BREAKING: Target Test Prep releases Brand New 2026 On Demand GMAT prep course

Redeem

Profile evaluation - low GMAT

Launched April 26, 2006
This topic has expert replies
Post new topic Post Reply
Previous Topic Next Topic
Source: — Ask Stacy Blackman |

GMAT/MBA Expert

User avatar
MBA Admissions Consultant
Posts: 3845
Joined: Wed Feb 06, 2008 8:57 pm
Location: Houston, TX
Thanked: 442 times
Followed by:148 members

by Lisa Anderson » Fri Oct 23, 2009 4:21 pm
Dear MBAhopeful1982,

That is tough as a 680 is a great score and an increase of <20 points probably won't have significant impact on your decisions. If you feel like you can get your score up at least 20 points, then it might be worth taking again as long as you are not sacrificing the quality of the rest of your application. It is imperative you have a great set of essays and recommendations. You want to distinguish yourself from similar applicants and make a compelling case for your admission. Also, you want to submit your application in by the R2 deadlines.

Good luck,
Lisa
Lisa Anderson
Consultant
Stacy Blackman Consulting

Learn more about me
Top
Newbie | Next Rank: 10 Posts
Posts: 7
Joined: Wed Oct 21, 2009 1:35 pm

by MBAhopeful1982 » Tue Oct 27, 2009 4:59 pm
Thanks Lisa, I signed up for the exam again with hopes that I can improve by more than 20 points with additional prep.

Do you think I need to address my low undergrad GPA in the optional essay? or do you think it is already addressed by the high gpa in my masters program?
Last edited by MBAhopeful1982 on Wed Nov 25, 2009 5:18 pm, edited 1 time in total.
Top

GMAT/MBA Expert

User avatar
MBA Admissions Consultant
Posts: 3845
Joined: Wed Feb 06, 2008 8:57 pm
Location: Houston, TX
Thanked: 442 times
Followed by:148 members

by Lisa Anderson » Tue Oct 27, 2009 7:21 pm
Whether or not to address your GPA would depend on how your transcript looks in terms of trends. Did you have a low GPA the first two years and then did better the rest of the time? Were quantitative courses harder for you and that was what brought your GPA down? Did you have extenuating circumstances that affected your academic performance? Your master's GPA and high GMAT score do mitigate your undergraduate GPA to some degree, so I don't know that an explanation is warranted. Think about your situation and then determine if there is something you need to say about your GPA.

I don't think a top 10 is out of the realm of possibility for you, but remember these are reach schools for everyone. I would suggest applying to 1-3 in the top 10 and 1-2 in the top 25/30.

Regards,
Lisa
Lisa Anderson
Consultant
Stacy Blackman Consulting

Learn more about me
Top
Newbie | Next Rank: 10 Posts
Posts: 7
Joined: Wed Oct 21, 2009 1:35 pm

by MBAhopeful1982 » Wed Nov 25, 2009 12:03 am
Thanks for the advice. I took the GMAT again and scored a 730. Will the undergrad GPA/ GMAT formula automatically eliminate me from certain schools?
Last edited by MBAhopeful1982 on Wed Nov 25, 2009 5:19 pm, edited 1 time in total.
Top

GMAT/MBA Expert

User avatar
MBA Admissions Consultant
Posts: 3845
Joined: Wed Feb 06, 2008 8:57 pm
Location: Houston, TX
Thanked: 442 times
Followed by:148 members

by Lisa Anderson » Wed Nov 25, 2009 8:03 am
Congratulations on your new score! That is awesome! It is tough to increase a GMAT score 30 points and you increased your score by 50. I think you have enough evidence of your academic aptitude between your GMAT and master's GPA to mitigate your undergraduate GPA. If you are "eliminated" from top 10 schools, it will not be because of only your numbers; there will be other reasons as well. Thus be sure you have some great essays and recommendations to make your case for admission.

Best of luck,
Lisa
Lisa Anderson
Consultant
Stacy Blackman Consulting

Learn more about me
Top
Newbie | Next Rank: 10 Posts
Posts: 7
Joined: Wed Oct 21, 2009 1:35 pm

by MBAhopeful1982 » Wed Jan 13, 2010 4:12 pm
I was wondering if you could provide more specific advice in terms of schools in the top 10 that tend to be more forgiving of such a low GPA?
Last edited by MBAhopeful1982 on Tue Jan 19, 2010 11:51 am, edited 1 time in total.
Top

GMAT/MBA Expert

User avatar
MBA Admissions Consultant
Posts: 3845
Joined: Wed Feb 06, 2008 8:57 pm
Location: Houston, TX
Thanked: 442 times
Followed by:148 members

by Lisa Anderson » Sat Jan 16, 2010 8:58 am
All schools evaluate your application in a holistic manner, meaning they look at everything you present in totality expecting one component to balance another. So, the fact that your master's GPA and GMAT are high will balance your undergraduate GPA. Additionally, you have been working for six years which will not necessarily diminish the importance of your undergraduate GPA, but it makes it less indicative of your business school academic performance due to the time elapsed between the two. So, I would not say there is a particular school that will be more receptive to your profile, which in my opinion does provide a foundation for a competitive application. All schools will review your application thoroughly--it is incumbent on you to present a strong, overall application making your compelling case for admission for that particular school and presenting evidence of your commitment to doing well in business school.

