Ask an MBA Admissions Consultant

Hello, hello!

A got started in the game pretty late. I would probably be characterized as the prototypical intelligent underachiever. After many switches, I finally decided on getting majors in finance and management. Towards the end of college, I realized what I wanted to eventually be a part of (corporate strategy/mangement consulting), yet my low GPA (2.7) and unknown school handicap me. To alleviate this, I do have some solid experience working with non-profits, and I am a great standardized test taker (my aim is 720+ GMAT).

Realizing my situation, I knew I needed to get a job with a top company. Luckily, I secured a position in a leadership development program at a Fortune 50 firm in operations.

I understand that I have a about 4.5 years to situate myself for application into b-school, as it seems this is a solid way to break into corporate strategy/management consulting at a top firm.

The questions are:
How much "hope" does my situation have?
What are some steps I should take to put myself in the best possible place?
Should I consider getting a masters degree to cover up my low undergraduate GPA?
Should I take classes at my undergraduate institution to higher my GPA (over the next few years) to above 3.0?
Should I take classes at a different undergraduate institution?
Since I am currently in supply chain/operations, is there a specific route I should take from here? Should I spend 2-3 years here and try to get into a lower ranked consulting firm? Or try to move into a more corporate role within this company? Or would becoming a manager within some field of supply chain be sufficient?
If I were to get into a top b-school, would getting into corporate strategy/management consulting (MBB) be possible with the low GPA?
Anything else?

Thanks for the help!

Hey abladeofgrass - welcome to BTG - you've come to the right place for awesome resources and support on your way to the MBA!

You're also starting exceptionally early - nice to see someone planning ahead!

It's tough to address all the questions you laid out there in this format (we'd be typing to Timbuktu if we tried) but just briefly:

The best way to overcome a low GPA in college when it comes time for your MBA apps is to take a course or two to demonstrate you can succeed in the classroom. Here's a post from our blahg on this advice: https://www.essaysnark.com/2011/09/the-b ... a-low-gpa/ and this one talks about what type of class: https://www.essaysnark.com/2012/06/tackl ... ich-class/

It seems a little silly to enroll in a different Master's program just to boost your GPA for your application to another Master's program (tail wagging the dog?). Sometimes when people are overeducated the bschool may wonder why they need another degree, so it could actually fix one problem but cause another! Yes it would help if you had another transcript to submit in addition to undergrad, to show a more recent academic success story, but it probably shouldn't be your main motivation in going back to school - you should do so to, uh, dunno, maybe get educated?

(sorry we're called EssaySnark for a reason sometimes it just slips out like that)

The "hope" in your situation is entirely up to you. Our best advice is, no matter what job you have, to look for ways to excel. Take the initiative, seek out opportunities to add value. You need to have evidence of being a leader and making an impact to have a shot at a top MBA program, so anything you can do now to do leader-ly things will be useful in your pitch. Those activities will also, oddly enough, help you actually build your career.

There's a gazillion tracks to strategy or consulting, and a gazillion ways to get into bschool. Look for ways to make a difference in this world, on the job and in the rest of your life, and you'll be setting yourself up for success (while hopefully also making the world a better place!).

Hope this helps, at least a little!!!

EssaySnark

Yes, you have a lot of hope.

Too many different permutations of steps. Seek out leadership opportunities and try to position yourself to be on strategic projects which will give you some of the competencies that corporate strategy/management consulting companies seek.

Take classes at either your undergraduate institution or another institution to mitigate your lower undergraduate GPA. The classes you choose and your performance in these classes matter more than the specific institution you choose. If you have not yet taken Calculus and Statistics do so now.
There are too many variables at play to provide you with specific advice about whether to switch into a consulting firm or another position or management.

Yes, if you are accepted into a top B school, you can get into corporate strategy/MBB with a low undergraduate GPA as your grades at B school will matter.

My peers have given you some solid suggestions.

My piece of advice is to be realistic when you ultimately make your school list. Each season, I see a number of potential clients who are only interested in the top 3-5 schools despite major red flags. And generally speaking, gone are the days when you can really make up for a really low GPA. The gpa matters a lot for the mean class profile gpa which affects rankings. There are always some exceptions, but they are indeed not common anymore.

I think that it is way too early to set your school choices now, but you will need to look outside of the top 10 as well if you want to give yourself a decent, balanced shot, regardless of what other moves you make. Sorry not to be as upbeat as the other posters, but competition is just that tough. I am not suggesting you avoid all of the top schools, I am just saying that you need to have a sober look at the class profiles and be prepared to be open to perhaps a larger slate of schools.

Alex