Application at Vanderbilt, USC - Davis, and Pepperdine

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Hi there.

I am planning to apply for MBA in one of the schools at the abovementioned schools. I have 4 years of experience , taken a 5-month non-degree course at Queen's University, Kingston, Ontario.
only started studying gmat 3 weeks back, but i believe I can score in the range of 580 within 3 weeks to 4 weeks. Will be taking my TOEFL exam tomorrow, but hopefully the score won't be a problem. My Bachlor degree is Management Information Systems. GPA is 2.73/4. Do i have any chance in getting an admission in one of the the schools above if i apply in the last round ? or should i rush my GMAT exam so i can apply in the round before last?

P.S: I am Saudi Arabian citizen.

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by mbaMissionSusanK » Tue Feb 07, 2012 6:41 am
Hi,

There are always going to be fewer slots left in the final round which makes it a challenging time to apply. If you think you can get your applications done well, it is better to get in an earlier round. Depending on your situation, you may even want to consider applying next year so you have more time to complete the GMAT and your application. Also, check to see if any of the schools have deadlines specific to international applicants. In terms of your qualifications, you will need to have a clear career path to communicate to the AdCom. Do you have relevant experience/skills to date that you can demonstrate to serve as a foundation for your career goals? You will also need to demonstrate to the AdCom that you can handle the academic rigors of an MBA program. You do have a low GPA, were there any special circumstances to explain that? You will need to balance your GPA with a strong GMAT score. The average GMAT score for most of these programs are in the high 600's. If the Queen's University course was business related/quant, and you did well in it, that can be an academic measure as well.

Good luck in your decision,

Susan Kaplan
Senior Consultant
mbaMission
646-485-8844

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