Should I apply now?

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tennis07: Newbie | Next Rank: 10 Posts; Posts: 4; Joined: Mon Sep 24, 2007 12:45 pm

by tennis07 » Thu Sep 25, 2008 10:57 pm

I graduated a top 5 school with a terrible gpa due to several deaths that I did not handle to well in addition to a lack of maturity and an assault that happened to me. I ended up with like a 2.6 in a social science major. I have semester where I had a 3.7 down to a 2.1. I have been out of college 2 years and I have fantastic work experience managing a multimillion dollar project which was completed ahead of schedule.

Now, I want to apply to business school.My GMAT is in the high 600s. I feel like I am ready but given my undergrad experience I am sure the adcoms will understandably question me. Is it worth my time to even apply? I am aiming for schools like USC and UCLA. Once upon a time, I had higher aspirations but life happens.

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Source: Beat The GMAT — Ask an MBA Admissions Consultant | Thu Sep 25, 2008 10:57 pm

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Lisa Anderson: MBA Admissions Consultant; Posts: 3845; Joined: Wed Feb 06, 2008 8:57 pmFollowed by: 148 members; Location: Houston, TX; Thanked: 442 times

by Lisa Anderson » Fri Sep 26, 2008 12:19 pm

Dear tennis07,

You should absolutely apply if the school makes sense for your career goals and is a good cultural fit for you. You will need to address the low GPA in the optional essay, but spend the bulk of the essay demonstrating how you will perform at a higher level now than you did then. The GMAT will mitigate the GPA to some degree, but you might also consider taking a few courses (like calculus, statistics) to show your ability to do well in coursework now. Lastly, I always think folks should have a back up plan with schools, so maybe look at some other options that are not as competitive in admissions.

Good luck,
Lisa

Lisa Anderson
Consultant
Stacy Blackman Consulting

Learn more about me

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Kelly McDonald: Junior | Next Rank: 30 Posts; Posts: 21; Joined: Thu Jan 10, 2008 5:34 pm; Location: Ottawa, Canada; Thanked: 3 times

by Kelly McDonald » Mon Oct 06, 2008 2:20 am

I'll share my experience as I had a similar issue to overcome. Two years prior to applying for my program I took several undergrad business courses (Accounting, Marketing etc) I did them primarily through correspondence, but worked hard and earned straight A's. When I applied I was able to provide concrete evidence that I was not the same person I was when I completed my first degree and that I was able to deliver the academic performance required for my MBA. I'm now 3 months into my program and enjoying every minute of it

Kelly

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