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low GMAT (600), low GPA (2.9) Need Advice

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low GMAT (600), low GPA (2.9) Need Advice

by tj123 » Tue Aug 11, 2009 10:57 pm
Hi,

Ive taken the GMAT three times.
Ive gotten a 500 the first time (over a year ago)
Ive gotten a 530 the second time ( 6 months ago)
Ive gotten a 600 (Q40, V32) last week.

My undergrad major was CS and I took some tough programming classes that hurt my GPA. I got some "C"s as well in Calc and Stats.

Anyway clearly my academics are not stellar, however I was heavily involved in extra curcc activites with leadership positions as well as doing part time work through college and started my own consulting business on the side.

I have solid work experience working for a top consulting firm for the past 4 years since I graduated in 05. MY experience is on national and international levels. From this Ive got solid leadership and analytical experience. Im confident I would perform much much better academically in an MBA program as well as have a great deal to add to the classroom with my matured analytical skills and experiences in general


My low GPA and low GMAT score do NOT reflect my ability to succeed and my ability to contribute in a classroom. Bottom line is that im quite confident that with my work experience since graduation and with my constant leadership demonstrations that I can succeed in a top MBA program.

Questions:
1) Am I a high risk candidate to Adcomms?
2) I really want to apply to Harvard and Stanford. Ive read the post on Round 1 vs. Round 2, but should I just apply to Round 2 assuming Round 1 is filled with the perfect candidates that are likely to get me rejected pretty quick?
3) How about for the Top 11-20 ranked schools should I assume Round 2 makes sense here as well?


thanks.
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by Lisa Anderson » Wed Aug 12, 2009 10:35 am
Dear tj123,

1) Am I a high risk candidate to Adcomms?
Perhaps. Your GPA and GMAT certainly do not indicate your ability to excel in the classroom relative to other applicants. It is not that I doubt you can succeed as I have seen many students with similar GMAT/GPA profiles do well academically in business school due to their high level of motivation. Unfortunately, when you are selecting the 1000 out of 8000+ to offer a seat to, it can be difficult to find applicants who possess the motivation as well as convince other ad comm members to give these applicants the chance. While it is not impossible, I do want you to be aware of what you will need to do in the rest of your application to make your case. Additionally, you will need to take extra efforts to build a relationship with the admissions office. I do think you can go to business school, but I would encourage you to look beyond the usual suspects of the top 20 and research some fabulous programs that are more willing and able to find the applicants like you amongst the applicant pool.

2) I really want to apply to Harvard and Stanford. Ive read the post on Round 1 vs. Round 2, but should I just apply to Round 2 assuming Round 1 is filled with the perfect candidates that are likely to get me rejected pretty quick?
3) How about for the Top 11-20 ranked schools should I assume Round 2 makes sense here as well?
I think you should apply when your application is the best it can be and as early as possible. There is not much difference between round 1 and round 2 in terms of who applies or the quality of the applicants in each round. I think you can apply in either round and the decision will probably be the same; it is just important for you to take the time needed to submit the best possible application.

Best of luck,
Lisa
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by tj123 » Wed Aug 12, 2009 3:08 pm
thanks for the update.
couple follow ups:

1) do you feel that taking the GMAT for the 4th time and scoring a 650 or higher would help my case?

2) In researching schools, the top 5 show that the profile of the class of 2011 have a GMAT range of 490 to 750. Additionally, Ive seen Kellog show statistics around 13% of applications had a GMAT score lower than 650 and 6% of total enrolled applications had a GMAT score lower than 650. With this info, should I be encouraged to apply since there are at least 50-80 slots for students with less than a 650 GMAT? What do you think gets these <650 GMAT candidates accepted?

3) What do you suggest are ways to make the extra effort to build a relationship with Adcomms?

thanks again
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by Lisa Anderson » Thu Aug 13, 2009 10:16 am
I do believe a higher GMAT score will help you if you are determined to enter a top 10 program.

Yes, the current class profile does show a number of students below a 650. However, the number is quite small relative to the class size and the competition for those seats is high. As I stated previously, it is not impossible to gain admission to a top 10 with a 600 GMAT, but you need to be aware of the difficulty in being in the select few that are offered a seat. I do think you should apply if you feel you can make a compelling case to be one of those few applicants to make it with >650. What sets these applicants apart is hard to articulate. Generally speaking, they have an otherwise stellar application except for the GMAT score. They will have evidence of academic ability and success in their transcripts. Likewise, they will have quality work experience, realistic career goals, and be well-rounded individuals.

To build a relationship, you need to meet admissions professionals from these schools and continue the dialogue beyond the initial meeting. You don't want to be a stalker, but you do not want to take advantage of any opportunity to meet someone from the school and visit the campus. Additionally, you will want to email the admissions professional thoughtful questions or the like to keep your name fresh in his/her mind.

Good luck,
Lisa
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