Ask Veritas Prep Admissions Consulting

Hello ,

So here's my story. I graduated from an engineering university in Canada with a 2.2/4 GPA ( I have to admit , it's not a pleasant conversation every time I bring it up ) . Now this was back in 2005 when I graduated.

Since then , I moved into a sales role at a Fortune 500 Industrial manufacturer and later at a Fortune 50 Industrial manufacturer where I have risen through the marketing ranks fairly quickly in a span of 4 years. First within Canada and then an opportunity to expose myself to African and Middle-Eastern markets where I was relocated to Dubai on an international assignment. I am currently in that role and work closely with partners in Europe and throughout AME .

Besides the achievements at work , I have been an active part of Toastmasters , Startup-Grind in Dubai , and had other volunteer opportunities at United Way and used to mentor new immigrants to Canada through an organization.

If I were to score a 700+ on my GMAT , what are my chances at a Top 5 University such as Harvard , Stanford etc ? I am hoping for an honest opinion...Do I stand a chance?

Thanks for sharing your background. Obviously you know the red flag in your profile. You are targeting the top schools in the world and thus the competition and school averages for categories like GPA will be very high. Now the review process is very holistic at schools like the ones outlined but there will be many candidates with similarly great backgrounds that ALSO have strong GPAs. So with that said it will be hard for you at most of these super-elite schools. Not impossible as every year we hear stories of low GPAs getting into these top schools but these are the exception and not the rule