Profile Evaluation: Military Officer - 710 (Q47, V42) - Low GPA

Question

Hello,

After reading your evaluations of several other Military Officers, I would really appreciate your analysis on my profile. I was hoping to apply to at least 1 top 10 university, but am relucatant because of my weak undergraduate academic profile. Currently, I am researching Ross, Darden, Fuqua, McCombs, Johnson, Keenan-Flagler, Rice (Jones). Is this the range of schools I should be looking at? Thank you very much for taking a look at my profile!

- Army Officer, 7 years, currently company commander of 50 person organization that provides various forms of mobile communication to an aviation (helicopter) group of about 3000. Currently stationed in Germany and train participate in multinational training exercises multiple times per year working with coalition partners from a variety of Europian nations. Two deployments to Iraq, steady growth within organization, and consistently in top 10% in reviews. Anticipate this will be reflected in recommendations.

- GMAT: 710, Q47, V42, 5.5 AWA, IR7

- Education Info:

- Nichols College, GPA 2.88, 2006, BSBA Finance. In college, worked 20-30 hours a week and experienced some family altering challenges.

- Webster University, Masters of Arts in IT management, GPA 4.0, Graduate Academic Honors

- Hobbies:Running: many half-marathons, one marathon, and will be running the Paris Marathon this spring. Travel: Been to over 10 countries in the past year, enjoy history.

Again, thank you for your evaluation!

NCK

MAC · Answer

Hi NCK,

Thanks for your message. I reviewed your profile similar to other candidates' profiles when I worked on a top 5 program's admissions committee and with other Officers, Lieutenants, Sergeants, Commanders, and similar candidates who applied to top business school programs.

Although I understand your concern for the undergraduate GPA of 2.88/4.0, please look at the strengths in your profile that will balance this. Your competitive GMAT score of a 710 and your perfect 4.0/4.0 GPA obtained during your graduate studies will work in your favor. I think you should be quite proud of your GMAT score and your graduate education success for two reasons:

First, you did not cease your education after your undergraduate studies but persevered and attained a Masters Degree. In my experience with other candidates who have served, undergraduate education is a highly challenging time, given the tours, deployments, and ongoing training. You had the chance to stop after your undergraduate career, but you continued. This is exactly what I (pleasantly) expected from a Commander.

Secondly, you already proved your potential across graduate coursework, given your perfect GPA. Programs will consider your most recent GPA from Webster University when evaluating your candidacy, as it is a solid indicator of your potential in business school. I congratulate you on this, as it is not an easy task to achieve this GPA during your time in the service. Having worked with many similar candidates over the past 6 years, I observe this as the number one challenge. However, your personal discipline managed it beautifully.

I would really encourage you to look at other some of the top-tier programs and do not go below the top 15 schools. From the list you shared, I would go forward with Fuqua and Johnson given your background. I would also look at MIT, Columbia, HBS, Stanford, Booth, Kellogg and Wharton. Your scores are solid to apply to these programs but you have to be sure to tell your story effectively. If you find yourself struggling to share certain aspects, seek help on your applications.

Regardless of the opinions you receive online, please apply to the programs which attract you the most and do not underestimate the professional and academic background that you possess. I find that 90% of MBA candidates I have worked with tend to "opt-out" of a program's application process as they feel that they do not stand a chance. They do this before the school can even receive their application. Regardless of where you fall with your competition, let the program make the ultimate decision on your candidacy. Most candidates share with me how they are pleasantly surprised when they are accepted and never thought they stood a chance in top tier programs. Please do not "opt-out" of your dream schools because you think you may not stand a chance. Being bold is one of the greatest qualities of global leaders throughout history! :-D

I hope this helps you. If you would like to further speak directly with our consultants who are former admissions committee members or our recent admits at any point, please visit https://macapproved.com/free-evaluation/

Best wishes,
Sue and the MAC Team

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I hope this helps you. If you would like to further speak directly with our consultants who are former admissions committee members or our recent admits at any point, please visit https://macapproved.com/free-evaluation/ Best wishes, Sue and the MAC Team **Was I helpful? Please give me a Kudos and I will know**

NCK · Answer

Sue,

Thank you so much for your comprehensive evaluation. The strengths that you pointed out were exactly my motivation for undertaking the graduate degree, and dedicating many hours to my GMAT preparation, but I still did not feel as though they could completely mitigate my GPA. Your positive message is extremely motivating and has me re-evaluating my selections. I do have a couple questions in regards to your comments:

1. Is there a specific reason why you recommended I definitely apply to Duke and Cornell over the other schools I mentioned?

2. Additionally, why did you choose MIT, Columbia, HBS, Stanford, Booth, Kellogg and Wharton over other top 10 schools?

3. You mentioned that I should not be applying to any schools outside of the top 15. While I do believe I will get into at least 1 top 15 school, do you not see any value in applying to a few safety schools?

Again, thank you for your time and consideration. I will likely be contacting MAC soon for the free profile evaluation. Thanks!

Sincerely,

NCK

MAC · Answer

Hi NCK,

Thanks for your message. These are great questions and they demonstrate that you are conducting your research well.

I recommended these schools based on the brief (background) synopsis you shared. I specifically chose Fuqua and Cornell over the others you mentioned since they will give you a strong overall brand as part of your portfolio. Remember, you will be making a new (brand) investment to further enhance your academic and professional identity. A brand that will attach itself to your name and become a part of your professional reputation in future endeavors. These schools will also give you an opportunity to increase your network across a larger diverse pool of students, alums, faculty members and recruiters.

Secondly, I enjoyed your question about "safety schools" as this is one phrase we never use at MAC. You will also never see this term used by Admissions Committees or MBA Program ambassadors. This is a phrase that developed somewhere along the way and now is used commonly across admissions consultants. Personally, I have never believed in "safety" or "stretch schools" as I find candidates further compromise their choice of schools and settle for a less reputable school as the end result of their business school pursuit. An MBA program should not be pursued at a less ranked school because the other higher ranked schools that you really wish to attend may potentially reject you. This is where I always like to use my favorite car example (Im a huge fan of cars) :lol:

Think of it like this:

My desire is to own the Veneno Roadster (Forbes: Country of Origin: Italy; Engine: 750-hp, 6.5-liter, 12-cylinder; 0-62 mph: 2.9 seconds; Starting price: $4.5 million). However, I may not be able to own one, so I will settle for a Toyota Corolla (Forbes: Engine: 132 hp; 1.8-liter, 4-cylinder; Starting price: $16,800) and cease all efforts to own the Roadster. Or do you think I should continue trying for the Roadster, if not this year, then next year, or the year after? What do you think I should do?

I hope this helps you and I wish you the best on your GMAT exam!

Best wishes,
Sue and the MAC Team

**Was I helpful? Please give me a Kudos and I will know**

Think of it like this: My desire is to own the Veneno Roadster (Forbes: Country of Origin: Italy; Engine: 750-hp, 6.5-liter, 12-cylinder; 0-62 mph: 2.9 seconds; Starting price: $4.5 million). However, I may not be able to own one, so I will settle for a Toyota Corolla (Forbes: Engine: 132 hp; 1.8-liter, 4-cylinder; Starting price: $16,800) and cease all efforts to own the Roadster. Or do you think I should continue trying for the Roadster, if not this year, then next year, or the year after? What do you think I should do? I hope this helps you and I wish you the best on your GMAT exam! Best wishes, Sue and the MAC Team **Was I helpful? Please give me a Kudos and I will know**

Profile Evaluation: Military Officer - 710 (Q47, V42) - Low GPA

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