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zacdaniels
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Starting to worry 02 Feb 2011, 17:46
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I've applied to four MBA programs and am wondering if I should apply to some more.
I'm a non-traditional applicant: AB in Political Theory from top 20 liberal arts college (GPA: 3.6), law degree from top 20 law school (with a low GPA: 2.9). Have only one semester of quant work in my toolbelt: Calc I (A). 730 on the GMAT.
Want to lead a nonprofit (currently working in the nonprofit/gov't world).
I've noticed that invites have gone out for R2 interviews and I haven't heard anything which contributes to my wondering if I should shoot some R3 apps out.
Is it likely that my Law School GPA is going to sink me at HYSC? Given the low grad school gpa, which is obviously more recent than my college grades, should I start focusing on places like Texas A&M, Maryland, etc?
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hamsandwich
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Starting to worry 02 Feb 2011, 18:38
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HYSC as in harvard, yale, stanford, columbia?

Not to talk down to you, but even without the low law school gpa, a 3.6 undergrad gpa and a 730 gmat is not going to stand out at those schools. Plus, going to business school after going to grad school already for law is a red flag regardless of what grades you got. If you're willing to go to an A&M or Maryland, then sure, but I would just wait it out one more year and put together a better list of schools and plan for next year.
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arindamcanada
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Starting to worry 02 Feb 2011, 21:34
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I would slightly disagree with hamsandwich here. I think this forum has enough evidence with high GMAT scores and high GPAs being rejected without interview. I think for you it is important to weigh in what went wrong this time and see if you can build up on it via some other work like extra curricular, non profit that makes you stand out among fellow applicants. The ONLY way you will not get into a top 10 school is if you DO NOT apply so do not be discouraged though I do recommend applying to 1 backup school. Apart from that IMHO your chances of going to H W S C Y are as good as anyone one else because on this forum we do not know how people write their essays.
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runnergirl
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Starting to worry 03 Feb 2011, 08:29
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Zac- I think it's premature for you to worry at this point. Harvard invites have not even gone out yet, no one on the forum that applied to Columbia in January has yet gotten an interview invite, and Stanford dribbles out invites until late March.

There are plenty of other great schools with emphasis on non-profit management and social enterprise, like Kellogg and Duke, that you could look into for Round 3. If I were you, I would busy myself researching these and other schools that might be a good fit to see what Round 3 deadlines look like. You might want to think about whether it makes more sense to wait for Round 1 next year.

As a non-traditional applicant with a law degree, you have to work extra hard to demonstrate fit and why you NEED an MBA. Your career goals are in this respect very important. You should be confident that your story makes sense before pursuing further applications. In any case, you have at least a few weeks before you'll know for sure what your admission decisions at HYSC are. Good luck!
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globalcitizen
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Starting to worry 04 Feb 2011, 07:01
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I actually think that your profile will stand out because its different. After going through this whole application process myself, I am convinced that everything comes down to your essays. As runnergirl stated, if you made a strong case for why you need an mba, why from X school, and why YOU are the person to achieve your goals, you'll be fine! Also, I would honestly take whatever anyone else, including admissions consultants, says about your profile with a grain of salt. Most of the admissions consultants on these forums told me that my stats (680 gmat, 3.7 gpa) wouldn't cut it for a top bschool, but I decided to take the "go big or go home" approach. I spent about 3 months writing essays and low and behold, I got my first choice (CBS) in the end.

Be confident in your "story" and don't worry. Your unique profile, alone, will make you stand out!