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Profile Eval - What are my chances??

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Profile Eval - What are my chances??

by w0283767 » Tue Aug 17, 2010 8:34 am
I am hoping to get into a top 25 program. My only concern is I went to a weak undergrad program. I went to a third tier state school in Louisiana, but have a 3.5 cumulative GPA (Finance Major). I really want to go to McCombs.

What target GMAT score should I shoot for given my weak undergrad program to be considered competitive for a top 25 school?

I have 3 years work experience as a credit analyst and can get a decent recommendation from my bank's CEO and CFO.

Thank you in advance for your time.
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by Tani » Wed Aug 18, 2010 8:31 am
You are right to be thinking about your GMAT score, but don't neglect the other things that build a strong application. McCombs ' class averages around 680 on the GMAT. You should definitely try to equal or beat that, particularly since you don't have a highly-ranked undergraduate institution behind you.

You say you will get "decent" recommendations. Is there anything you can do between now and the application dates to build those to "great"? Maybe you are being modest, but "decent" sounds like "damning with faint praise". Also, you mention the CEO and CFO. Do you work directly with them? What about your supervisor? Schools are not interested in the titles of your recommenders, but in what they know and can tell about you. A top manager who hardly knows you can actually hurt your application. In fact, many schools will ask you to explain your choice if you do not use your immediate supervisor. Skipping that individual can raise the suspicion that you are not confident of a good recommendation from the one who knows you best.

As you know, McCombs only accepts one applicant in four so you need to stand out. Think about your achievements so far: professional, academic and volunteer. How can you put those together to make a story that will convince the admissions committee that they want you in their class? What have you done that shows leadership, initiative, creativity? What about you would stand out from the thousands of applicants the admissions committee will review? You should consider working with and experienced admissions consultant to craft sparkling essays.

Good luck,
Tani Wolff
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