What GPA/GMAT is needed to get into a top 5 school?

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bhatt_devang
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PostSun Jun 21, 2009 3:33 pm
Dear Lisa,

Thanks a lot for your feedback. As far as the interview and everything would go, I don't like to bloat but I consider myself as a good communicator and was trained by the army in that, which I improve in, every day.

You made my life a lot easier by saying that B schools do not look down upon State Universities. Yes I am confident to get above a 3.6 GPA and above 770 on GMAT.

So you are saying that I can get an admission in a top B school in 2012 for the class of 2014 after graduating in 2010. I have leadership skills, have led men in Iraq, got back because I got clipped pretty good.

Being in the military, it is given that I do a lot of sports.

One Last question and this might be a bit stupid- does age matter, because I am almost 20 yrs old currently and I will be almost 21 when I graduate. I will be 23 when I get admission and 25 when I complete my 2 yr MBA but a lot of people I talked to say that they were much older than that when they got in, but that was because they had no idea what they wanted to do. I had my plans set right after first semester of college, so does age matter? Are the B schools going to think that I would be much "too young" to join?


- Devang
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Lisa Anderson
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PostMon Jun 22, 2009 12:32 pm
Dear Devang,

There are no guarantees of admission no matter what your profile looks like. If you achieve all that you noted and gain some quality work experience after college, then you have a chance at a top program. As for your age when you enter, that is not a big concern as long as you are mature enough to handle the program and can convey a solid rationale for entering the program with only 2 years of experience.

Good luck,
Lisa
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bhatt_devang
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PostMon Jun 22, 2009 10:34 pm
Thank you for your response, Lisa. Appreciate your time
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PostTue Jun 23, 2009 4:26 pm
Lisa Anderson wrote:
Dear Domnu,

As you are completing your degree, the best thing you can do to make your future business school applications competitive is to continue pursuing opportunities to build your skill set. On top of high grades and a high GMAT score, you will also need to have some leadership and teamwork experiences to write about in your essays. It is not so much what you do, research versus corporate, but how you contribute to the organization you work with/for. Since you have been doing research, it might be good to broaden your experience with a more practical application of your skills in a company. Ideally, you should pursue an opportunity in the industry and/or functional area you might wish to pursue in the future. I also think getting more involved with the magazine, specifically in a leadership position, would be helpful.

Keep at it and I commend you for thinking so far in advance.

Good luck,
Lisa
Hi Lisa,

Thank you very much for your timely post.

This past semester I was a TA for an introductory computer science class for sophomores.

There is also a tutor program at my school in which people get paid, but only work 5 hours a week. I could tutor for any subject.

Would it look better to continue being a TA for my computer science course, or to become a tutor?

Either way, would business schools look favorably upon the fact that I like teaching students? Would this be an appropriate topic to write about in the essay?
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Which would be better... an MBA at a top school (Harvard/Stanford/Wharton) or a masters in computer science (MIT/Stanford/Berkeley)?

Still studying for the GMAT... my current GMAT score isn't official -.- it's my latest practice test score from OG/mba.com.
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PostWed Jun 24, 2009 9:16 am
Dear Domnu,

I think you should do whichever you are more interested in as there is not a preference for one versus the other in terms of business school admissions. It is not so much what you do as the quality of what you do and your accomplishments in that role.

Good luck,
Lisa
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Gouman
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PostWed Jun 24, 2009 8:06 pm
Hey Lisa,

I just wanted to say thanks for the reply. I have not been on the forum for quite some time (hence writing to say thanks months after your response). Nevertheless, I truly do appreciate you taking the time to field a response to my questions.

Sincerely,

Gouman
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PostFri Jul 03, 2009 9:25 pm
Hi Stacy & Team,

Had a quick question regarding converting GPA from reputed undergrad programs at Canadian schools. I went to the Ivey Business School and we received our grades in percentages. Do you have a link to how a top school (e.g. HBS) would convert from my percent grade to overall GPA?

There are varying guidelines on how to convert GPA I've seen - based on those my GPA falls between 3.2 on the low end and 3.5 on the high end. When submitting my B-School application, do they have us calculate this GPA ourselves and report it to them, or do they merely ask for our transcripts and do the conversion on their own? If its the former case, it seems like I wouldn't raise much of a red flag with a 3.5 GPA, but if its the latter, would a 3.2 be below the average they're looking for?

