The Application Process

Hi all,

I would be grateful if anyone can help me out with some advice based on my situation. I'll start with a little background about myself. I'm 29 years old and I've been working full-time for over 6 years since graduating from Michigan State University. I transfered to MSU after my sophomore year (I attended another school to play collegiate athletics before transferring). When I transfered, MSU accepted some of my credits; however, my GPA didn't transfer. I had a 3.1 gpa through my first two years, but the gpa on my official transcript is a 2.5. I've been preparing for the GMAT for over 16 months now and I have not been able (yet) to get my score high enough where I'm comfortable in submitting my application. My GMAT story is a conversation in its own, but to keep it simple, I've set a target score in the mid 600's. The only school that I want to go to is USC Marshall for the fully-employed program. I understand that my gpa is not going to help me too much so I feel like a mid 600 score in combination with strong essays, great letters of recommendation, and solid work experience will do the trick to get me strong consideration. However, this is where I'm looking for some advice. I took the GMAT this past weekend and scored 520 after consistently hitting in the mid 600's on my practice scores over the previous month. The final application date for USC is on 5/1/12 and unfortunately, I cannot retake the GMAT until 5/5/12. Would I be best served to submit my application as is and face a heightened likelihood of rejection or should I just wait until I get a higher score and accept the fact that I will have to wait another year before I can apply (USC isn't offering a spring program for this coming year)? I've tried calling the school to speak with someone about my situation, but I have not had any luck going this route. Thus, I'm hoping for some insight from one of the experts on this site. Also, I've considered the possibility of taking classes at a local school to show that I'm academically capable, but I obviously don't want to go this route unless it is a necessity. Thanks in advance!

Rob

Hi Rob - a 520 in the GMAT is probably too low for Marshall, in my opinion. Your GPA is not terribly low if it's in the 3.0 area, and your academic experience definitely will make up a little for it. My suggestion, however, to make your application that much more competitive is to score at the very least 620 before you even apply. The good news is that it's definitely doable and will require a disciplined approach to consistently studying for the GMAT and tackling your weaknesses.

The bad news is that it seems like you may have to wait a year if you're saying that you cannot make it for the final deadline. By the way, if you think you're going to be by only a few days late, you can probably get the AdCom team to grant you some grace days to get your grades in. Probably worth talking to them about it.

Good luck!

Hi tariqal - thanks for the advice. The GMAT experience has been somewhat frustrating for me as I've been prepping for nearly 17 months now (including a couple of unsuccessful attempts on the test). This last go around was a bit frustrating for me because I finally had been consistently scoring in the high 600's on my practice tests (w/essays and timed breaks) and then a week before my score dropped to a 570. I figured this was just a fluke and then I really stunk up the joint on the real deal.

Do you have any advice as to how I can get in touch with the AdCom team? I've tried numerous phone calls and I can't get past the secretary who answers the phone. Also, I've sent numerous emails with no response.

I have sound letters of recommendation from senior members of the multibillion dollar firm that I work directly under and I believe that my essays are really strong. I just have this one obstacle that I need to overcome and then I'm there. I'm still plugging away and determined as ever! I'd appreciate any additional insight that you can share with me.

Thanks,
Rob