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haimish
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Very poor GPA, 3 yrs work exp. Top B-school Admission? 12 May 2012, 17:51
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Hey Guys,

Just wanting some advice on getting into a top 10 US B-school. Here's my stats:

Under-grad: Bachelors of Environmental Design
GPA: B average (bordering on B-)

Post-grad: Masters of Environmental Design
GPA: B average (bordering on B-)

Work Exp: 3 years in a multi-national engineering firm

I did my studies in New Zealand and Australia so not sure how they translate into the US GPA, but in anyone's language its not exactly red hot flash.

I am planning on sitting the GMAT soon and I wanted to get a feel for what I should target? I know the average would be 710 - 730, but given that I would be competing against people with perfect academic records from top US universities, would I be likely to gain admission if I managed to hit 680-700 on my GMAT? or should I not bother if I don't get above 720 (or even higher)? And lastly, is it even possible to off-set a poor GPA with a high GMAT?

All the research I've done shows that typically the GMAT 80% range is 680 - 730 for accepted applicants, but that doesn't really say much as the admission range is 12 - 15% of all applicants. Given that there is a $200 cost for each application, it would be good to know I actually have a chance before forking it out.

My dream school is Kellogg, but would be happy with any B-school in the top 10.

Thanks in advance,

Haimish
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Very poor GPA, 3 yrs work exp. Top B-school Admission? 13 May 2012, 07:39
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When one part of your application is weak (here, your GPA), you need to address it with other parts of your application (high GMAT, great work exp, extra essay explaining the low GPA, etc.).

Each piece of the application is a single component. Make sure the people who write you letters can really sell you, spend time on your "profile" (resume, essays, etc.) and a weak GPA should not compromise your chances of getting in to a top 10 school.
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jaygee
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Very poor GPA, 3 yrs work exp. Top B-school Admission? 13 May 2012, 07:49
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haimish
Hey Guys,

Just wanting some advice on getting into a top 10 US B-school. Here's my stats:

Under-grad: Bachelors of Environmental Design
GPA: B average (bordering on B-)

Post-grad: Masters of Environmental Design
GPA: B average (bordering on B-)

Work Exp: 3 years in a multi-national engineering firm

I did my studies in New Zealand and Australia so not sure how they translate into the US GPA, but in anyone's language its not exactly red hot flash.

I am planning on sitting the GMAT soon and I wanted to get a feel for what I should target? I know the average would be 710 - 730, but given that I would be competing against people with perfect academic records from top US universities, would I be likely to gain admission if I managed to hit 680-700 on my GMAT? or should I not bother if I don't get above 720 (or even higher)? And lastly, is it even possible to off-set a poor GPA with a high GMAT?

All the research I've done shows that typically the GMAT 80% range is 680 - 730 for accepted applicants, but that doesn't really say much as the admission range is 12 - 15% of all applicants. Given that there is a $200 cost for each application, it would be good to know I actually have a chance before forking it out.

My dream school is Kellogg, but would be happy with any B-school in the top 10.

Thanks in advance,

Haimish
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Academics for most applications comprises of the GPA and the GMAT score. So if one has a low GPA, the situation can be partially redeemed through a high GMAT score. Plus, most applications have an open ended question which goes like " Anything else that you would like the admissions committee to know". Using this...one can justify why he/ she had a lower GPA in the first place.