snatchlock 02-03-2006, 04:42 AM All-
I'm looking for a realistic assessment of my chances
of making it into a top 20 MBA program. Here's a
quick background on me:
1) Graduated from an Ivy League school with a degree
in Industrial Engineering, with a low GPA (2.8). My
freshman year was high (3.6), but my father was
diagonsed with lung cancer my sophmore year and passed
away. From then on the grades dropped after I had to
start working 25-30 hours a week for school.
2) I joined a well-known strategy consulting firm
after college, who took a chance with me, even with my
low GPA. I've been a star performer there,
consistently ranking higher than my peers above me.
I've been there for 5+ years, and they have offered to
pay for my MBA.
3) I've tried to show my grades in college are not
indicative of my quantitative abilities, by taking the
Level 1 CFA and passing. I haven't taken my GMAT yet,
but on my practice ones, I score about 700.
4) I'm going to perform volunteer work in Africa by
working with an NGO that helps women with HIV/AIDS.
I'll be helping them develop an long term strategic
plan and also performing some microfinancing
activities. I'm taking a leave of absence from my job
and I'll be there a total six months.
I'd like to use my MBA to use learn more about how to
use my business skills in international development.
I think I have a good story, but am I being realistic
about a top 20 school?
Any help would be appreciated or advice would be
greatly appreciated.
PS: Also, how do I talk about my college experience
without sounding like a sob story every adcom has
heard?
Clear Admit 02-06-2006, 03:33 PM Dear Snatchlock,
Thank you for the in-depth information about your candidacy ?you are clearly well aware of your strengths and weaknesses, and dedicated to addressing them accordingly. I will address a couple of the key aspects of your candidacy below, followed by a few thoughts about your chances at Top 20 schools.
1) The GMAT ?Given your low undergraduate marks, the GMAT will become even more prevalent to your candidacy. Your CFA studies are also impressive, but adcoms are traditionally much less likely to allow CFA studies to compensate for academic weaknesses. Therefore, the GMAT is the primary place for you to showcase the fact that your undergraduate marks are not a true reflection of your abilities. While 700 is a solid score, the GMAT average at most top schools is around 710 ?and that is for applicants who, in the vast majority of cases, have a much stronger undergraduate GPA. Therefore, it would be very beneficial if you could make sure that your score is well above average (740+). If you haven’t already taken a GMAT preparatory course, that might be something it would be worth your while to look into.
2) Your father’s passing ?Although this is no doubt a very personal aspect of your life, it is something that you will likely want to address in your application, as it seems to have been a very clear factor in your poor undergraduate academic performance. I would recommend speaking to it in an optional essay. As you mentioned in your post, you don’t want to sound like ‘a sob story every adcom is heard.? The best way to avoid doing this is to realize that yes, the adcom has heard similar stories before ?and to therefore tell your story in the most concise, direct manner possible. Don’t put it forth as an excuse, but rather just as an additional piece of information. Along with a strong GMAT, your excellent work experience, and your CFA studies, this should help you to distance yourself from the 2.8 GPA.
Given that your career-to-date seems remarkably strong, I think that the foundation of your candidacy is solid. However, even with strong academics you would not necessarily be a ‘shoe-in?at the top schools, so you will still need to work hard to prepare the best possible application. Provided that you can do so, I think that you have a strong shot at being a competitive applicant to top 20 schools and, with a strong GMAT score, even to top 10 schools.
Good luck with the application process!
Nick Maxwell
Clear Admit, LLC
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