MBA programs really are about fit. Do your research and see which ones jive best with your personality. Another one I interviewed at was Rice--and honestly, that was a terrible experience for me. I had a student interviewer, and we didn't connect at all. The interview was awkward and uncomfortable, while my interviews at Tulane and Johnson were conversational and full of laughs. The program at Rice seemed Rigid, the students seemed conservative, and most of their candidates work in the oil industry. That's the antithesis of me: a little entrepreneur, an environmentalist, and a huge liberal. How well you connect with other students is important, and this comes across in your interview.
On a side note, the Rice application process was generally a miserable experience. They don't respond to emails, they're rude on the phone, and they're disorganized. When you go to their info sessions the adcom says feel free to call but if you do you'll never get past the front desk. They didn't even give me a decision until over a week after the date they were supposed to. Johnson, on the other hand, was amazingly responsive, very efficient, and extremely warm and approachable. Tulane was a great experience too. I highly recommend you tailor the schools you're applying to in light of what your strengths and goals are and not just look at names and rankings. This will give you much more to say in your essays and interviews.
This whole MBA process has been a HUGE learning experience for me. I didn't even tell my parents I applied at first because my dad was so convinced I didn't have a chance. But I wanted to take a chance, and along the road I found so many people that supported and believed in me. I've never felt more confident about a decision I've made in life. I really feel like the adcom at Johnson got to know me personally and accepted me for that, and that's a great feeling. It shouldn't have to be about them taking you because of some frosted image you put on. I encourage all of you to think about what's uniquely positive about you, and then sell it. I'll be happy to answer any other questions you have.
Good luck everybody!!
-------------------------------------------------------------
---------------------------------------
Sakira:
Ok guys, here's what I did. Lol maybe I shouldn't have picked a username that's my FIRST NAME, since there goes all anonymity haha.
I applied to Tuck (darmouth), Columbia, Tulane, Rice, and Cornell. But please keep in mind that I applied VERY LATE--at or after the last de@d lines for all of these schools. I do not suggest you do this--almost all of the seats are filled up by this time. I waited this long because I wanted more time to prepare for my GMAT, but in the end my score didn't go up much and packaging the rest of your application is much more important. I was rejected from Columbia and Dartmouth outright--this could be because of my GMAT, or it could be because of how late I applied. In the case of Tuck, they invite everyone to come interview beforehand and I never did that, so this could have hurt my case there too.
You have to treat your application like a marketing project. How will you market yourself? What are you trying to draw attention to? Don't just do the prototypical ap and hope they'll notice your strengths--draw attention to them, cleverly. I had a 2-prong strategy with my applications: use my essays to not necessarily sell them, but at least generate enough curiosity to nab an interview. Then use the interview to sell them. In the case of Johnson, they only allow 3 essays with 400 word counts, so this was difficult. They are not looking for flowery writing--they want to see what you can do in this limited space. It's like working on a commercial during the superbowl--you have a 30 second time slot to pitch to your market. How are you going to do it?
I was kind of a troubled kid when I was younger, so I used my optional essay to paint a very dramatic picture of that, but then used it to show how far I've come. When you do things like this, DO NOT MAKE EXCUSES, and ACCEPT RESPONSIBILITY for anything in your past. Then show how it made you a stronger person. You have to be yourself.
What helped me was a book called "How to get into Top MBA programs". There are a million sample essays in the back. The reason this is helpful is that you can see what EVERYONE else that is successful does--and then NOT do it. If you do this, you won't stand out, and if you have a lower GMAT score, you need to stand out on something else. Avoid the wording everyone uses, cliche phrases like "to gain broader perspective" or "I want to hone my skills". Everyone says things like that. Use your essays to really show them a little bit of yourself.
Use your personal unique experiences to show why you're a different candidate. You don't have to show you're better than everyone else--just show what's different about you. MBA Admissions teams want to build diverse classes and the more unique strenghts you bring, the more forgiving they will be if you aren't up to par on the conventional ones.
Lastly, apply a little psychology. Think about this from the admissions committee's perspective. They have to read thousands of essays on people trying to sell themselves. They get bored of all of the people bragging about the same thing. If you can hit an emotional cord with them, or make them smile or best of all laugh out loud, you've instantly made yourself stand out. But don't be fake or cheesy. Just be natural. Think about if you had to read a million essays on virtually the same thing. What would you appreciate? What would entertain you? What qualities would you look for if someone didn't have the highest GMAT or GPA?
An article that I highly suggest was written by a senior admissions rep at Virginia. Granted he doesn't work in MBA admissions, but I think this is great advice for ANY admissions essay-writing:
https://www.virginia.edu/undergradadmiss ... essay.html
One last note. I didn't get right in, I was waitlisted. Along with over 170 other people. Now I had to stand out more than ever before. In the case of Johnson, they accept updates on your grades, goals, recommendations, whatever. I knew everyone would do this--but I had to do it creatively. So I made them a brochure on why they should accept me, with pictures and such. It was just something different for them. I don't suggest everyone do this--now that it's already been done. But the point is, think of something creative and personal to do that's not flamboyantly over the top.
I also got into Tulane with a scholarship. You'll find that in general some sschools appreciate creativity and unique experiences more than others. MBA programs really are about fit. Do your research and see which ones jive best with your personality. Another one I interviewed at was Rice--and honestly, that was a terrible experience for me. I had a student interviewer, and we didn't connect at all. The interview was awkward and uncomfortable, while my interviews at Tulane and Johnson were conversational and full of laughs. The program at Rice seemed Rigid, the students seemed conservative, and most of their candidates work in the oil industry. That's the antithesis of me: a little entrepreneur, an environmentalist, and a huge liberal. How well you connect with other students is important, and this comes across in your interview.
On a side note, the Rice application process was generally a miserable experience. They don't respond to emails, they're rude on the phone, and they're disorganized. When you go to their info sessions the adcom says feel free to call but if you do you'll never get past the front desk. They didn't even give me a decision until over a week after the date they were supposed to. Johnson, on the other hand, was amazingly responsive, very efficient, and extremely warm and approachable. Tulane was a great experience too. I highly recommend you tailor the schools you're applying to in light of what your strengths and goals are and not just look at names and rankings. This will give you much more to say in your essays and interviews.
This whole MBA process has been a HUGE learning experience for me. I didn't even tell my parents I applied at first because my dad was so convinced I didn't have a chance. But I wanted to take a chance, and along the road I found so many people that supported and believed in me. I've never felt more confident about a decision I've made in life. I really feel like the adcom at Johnson got to know me personally and accepted me for that, and that's a great feeling. It shouldn't have to be about them taking you because of some frosted image you put on. I encourage all of you to think about what's uniquely positive about you, and then sell it. I'll be happy to answer any other questions you have.
Good luck everybody!!
-------------------------------------------------------------
to all of you still trying! There is hope! 
