Low score policy

Launched April 26, 2006
This topic has expert replies
User avatar
Junior | Next Rank: 30 Posts
Posts: 20
Joined: Sat Aug 12, 2006 11:48 am
Thanked: 1 times
GMAT Score:690

Low score policy

by Jason11 » Tue Sep 23, 2008 7:00 pm
My GPA is 2.65. When I applied first, my gmat was 510. When the school admissions consider my application, they firstly call attention to the low GPA. I also had the chance to learn from the reviewers the reason what they thought about my application.

However, the problem is to assess the gpa and explain the reasons in my essays or recommendation letters by my professors. I have no idea how to explain or whether I should explain.

1)I do have a difficult major from a good school.

2)The grading policy of the school includes make up exams, however a successful student has to avoid from these exams to get into the honor list or get a scholarship award. (Every year I was on the list) one from two students.

3)At the end of the undergraduate, because of the grading policy, a successful student can easily drop behind in rank order(not that much) , because the make up exams let others improve their scores. Moreover, the competition for the honor list or a scholarship decreases and harms your grade in long term.

4)The committee was considering the unfair competition for years. The school changed the policy and improved its grading policy, 2 years later after I graduated. My undergraduate GPA is still 2.65

In the mean time my graduate GPA is 3.45
My Gmat score is 690 now.
My problem is that how to prevent the admissions to call my GPA "low", which should be considered more than its value. Or maybe it is. How to explain this? Because many says that I should stay away from excuses.

Thank you
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 » Wed Sep 24, 2008 12:17 pm
Dear jason11,

You cannot change your GPA if that is how the school calculated it at the time you attended. So you have a 2.65 which will be considered low for most schools. Your GMAT of 690 and performance in graduate school will help to mitigate that to some degree. But I think it would be worthwhile for you to write the optional essay acknowledging the low GPA. However, you want to simply acknowledge and then spend most of your words on how that does not reflect your abilities, providing evidence as to why you will succeed in business school.

Good luck,
Lisa
Lisa Anderson
Consultant
Stacy Blackman Consulting

Learn more about me

User avatar
Junior | Next Rank: 30 Posts
Posts: 20
Joined: Sat Aug 12, 2006 11:48 am
Thanked: 1 times
GMAT Score:690

by Jason11 » Wed Sep 24, 2008 12:55 pm
Thank you Lisa.