How to Handle a Low GPA, Part 4 of 4
Explaining a low GPA can be difficult and it requires you to examine your GPA’s trend. Consider the following scenarios:
Free $100 Amazon.com Gift Card - Buy a GMAT course using a Beat The GMAT discount code between Mar 8-22 and get a $100 Amazon.com Gift Card. Learn more!
Recommendations Articles
How to Handle a Low GMAT Verbal Score, Part 3 of 4
Last week I talked about overcoming the challenge of a low GMAT quant score. Today we’ll discuss how to handle a less-than-perfect verbal score.
With such a strong emphasis on teamwork and communication in b-school (and for the rest of your life as a successful businessperson), it’s no wonder that stellar written and spoken verbal skills are essential for MBA students.
Confessions of an Admissions Officer
This week’s article is written by guest author Amanda Albright Turner.
You studied tirelessly for the GMAT, courted old bosses for glowing recommendations, dazzled your interviewer and wrote arguably the best essays in the history of b-school. Signed, sealed, delivered.
What happens next can seem like the proverbial black box. We went behind the scenes with two admissions directors—Sara Neher at University of Virginia Darden School of Business and John Roeder at Vanderbilt Owen Graduate School of Management to hear what takes place around the conference room table.
How to Approach the Quantitative Aspects of Your MBA Application, Part 1 of 4
A low GMAT score or a low GPA is not necessarily an MBA deal breaker. No adcom is going to admit or dismiss a candidate based solely on one semester’s poor GPA or a low verbal GMAT score without also reflecting on other numbers as well as the rest of the non-quantitative parts of the applicant’s profile. Average numbers vary according to school, as well as numbers within your demographic group. You should examine each of these aspects needs and weigh the strengths and weaknesses in your application before you can really start to worry. And once you’re worrying, before you figure out how to respond to those concerns.
A Six-Item Check List before Hitting “Submit”
WAIT! Don’t hit “submit” just yet! You may think you’re done with your MBA application, but it can’t hurt (unless you are literally at the deadline) to go over it one last time to make sure that all elements are intact and that you’re submitting compelling, articulate work that truly represents who you are.
During your final once-over you should make sure that:
Admissions Myths Destroyed: Title Trumps All!
A few weeks ago, we tackled the myth that you must know alumni to get into top MBA programs (See Alumni Get You In!). Without rehashing that argument, a myth that is somewhat similar — in that it pertains to who you know instead of who you are — is that your recommendation must be written by someone with a flashy title. Each year, many candidates will either persuade someone outside their workplace (a Congressman for example) or an insider who does not know their work all that well (a Managing Director or CEO) to write on their behalf.
How to Coach Your Recommenders
As I’m sure you know by now, letters of recommendation are a critical portion of the business school application. Two to three letters are required for most business schools and they serve as an outside verification of your qualifications. Most applicants will have their two most direct supervisors write these letters, as most schools specifically list that as a requirement.
Quality letters of recommendation vouch for you by adding personal anecdotes and embellishing your brand. So how do you make sure your recommenders are sticking to your story?
Featured Article
Who Should Write Your Recommendation?
Effective letters of recommendation will highlight and amplify your leadership[1], teamwork, organizational and communication skills, and discuss the positive impact you’ve had on an organization. For this reason, managers, supervisors and mentors are ideally suited to write your LORs. Having supervised you over a period of time and seen you in a variety of situations, they will be able to speak knowledgeably about most, if not all, of the questions that schools will ask. LOR forms ask recommenders to answer a range of questions, such as how you stand out from others in a similar capacity and in what ways you have had an impact on your organization. They’ll also ask recommenders to assess your leadership experiences and potential, and to discuss or quantify on a scale such attributes as intelligence, creativity, focus, integrity and communication skills. They may even be asked to rate your sense of humor. But recommenders will also be asked to assess your weaknesses, as well as what you have done to address them. Therefore, you need someone who can speak knowledgeably not only about your proven abilities and talents, but even about areas where you can improve and do so without drawing attention to or magnifying any weaknesses that you do have. Consequently your mother is probably not a good choice, even if she’s your boss!
The Business School Application Process, Step 5: Recommendations
People dig you.
Well, let’s hope they do, at least, because once you’ve requested that your transcripts and documentations be sent to schools, it’s time to find a few people who are willing to vouch for your aptitude for graduate business studies:
Featured Article
Admissions Tip: Selecting Your Recommenders
Since many Beat The GMAT readers are now entering the crucial stages of this year’s b-school admissions cycle, we wanted to offer some basic tips on a critical variable in the MBA admissions equation: recommender selection.