680 GMAT low gpa

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680 GMAT low gpa

by slacker2015 » Sun Oct 25, 2015 12:57 am
I have a 680 GMAT and a 2.7 gpa from a top 50 university and about 3-4 years work experience (not spectacular) realistically what MBA programs should I be looking at rankwise ?

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by Jim@StratusPrep » Tue Oct 27, 2015 6:59 am
I think your stretch schools will be around #10 and target should be around 15-20
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by CriticalSquareMBA » Thu Oct 29, 2015 12:52 pm
I, respectfully of course, have a different take than Jim. Your GMAT is on the low end of top 20 schools, your GPA is really low on the same scale, and you say your work experience doesn't stand out. Given that, I'm not sure why a top 20 program would be a realistic school for you. Now, obviously there is more to your profile than what you shared, and if there is something missing, please do fill us in! While we are huge advocates for prospective students to aim for the best schools they possibly can, knowing that we're in R2, it's quite competitive out there. I think applying to 3-5 schools in the top 25-40 are a better option for you at this stage. Depending on your goals, we can help align you to the right programs. Hope this information helps. Feel free to get back to us with the answers to the above questions. Also, feel free to check out our free resources to get you started for your R2 preparation. Best of luck this season!
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by slacker2015 » Sun Nov 01, 2015 7:09 pm
Thank you both for taking the time to reply. Yes I agree more with you CriticalSquare although it was motivating to hear Jims take haha. My initial plans were to app to schools in the upper part of the top 50 range with 1 or 2 stretches for 25ish. Yes my gpa is a problem which I plan to attempt to address in the optional essay in each app. Given that my undergrad performance as well as my work experience are static factors at this point, I was wondering if upping my GMAT into the 700-720 range and/or write very good essays would give me a shot at the 15-25 range. I only took the GMAT once and with only couple weeks preparation so I am somewhat confident I can score higher with more preparation (I have been prepping for the past month). Or am I just overall ousted due to a sub 3 gpa and not being in a dazzling name brand company/role?

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by Michael@VeritasPrep » Sat Nov 14, 2015 4:35 pm
Realistically I say you should be looking in the 25-50 ranking range. However, with only 4 years or work experience, you could also work for another year or two and keep on trying to improve on your gmat which would help you reach those top 25 ranking schools. good luck to you!

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by slacker2015 » Fri Dec 04, 2015 7:47 pm
Just updating. I just retook my GMAT and scored a 710 Q50 V37 IR 8 not sure yet AWA but I'm sure its 5-5.5 at least. Would this change anything in my outlook or is my low gpa and average work experience still a bottleneck? I am just asking because I have still yet to apply to any reach schools ( I have the apps mostly ready just haven't pulled the trigger yet.) My reach targets are still the same a couple 20-30 and Johnson. Would applying to 1-2 more 10-20 schools make sense or a waste of app money?

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by Michael@VeritasPrep » Sun Jan 17, 2016 9:10 pm
Congrats on improving your score! Should you apply to some top twenty schools? GO FOR IT! Especially if the only thing holding you back is a few hundred bucks in application fees. In the grand scheme of things, that is nothing compared to getting into a school that will drastically improve your ROI on tuition dollars. Don't forget, writing some great essays will help too. Good luck to you!