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High GPA - Low GMAT - young applicant

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High GPA - Low GMAT - young applicant

by wantaMBA » Tue Mar 16, 2010 1:30 pm
I am a senior Finance & Accounting major with a 3.8 GPA. I am also a Div. I All-American athlete (& ESPN Academic All-American). I want to go right from undergrad to grad school at the SAME university I am currently attending. I am in season now and recently made the decision to go to grad school so I have had little time to prepare for the GMAT. I took it this week with literally 2 nights of prep. and got a 'preliminary' score of 530...I know, not great...but I did very well on the written essays so my Analytical Writing Assessment score should be good...not sure how much that will be reflected in the overall GMAT score.

Excelling in a Div. I sport while maintaing a high gpa has been very time-consuming. I only recently decided to pursue this path - so I am behind the curve but I do not want to miss a year of academics if I don't have to. Nor do I want to start a job that I will leave in a year to return to school.

The MBA program I am applying to is not a top 10 school - it just made the Bloomberg top 50. The range of GMAT scores is 540-670. Assuming a high GPA, low GMAT, great references from professors at the SAME undergrad university, great extracuricular accomplishments, great/good essay, and no work experience (other than summer internship) - what do you think my chances are of getting in now? Is there such thing as a 'probationary acceptance"?

What do you recommend???
Thanks!
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by Lisa Anderson » Wed Mar 17, 2010 6:36 am
Dear wantaMBA,

It is hard to say what will happen with your application. Do you want to stay there because you have another year of eligibility for your sport? Have you spoken with the admissions staff of the program? I think there are some positives to your application, but there are also some weaknesses that the admissions committee may not be able to overlook. I would suggest talking with the admissions director or assistant/associate director if you have not already done so about your application. He/she would be the best person to give you an idea of where you stand. It is possible you might be put on a waitlist to allow you time to retake your GMAT over the summer; pending your score, then you might be admitted to the program. There is not really any probationary acceptance for MBA programs as they are different from other graduate programs.

Good luck,
Lisa
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by wantaMBA » Fri Mar 19, 2010 6:57 am
That is really good advice! I do not have another year of elligibility, however, I am in consideration for a Grad. Asst. position that could be for a two year assignment. If I am lucky enough to get that position, I will be ready to start classes this fall....so, hopefully I can get into the MBA program! I have been so busy these past four years that I really haven't spent enough time looking forward and figuring out my life - could be that I am in denial that it will soon be time to enter the real world! I am behind the curve on competing for a finance job because most of the people I know got their jobs back in the fall and I was still hopeful that I could find a way to go right to grad. school. I hope that getting an MBA first and then entering the work force will be a viable path for me.

Thanks again for your advice!
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