I know this is quite a fully loaded question but your help/insight would be appreciated!
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PostSun Jul 05, 2009 7:32 pm
Dear heymrdj,

Some schools post a GPA conversion guide in their applications or on their websites. You are expected to report a converted GPA, so you want to have the best approximation you can. There are schools that will do their own conversion based on your transcripts, but I think the best course of action if you are applying to multiple schools is to have a credential service do the calculation for you. While it does cost money, it might be worth it to have an accurate conversion accepted by most schools. The two most widely used and accepted are Global Credential Evaluators and World Evaluation Services.

Good luck,
Lisa
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heymrdj
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PostMon Jul 06, 2009 8:03 am
Thanks Lisa for the reply!

Didn't know such services existed - will definitely look into them.

Have you heard anything about US schools factoring in the typically lower grades at Canadian schools? Would I be likely to get an upward adjustment on my Canadian GPA when applying to a top 10 school?

Thanks again!
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PostTue Jul 07, 2009 1:01 pm
I have not heard of schools making "adjustments" in this way, but that is not to say that some don't. Schools evaluate GPAs in relative terms--this means that they know there is variance in grading from school to school. So, if your university is known to grade tougher than others, that will be taken into account in your evaluation (but not in the actual GPA number).

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Lisa
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shaselai
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PostWed Jul 08, 2009 11:47 am
Lisa,

I am currently still preparing for the GMAT but I have the following profile..
Undergrad: 2.94 RPI Computer System & Electrical Eng
Grad: 3.3 NCSU Master Computer Science
Very old gmat score(took it like 6 years ago) 620ish
Work experience:
Northrop Grumman: 2 years - software development.
ITT: Current (~2 years). Software development

Any suggestions on what kind of schools I should be aiming for? I still regret that I messed up my GPA in undergrad by deciding to do pre-med(which failed misreably..). I know that the GPA is only part of the puzzle but realistically what tier of schools do you suggest to apply to?

Also, should I look into volunteer work and other outside works and how much do they weight? Right now i am pretty much work->home->prepare gmat repeat...
Thanks!
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PostWed Jul 08, 2009 5:37 pm
Dear shaselai,

Without knowing your GMAT score, it is impossible to give you a range of schools. Generally speaking, you are in a good competitive position if your GMAT and GPA are at or above the school's averages on those measures. If you are below the average on GPA, then a higher GMAT will mitigate that number. Since you pursued a tough major, then your GPA is not putting you at as much of a disadvantage as you might think. I would suggest you target schools where your GMAT is close to/above the average, but definitely within the mid-50% range.

As for activities outside the office, they certainly don't hurt you, and some schools will expect you to have something on your application. All application components are important as the application is evaluated holistically. Thus it might be a negative if you have nothing to mention, but not having any activities is probably not going to result in an automatic rejection. Since you are in IT, you might want to join some activities in a leadership role as a way to distinguish yourself from other similar applicants. IT work experience is over-represented in the MBA applicant pool, so be sure to focus your resume on your managerial skills and not your technical skills.

Good luck,
Lisa
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shaselai
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PostWed Jul 08, 2009 9:24 pm
Lisa,
thanks for the reply. Hypothetically speaking, if my goal is Yale that has a GPA req. of 3.5 and Middle 80% range GMAT 670 to 760. So for this example, it means i need pretty much a 760+ to "balance" my GPA out - is that correct? Would a target school be a school where the GMAT and GPA are the mean of the school's requirement?

Also,is it OK to get letters of recommendations just from managers and supervisors? I haven't really kept in touch with any of my professors (maybe 1 but dont think he would write one...).
thanks!
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PostThu Jul 09, 2009 12:07 pm
Business schools prefer letters of recommendation from professional relationships (i.e., managers and supervisors). Letters from professors do not carry as much significance since business school is a professional program, not an academic track.

As for your GMAT score, there is no calculation using the two--both are evaluated separately relative to those measures. Since your GPA might be a little below the average for your target schools, then you want your GMAT to be as close to/above the average for those schools to put you in a competitive position on those measures. You will still have the other components like essays, recommendations, and interviews to strengthen your application. Your target schools are the schools you apply to that you feel are the best match for you and your goals.

Good luck,
Lisa
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PostThu Jul 09, 2009 12:38 pm
Lisa,
I was looking at the Business school rankings and noticed many of the top Full time MBA schools are not even on the part time MBA list - does that mean those some of the top 30 Full time MBA programs dont offer part time at all or they are not good to be on the list?
Also, is it better to do a full time or part time? One reason i am leaning towards part time is the debt that would incur if I have no significant income. Isn't the end result of either PT/FT MBA just a certificate of completing an MBA without displaying if it was done through PT or FT? Is the FT MBA benefit overwhelmingly better than people should just take the financial hit (without job support) and go for it?

Thanks!
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