Profile Evaluation: Part-time Masters before MBA worth it?

Question

My profile is as follows:

- Bachelor in Electrical engineering
- LOWish GPA: 71% (Top 3 Canadian School)
- 24 yrs old, Male
- 2 years as a Software R&D Engineer at a late-stage funded B2C Telcom start-up
- 1.5 years as a Software Engineer at a small B2B Telcom company
- Extracurricular: Tech adviser at a small Africa NGO
- gmat: 720

Career Goal: Move to Business Development/Strategy in TMT
Goal Schools: Columbia, INSEAD, IMD, Booth, Kellogg, Wharton

Do I realistically have chance at those schools? My main concern is my low gpa. Would completing a part-time masters while I get more career experience over the next ~2 years be able to significantly strengthen my profile for these schools? I actually have the opportunity to do a part-time MSc in software at Oxford University or University College London. Will a part-time degree from those schools be a big plus for bschool admission? (They are both pretty expensive)

myEssayReview · Answer

Thank you for providing your stats. I would have liked to get some more details about your work experience.

Yes, your low GPA is a concern, but you can address it by taking some classes . Apart form high GPA, you also need to have strong work experience. So, instead of deviating to part time Masters, I would suggest that you focus on strengthening your profile by taking initiatives at work, by accepting more leadership responsibilities that may earn you award or a promotion . Career progression and accomplishments at work are key to strengthening your profile. The good news is you have good GMAT, so you don't need to worry about it.
 
Good luck,

ARINGO · Answer

Hi there,

I'm Zooey from Aringo.
If the 3.5 years of work experience you have is full-time, that will be 5 years by the time you start MBA next fall, so you're already a prime candidate for MBA given your goals. 71% from a top school is not such a huge issue since your GMAT score is above average. There are many other, cheaper avenues through which you can showcase academic potential than pursuing the MS degree, especially if that will also slow down your path to MBA (connect with one of our MBA consultants for a private discussion on that). From the list of schools you've mentioned, IMD may not be a good fit given your work experience. Also, INSEAD may not be ideal since you may be better off with a more thorough 2 year program. The rest are very much possible with a strong set of essays and recommendations.

I invite you to try our free chances calculator for an individualized and detail-based assessment of your chances of admission (https://www.aringo.com/MBA_admission_cha ... ulator.htm) and to browse the rest of our website for useful tips for the application process. I also encourage you to contact our North America CEO, Chrissy ([email protected]) to set up a free assessment call (with no attached commitments) so that she can provide you with expert advice on preparing an application that emphasizes your strengths and compensates for your GPA.

Best of luck!
Zooey

MG4MBACrystalBall · Answer

Dear Jakamoko,

A few additional perspectives:
 
  It is not clear as to whether your country of occupation is the same as your country of education? This is important as most top European schools value international experience.  
  The issue of GPA is a relative one. Even if the GPA is low in absolute sense, this could be not so bad on a relative scale. So take cognizance of that fact. Read  here  for a bit more perspective on the matter.  
  For reasons mentioned  here , I would refrain from providing gut-based school suggestions. At a very high level though, the school list definitely looks to be on the aggressive side and you'd do well to balance it out a bit. But a more detailed analysis would also factor in points such as the nature of your current work and its relation with your post-MBA goals among others.

Hope this helps,

Cheers

CriticalSquare · Answer

Hi there,

The reason you pursue a masters should not be to improve your chances for admission to a top MBA program. There needs to be a rationale that makes sense with your personal development. What will your masters program focus on? What will you learn from it? How does it improve your development to accomplish your goals? If you don't have a good answer to these questions, then it probably doesn't make sense on your transcript and won't contribute to your overall story. Top b-schools look for strong professional experiences - career development, personal growth, and demonstration of leadership. I would consider focusing on this aspect of your profile to boost your chances. Good luck!

Profile Evaluation: Part-time Masters before MBA worth it?

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