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28 Apr 2025, 11:23
Kudos
Bookmarks
Hi All,
I'm looking to apply for the 2026 start dates, and looking to get ahead of my obvious weakness. I'm not looking at T7 because I'm simply not that smart.
GMAT Focus: 655
Undergrad GPA: 2.7 from a bang average school
Work Experience: 6 years will be 7 by the time school would start
-6 years corporate finance
-budget analysis, forecasting, accounting, P&L, balance sheets, etc.. Basic corporate finance gig
-1 external promotion from moving companies, and 1 internal promotion to a managerial role overseeing individual(s)
I've been told to look in to Harvard Core program to create the so called alternative transcript. I have seen many mixed/negative reviews on this. Would it be worth taking? Are there similar programs that might be more cost effective? If you're someone who's taken it, what's your review on the actual time commitment while working, outcome, do you think it helped, etc..?
It's been hard to gauge what schools are actually within reach with my experience and GPA. Thinking maybe Duke, Oxford, Cambridge, Vanderbilt, Michigan might be targets? If I'm reaching give me a reality check of what I should be expecting.
I'm looking to apply for the 2026 start dates, and looking to get ahead of my obvious weakness. I'm not looking at T7 because I'm simply not that smart.
GMAT Focus: 655
Undergrad GPA: 2.7 from a bang average school
Work Experience: 6 years will be 7 by the time school would start
-6 years corporate finance
-budget analysis, forecasting, accounting, P&L, balance sheets, etc.. Basic corporate finance gig
-1 external promotion from moving companies, and 1 internal promotion to a managerial role overseeing individual(s)
I've been told to look in to Harvard Core program to create the so called alternative transcript. I have seen many mixed/negative reviews on this. Would it be worth taking? Are there similar programs that might be more cost effective? If you're someone who's taken it, what's your review on the actual time commitment while working, outcome, do you think it helped, etc..?
It's been hard to gauge what schools are actually within reach with my experience and GPA. Thinking maybe Duke, Oxford, Cambridge, Vanderbilt, Michigan might be targets? If I'm reaching give me a reality check of what I should be expecting.
28 Apr 2025, 12:19
Kudos
Bookmarks
I am going to make a suggestion you've probably already considered. Take the GMAT again. Its the best way to prove your quant and verbal competency and its understood very well by b-schools. Also important- a high score will also help you overcome the low GPA.
I see that you are working in very finance intensive roles, which proves that you are a smart guy. Because of the nature of your work experience, you can skip the Harvard CORE as you are already working in a business field. Besides the high cost, its also time intensive, and I believe you should spend that time in your GMAT prep instead.
On the whole, a 655 is not a great score and it will be sub optimum even for top 10-20 programs, some of which you have mentioned. So, your biggest need at the moment is to improve the GMAT score.
If you have spare time, you could also build upon your extra curricular activities in addition.
I'd focus effort on these two activities (while prioritizing GMAT).
Namita Garg,
Founder, MBA Decoder
Email: [email protected]
Reach out to us for a Profile Evaluation : https://mbadecoder.com/services/free-pr ... valuation/
Helping applicants achieve their MBA dreams since 2011
I see that you are working in very finance intensive roles, which proves that you are a smart guy. Because of the nature of your work experience, you can skip the Harvard CORE as you are already working in a business field. Besides the high cost, its also time intensive, and I believe you should spend that time in your GMAT prep instead.
On the whole, a 655 is not a great score and it will be sub optimum even for top 10-20 programs, some of which you have mentioned. So, your biggest need at the moment is to improve the GMAT score.
If you have spare time, you could also build upon your extra curricular activities in addition.
I'd focus effort on these two activities (while prioritizing GMAT).
Namita Garg,
Founder, MBA Decoder
Email: [email protected]
Reach out to us for a Profile Evaluation : https://mbadecoder.com/services/free-pr ... valuation/
Helping applicants achieve their MBA dreams since 2011
28 Apr 2025, 12:32
Kudos
Bookmarks
Thanks for the reply I appreciate it! So this is where I'm getting confused because I'm getting different ranges of what's "good" for a GMAT Focus score.
For example, based on Cambridge's website "The mean average GMAT score is circa 680-690, 625-635 in the GMAT Focus Edition". Oxford's site "[color=#002147]GMAT scores of 650 or above are considered competitive. Our current class has a median GMAT score of 680" I assume they're speaking in OG GMAT as their numbers end in a 0, which puts them in the same score range as Cambridge. I don't see a score range on Duke's site, but based on various other platforms I'm seeing 660-760 and again not sure if that's OG GMAT or Focus.[/color]
I have heard extracurriculars are more important then I would have originally thought. I have some outside of my responsibility extracurriculars at work (trainings, organizing, etc.) and some volunteer experience at a running organization. Do you think that is lacking? I have time to improve.
For example, based on Cambridge's website "The mean average GMAT score is circa 680-690, 625-635 in the GMAT Focus Edition". Oxford's site "[color=#002147]GMAT scores of 650 or above are considered competitive. Our current class has a median GMAT score of 680" I assume they're speaking in OG GMAT as their numbers end in a 0, which puts them in the same score range as Cambridge. I don't see a score range on Duke's site, but based on various other platforms I'm seeing 660-760 and again not sure if that's OG GMAT or Focus.[/color]
I have heard extracurriculars are more important then I would have originally thought. I have some outside of my responsibility extracurriculars at work (trainings, organizing, etc.) and some volunteer experience at a running organization. Do you think that is lacking? I have time to improve.
MBADecoder
