Ask an MBA Admissions Consultant

I have been flirting with the idea of an MBA for about a year. I only recently started digging deep into it. I bought the 2016 OG and just started studying. However, I am unsure of my chances of getting into a school, as I have a low GPA and the odds are against me scoring 700 on my GMAT.

I have made peace with the fact that I won't get into HBS or the likes and I am OK with going to a small, out of the top 100, regional school.

What I am asking, do I stand a chance of getting into the below schools with the below profile if I score something like a 620-630 as opposed to a 700+?

Undergrad - Appalachian State 2013, Economics
GPA - 2.8
Work Experience - 2.5 years IT and international logistics at publicly traded e-commerce company (will be 3 by the time I apply)


Target Schools and avg GMAT:

Drexel - 592
La Salle - 500
St. Joseph's - 523
Lehigh - 631
Temple - 640
Villanova - 621

Thanks!

If your GPA is below the average GPA listed in the class profiles then you are looking for a GMAT score on the upper range to counter-balance this. Here is an article on MBA admissions criteria to help you.

Hi Jason_R,

Most of your target schools have average undergrad GPAs upward of 3.0 (Temple ~ 3.6, Drexel and Villanova ~3.3), which is significantly higher than yours. At 620-630, you can outscore 3 of your target schools and be at par with the other 3.

You may still go ahead and apply to your target schools (especially the ones where you are at par), as your GMAT score will be more recent (than your GPA) and hence a better reflection of your current academic abilities.

Having said that, your GPA is frozen, and the best you can do is get as much on GMAT as possible and write great essays and get great recommendations.