Hello,
I'll answer your question in two parts. First, are you competitive for DePaul and schools of that caliber. Possibly - your GMAT is well within range, and
your GPA is below their average but only slightly (relevant questions: did it trend up, which is good, and did you have good grades in quant courses, which also is good). The key will be the quality of your work experience: working for your family is fine, but what were you doing? Were you in a role where you gained business exposure, where you could provide some leadership (even if informally), where you had to communicate and interact with people (and develop teamwork skills)? Also, what about your goals - do you have well thought through and credible goals? I'd say, based on the information you provided, assuming some relevant work experience, probably you'd be a viable candidate at DePaul and schools on that level.
As to your second question, whether it's worth it to go to a mediocre b-school - I suggest looking at it differently. Start with what you want to get out of b-school, in terms of academics, recruiting/jobs, network/contacts, etc., and then look at the schools where you're competitive. Will those schools meet your needs? If so, then it makes sense to apply. If not, figure out where you do want to apply, and how you can improve your profile to be competitive.
You may be interested in my currently ongoing blog series on
MBA program selection.
Best regards,
Cindy Tokumitsu
Senior Editor, Accepted.com
www.Accepted.com
