Profile Evaluation - Poor GPA

Question

Hello,

I'm hoping to get into UCLA, USC, CMU, or UC Irvine for their Full-time MBA program, but my GPA is a weakness.

Background

Undergrad School: a Top 25 university 
Major: Chemical Engineering 
GPA: 2.95 (had 2.5's in 2nd and 3rd year, brought it back to ~3.2+ in the last year)
Years of experience: Will be ~ 2 years when I apply
GMAT: expecting a score of between 680 - 720

Work Experience 
Company: a Fortune 500 company
Industry: Mining & Metals 
Title: Metallurgical Engineer
Interesting facts: Extensive leadership experiences in project management as an entry-level engineer; Went through a massive layoff in the industry; unique work experiences in a mining setting; Currently living in a mining town

Extracurriculars/Leadership 
Title: Currently an Event Director for a non-profit startup outside of work
Experience: Arrange educational events for the STEM community in the city; Volunteer at multiple events

Recommendations : expecting them to be fairly strong; one from a former supervisor and one from a former coworker

What do you think? Thank you!

PaulBodine · Answer

mangoleaf, Your upward GPA trend will help offset your overall GPA, but strongly recommend you aim for the high end of your projected GMAT range to give yourself the best shot. I recommend running with the mining/metallurgy focus as a differentiator and of course emphasizing any and all leadership. UC Irvine will be your 'safety', and USC and CMU will be your target/competitive schools, with UCLA as your reach. With a 680 you should still get into UCI; with a 720 you should have a decent shot at 3 of 4 (if not all 4). I'd be happy to review your profile in more detail if you'd like to send me your resume: paul@admitify.com. --Paul Bodine, Great Applications for Business School, www.admitify.com/outcomes

PersonalMBACoach · Answer

Thank you for your post. Assuming you get a 700 on your GMAT you should be in decent shape for all but UCLA (which you would want to get a bit higher of a score for). As mentioned, the upward trend will definitely help your GPA story and explaining a mitigating circumstance around the first part of your college experience will also improve your profile. I am interested to hear more about your nonprofit startup experience. Send me a note if you want to chat further about how I can help you with your applications to get into these schools. Scott@personalmbacoach.com Best, Scott

mangoleaf · Answer

Does working in a "hard-hat" industry, like mining/constructions/oil, make me stand out as an applicant? Although I don't have people who directly report to me, I work closely with operators and there are times when I have to display leadership qualities. The only thing is, again, they don't directly work under me.

PaulBodine · Answer

mangoleaf,
Working in oil would not make you stand out very much because the oil&gas industry swoon has generated a lot of applicants to business school this year. However, mining is, in my opinion, a relatively uncommon sector for MBA applicants, so I recommend playing it up as much as possible. If you don't have direct reports, emphasize the leadership that you do have and hopefully you have leadership outside of work that you can add to the pot as well. Happy to guide you through the application process.
--Paul Bodine, Great Applications for Business School, www.admitify.com/outcomes

mangoleaf

Does working in a "hard-hat" industry, like mining/constructions/oil, make me stand out as an applicant? Although I don't have people who directly report to me, I work closely with operators and there are times when I have to display leadership qualities. The only thing is, again, they don't directly work under me.

PersonalMBACoach · Answer

I agree. Mining is interesting and I worked with a few applicants last year coming from that space. There is definitely a way to stand out there but simply working with the different groups is not enough alone. Happy to chat further.

Best,
Scott

CriticalSquare · Answer

Hi there,

I have a bit of a different view than those shared above. Your GPA, despite its upward trend, is a tough hurdle. Almost everyone with a low GPA targeting top programs "get their act together" in their 3rd or 4th year of school, so I don't think we can just assume away the problem here as some of the folks above suggest. To compensate for this, you need a compelling story. And in order to have a strong story, you need to connect the dots between where you came from to where you want to go. What do you hope to do after your MBA? Also, are you currently employed? You mentioned layoffs, but have you found anything since? If so, why do you want to leave now? You're a bit of a younger candidate, so without a strong work experience profile, some of these programs might be a bit of a challenge. Does it make sense for you to wait another year or so to gain more experience and develop your profile?

I know this isn't the news you were hoping to hear, but these are important questions that the AdComm will be asking when they see your application. Surely, you have some good answers, and it's difficult to discuss the details in a forum. Sign up for a free consultation to see if we can help. Best of luck!

mangoleaf · Answer

Thank you for the comment! Luckily, my company did not lay me off. I actually got an opportunity to relocate to a different mine for development. It's one of the biggest mines in the world actually.

CriticalSquare · Answer

That's fantastic news. You're in a better position than others in your field, so use it to your advantage. Best of luck!

Profile Evaluation - Poor GPA < 3.0

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