Do I have any chance?

Question

Hi Everyone,

I'm a 26 years old black female. I am a U.S. citizen but I was born in the caribbean. I've been working for IBM for 5 years doing application development. I will have 6 years of work experience by the time I start B school in fall 2005. I had a 3.4 GPA in high school (I know they don't care about that too much but I hope that has some merit). I went to a community college after high school and my GPA was a 3.3. 

 The first year that I transfered to a university (My junior year) was a total disaster. My GPA got as low as a 2.3. All that happen because I neglected my grades and was doing other things in order to find what I really wanted to do. I was 18 and didn't feel like I was ready to graduate at 19 so I was taking vacational courses in addition to my full time course load at the university in order to find my nich. In my senior year, I realized that it would be tough for me to get a job interview with that kind of grade so I started paying attention and raised my GPA to a 2.8 by graduation date. I started as a double major with MIS and Accounting but I dropped accounting after I had my first and only D ever. I'm glad I took accounting though because that's where I found what I really wanted to do.

What do you think are my chances of getting into UNC-Chapel Hill, Carnegie Melon, NYU or Emory's full-time program? I'm planning on taking the GMAT mid-October. I've been studying for almost a month now. What is the GMAT score range that I would have to get to stand a chance at any of these schools?

Thanks

Hjort · Answer

Greetings,

A low GPA is a surmountable obstacle assuming you can demonstrate that the prior performance does not represent your true abilityand you are flexible with regard to the exact institution you attend. Further, a low GPA might not be as bad as it looks at first glance assuming that you had a postive grade trend and the worst classes were not of great concern to MBA programs.

On the other hand, the high school GPA you cited is probably not particularly relevant. However, if a 3.4 from your secondaryschool is at the top of the grade scale, it would suppport an argument that you were an extremely strong student who had some sort of difficulties that prevented you from performing at your usual (i.e. superlative) level. 

I would also consider taking graduate level courses to conclusively prove that you are capable of attaining high grades in advanced coursework.

Hjort

Missy · Answer

Thanks for the reply. I got certified as an SAP technical consultant doing self study. SAP certifications are really tough. Do you think that will help if I mention that on one of the essays? I'm not really planning on taking any graduate level courses before I start the program unless it is a condition of admission. I'm limited in the number of schools that I will apply to full time because I will only go if I can get a scholarship and I can only get a scholarship if I go to a limited number of schools. I got A's on all my math courses except for one Statistic course I took during my Junior year and got a C. I got As in Bs in all my classes except for those I took during my junior year.

I think I can get great recommendations from my managers because they do see my value and potential.

Hjort · Answer

Hi again,

Certifications are a good way of showing accomplishment.

I am always a bit fascinated by the reluctance of candidates to take additional coursework since this is the best way of showing that they can succeed in the classroom. I concede it is not feasible for many students to take these courses but many candidates dismiss them far too quickly.

Hjort

Missy · Answer

Isn't it kind of late for me though? I wanted to do first round application for for the scholarship that I'm planning to apply for. I have to apply directly through the scholarship program rather than the schools except for UNC-Chapel Hill. First application deadline is December 1st. Class starts today in most of the universities around here so I'm not sure if I can still get in as a continuing education student. Would you advice that I apply with the second application pool in order to take classes to demonstrate my abilities or should I go ahead with my application process for December and just let them know how I'm doing in the classroom (maybe the teacher would right me a note)?

Thanks for your advices.

Hjort · Answer

Good point. Considering the scholarship requirements it would make sense to apply in the first round this year. I tend to take a long range view of admissions so that if a candidate is not accepted to a school that meets her interests this year, taking additional courses puts her in a better position for the next application year. In addition, these courses can provide a useful way of readjusting to the academic realm. Note that many continuing education courses have relatively short admissions processes. Further, quarter system schools will not start for another few weeks.


Hjort

truthringer · Answer

Your application certainly isn't a lost cause, but it will require some effort to overcome the setback.

Certainly your GMAT will be a big piece of it. You really should be shooting for the mean score of admits for the schools you mentioned, given your GPA. This is especially the fact since it doesn't sound like you have the time to take a couple extra courses to prove your capabilities in the classroom.

Do I have any chance?

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