Good luck,
Lisa
Lisa Anderson
Consultant
Stacy Blackman Consulting

Learn more about me
Top
Newbie | Next Rank: 10 Posts
Posts: 7
Joined: Wed Oct 21, 2009 1:35 pm

by MBAhopeful1982 » Thu Feb 18, 2010 9:08 am
I applied to 8 of the top 10-15 schools for R2 and only received one interview invite. This was a lot less than I was expected. Do you think my odds of admissions would be significantly increased if I apply to some of the same schools for early decision next fall, or should I aim a bit lower and try and get some R3 applications out this year at schools ranked 15-25. I am willing to wait an extra year if my chances will improve at getting into one of my target schools, but if I go to a back-up, I would rather do it sooner before I am too old.

as a recap these are my stats

White male born in the North East, 28 years old.
Undergrad (small private NE school) GPA 2.7 (played football and addressed in optional essay)
MS in Math 3.6 (different small private NE school) (thought this would add credibility to my optional essay)
GMAT 730 (96th %ile) Q47 (78th) V42 (95th) AWA 5.0
5-6 years work experience, currently at a top 5 consulting firm where I recently was promoted.
I have one international work experience which I wrote about in my essays.
I plan to return to consulting after I get my MBA in the same career path where I have already shown success, but that would be enhanced with an MBA.

I didn't do many school visits because of my rigorous work schedule and the fact that I was overseas recently and prior to being overseas I was studying for the GMAT.
Top

GMAT/MBA Expert

User avatar
MBA Admissions Consultant
Posts: 3845
Joined: Wed Feb 06, 2008 8:57 pm
Location: Houston, TX
Thanked: 442 times
Followed by:148 members

by Lisa Anderson » Fri Feb 19, 2010 5:09 pm
Dear MBAhopeful1982,

It is hard to know what next year will look like and how you will look relative to that applicant pool. This year is a highly competitive year as most schools are seeing an increase in applications. Without seeing your complete application, it is hard to know why you did not receive more interview invitations. If you are ready to go to school now and there are some programs outside the top 20 that you feel are a good match for you, then it might be worth applying to those in R3. There are some great programs in the 21-40 space of most rankings where you will receive a great education and have many of the same opportunities as the top 20 programs. If you would rather wait another year, apply in the first round next year and then apply to some safety options in R2 next year, then you can certainly do that as well. At 28-30, you are right around the average age for most schools, so waiting a year is not going to be an issue. I think you just have to decide what is more important to you at this point--being in school this fall or taking your chances on getting into a top 15 next year. Of course, this could all be pointless effort if your interview goes well. :wink:

Good luck,
Lisa
Lisa Anderson
Consultant
Stacy Blackman Consulting

Learn more about me
Top
Newbie | Next Rank: 10 Posts
Posts: 7
Joined: Wed Oct 21, 2009 1:35 pm

by MBAhopeful1982 » Fri Feb 19, 2010 5:20 pm
Lisa,

I guess what I am most concerned with is how much the odds increase for Early Decision/Early Action applications compared to Round 2 applications. If the odds are similar, I guess I can expect similar results next fall. However, if the odds are dramatically, better with an Early Decision application from someone who has completed school visits compared to a round 2 application from the same person who did not complete school visits than I would just go with lower ranked programs 15-25 (seeing as I am on a good track at a top 5 consulting firm, I do not see the value in going to a 25+ ranked school).
Top

GMAT/MBA Expert

User avatar
MBA Admissions Consultant
Posts: 3845
Joined: Wed Feb 06, 2008 8:57 pm
Location: Houston, TX
Thanked: 442 times
Followed by:148 members

by Lisa Anderson » Mon Feb 22, 2010 4:06 pm
There is no statistical significance to applying in R1 versus R2. Your odds are not necessarily different nor does the number of applicants admitted necessarily change. Each year is different, so it is not easy to make comparisons or have statistics for each round at a school hold true year in, year out. In each admissions cycle, the applicant pool will change as will what the school is looking for in terms of its class profile and background. This year is a highly competitive year due to an increase in applications at many schools. Next year, schools might approach how they evaluate applicants differently or alter their class sizes/demographics based on the previous year's class. I realize this is probably not much help, but it is not as simple as R1 with visits versus R2 without visits--there are so many other factors at play.

I think you need to focus on your interview at this point, see what happens. If you want to submit 1-2 applications in R3 to a couple of schools you feel you would be happy at, then do that. Otherwise, wait until next year and apply to a mix of schools in R1--top 15 and safety. That way, you know you will be in business school in fall 2011.

Good luck,
Lisa
Lisa Anderson
Consultant
Stacy Blackman Consulting

Learn more about me
Top

GMAT/MBA Expert

User avatar
MBA Admissions Consultant
Posts: 3845
Joined: Wed Feb 06, 2008 8:57 pm
Location: Houston, TX
Thanked: 442 times
Followed by:148 members

by Lisa Anderson » Mon Feb 22, 2010 4:34 pm
There is also no evidence to suggest Early Decision is any advantage over R1/R2. The general perception is that your chances are greater because you are "declaring" the school to be your top choice and will commit to come by applying in this round, but there are no actual statistics to back that up. I would say if you do decide to apply this fall, apply as early as you can--no since in waiting or putting it off. Often, those first few applications get positive attention for simply being first in the queue. Likewise, maximize your visits and establish a rapport with someone in the admissions office so you have a bit of a champion in the admissions office.

Regards,
Lisa
Lisa Anderson
Consultant
Stacy Blackman Consulting

Learn more about me
Top
Post new topic Post Reply
• Page 1 of 1