MER Answers MBA -Related Questions- Week- 3

At MER, we regularly receive emails from prospective applicants asking us questions about various aspects of MBA application regarding their profile, eligibility for the top programs, age, GMAT prep, waitlist status, employment gap, job switch, second MBA, etc.

Every week, we post our response to one query. This is our third week posting our response to prospective applicants' queries.

This candidate asked questions about CPA or GMAT and if she should resign from her job to prepare for the GMAT.
Questions:

Hi Poonam,

I have a few questions:

1. I'm currently pursuing a CPA. I am yet to sit for the exams for the same. What is your opinion on the value addition of the course, and how would it impact my profile if I plan to drop the same?

2. Do I stand a chance of being admitted without a good GMAT score?

3. Studying along with work has been utterly challenging for me. Do you suggest resigning and studying for the GMAT and CPA? Shall I do one of these, or do both alongside the job?

Waiting to hear from you.

Thanks and regards,

Nisha

Our Response

Hi Nisha,

Thanks for your questions.

Please find below answers to your questions (in blue font):

1. I'm currently pursuing a CPA. I am yet to sit for the exams for the same. What is your opinion on the value addition of the course, and how would it impact my profile if I plan to drop the same.

A CPA will definitely add value to your resume, but it is not a substitute for the GMAT. Therefore, if you plan to apply in the 2022-23 application cycle, you should put your best foot forward to earn a solid 730+GMAT score.

However, if you find it challenging to study for both CPA and GMAT in parallel, you can put CPA on hold for now and focus only on the GMAT prep. Though a CPA certification helps enhance your profile, it is not a prerequisite for an MBA application. So it will not impact your profile negatively. On the contrary, a strong GMAT score will increase your odds of MBA admissions.

2. Do I stand a chance of being admitted without a good GMAT score?

Yes and No. B- schools take a holistic view of applications and consider all the aspects of candidates' profiles (career growth, leadership accomplishments, extracurricular activities, interests, community work, career goals, etc.).However, the success rate of students with solid GMAT scores is high. That being said, if your story/ essays are not compelling, you may face rejection despite a stellar GMAT score.

3. Studying along with work has been utterly challenging for me. Do you suggest resigning and studying for GMAT and CPA? Also, shall I do one of these or both alongside the job?

I understand it's challenging to prepare for GMAT/ CPA along with a demanding job. But I would not recommend quitting your job to prepare for the test. B-schools don't like candidates who leave their job to prepare for GMAT or application. As suggested earlier, you may focus only on GMAT for now and take CPA at a later date.

I hope it helped,

Poonam

Stay tuned for another MBA query next week.

You may be interested in previous weeks' queries:

MER Answers MBA-related Questions- Week-1

MER Answers MBA-related Questions -Week- 2

Related Resources

10 Key Essay Tips with Examples

Success stories of MER students in their own words

Case Studies

Since 2011, MER (myEssayReview) has helped hundreds of applicants get accepted into the top 20 MBA programs (Poonam is one of the top 5 most reviewed consultants on the GMAT Club.)

You may email Poonam at [email protected] with questions about your application for the 2022-23 admission cycle.

This blog was first published in myessayreview.