The Application Process

one thing that concerns me the most is my GPA from undergrad, which is 2.2. I have 5+ years of work experience and trying to get a better score on gmat, around 700. Given the condition that I submit good essays and good recommendation letters (though i don't have control over this issue either), do i get a shot to get admitted to top tier MBA program even with my horrible GPA from undergrad? Thanks in advance..

Your concern is genuine as median/ave. GPA of students at top business school is higher. But it's not the only deciding factor!

I believe, everything is possible!!
Give it a shot 8)
GPA is just one of the factors that b-schools look for prospective student. your overall package with essays including kind of work experience you have plays important role!

Try improving your math and english classes grades. For example, UC Berkeley has prerequisites that you can take to get into their Haas School for Business if you GPA is not really shinning. Goodluck! Try to shoot for a 720+ with a 2.2.

thank you all for your replies.
i'll work on my gmat first and hope that i could share good news in the future!

Kev,

I had the very same problem. What worked for me was taking several university courses at night and through distance ed (Accounting, Marketing, Business Admin, etc) and earning a 3.9 GPA. This allowed me to demonstrate to the admissions committee, that I was a very different person today than I was 7 years ago. I could point to a proven (and recent) track record to go with a solid GMAT score (650 in my case). I was accepted into the school I wanted and start this summer.

Hope this helps

Kelly

wow that is certainly helpful piece of information... well, congratulations! yeah, maybe i should seriously consider doing what you did since i recently decided to aim my self for next year not this year..
do you mind my asking about which school you went to?

I'll be attending a joint program offered by Cornell (Johnson School) and Queen's University in Canada. I'm married with two kids under two , so an eMBA program that I can attend while continuing to work was the best option for me. Wharton and Johnson were the only two top ten schools that offered eMBA programs and I can do Cornell-Queen's without having to move

it is so admirable that you are doing so many things at the same time. also, i envy you that you got an acceptance from one of the most respectable MBA programs in the State. i guess your hard work paid off.. Thank you so much for your sharing...

Kelly McDonald wrote:I'll be attending a joint program offered by Cornell (Johnson School) and Queen's University in Canada. I'm married with two kids under two , so an eMBA program that I can attend while continuing to work was the best option for me. Wharton and Johnson were the only two top ten schools that offered eMBA programs and I can do Cornell-Queen's without having to move

Congratulations! That's awesome! As a married female applicant myself, I really admire that you're successfully juggling your professional goals and your family. Good luck to you!

Congrats!

Elle, Kev, Galit

Thanks for the kudos, it's going to be a busy 17 months.

Kev,
In addition to all the great advice given by previous posters, dont forget most schools have an optional essay which gives you the opportunity to discuss any additional aspects of your candidacy. This is where most applicants discuss areas of weakness in their application (i.e. low GPA/GMAT score, gaps in work experience, reasons for not having a direct supervisor write a LOR).

The OP Essay will allow you to address the issue of your GPA (explain the reason your scores were low) and present counter points to offset the low score (i.e. you have a high GMAT score, your work experience is highly quantitative, you have a 4.0 GPA in courses taken post-undergrad).

While the Op Essay is usually only a few sentences (you don't want to write too much), it is a good way to address areas of concern.

Good luck!

NP