Hi,
Please see my comments below:
Thank you for your reply. Regarding your reply on lower gpa below, can you indicate why it's better to take the classes at local University rathan than at community college? I have taken calculus courses in undergrad, but received low grades (C). I took a few accounting classes (at local community college) I did not think about MBA at that time. I received a C in one tax accounting.. and B's in the 2 other accounting classes. Based on my background and profile, what classes would you reccomend that I take? (if will help) ex. Intro to Statistics?
University courses are deemed to be more consistent in terms of quality an adcoms know they can trust the level of the course. If you don't have a university near you I suggest taking an online course from a reputable university like Harvard. Statistics and accounting are great courses to take. Remember, you need to get A's in the classes, anything lower won't impress an adcom.
In addition to my 1st post, can you please evaluate my profile? Please let me know if you want me to start a new post for this. If you can answer my questions below, that would be great. I really appreciate your help and input. Thanks in advance.
PROFILE: Financial Analyst
Age: 27yrs when apply/Female/Chinese
GMAT (3rd try) - 600(65%ile), Quant- 44(69 %ile), Verbal- 28(47 %lie), AWA- 4.5 (37%ile) [AWA- 5 (56%ile) 2nd time]
Target schools Part-Time: USC, Carnegie Melon, Boston University, Santa Clara University.
Academics: Undergrads- Economics B.A.
UC Campus
GPA: 2.707
Work Experience: 3.75 yrs
(1st job/yr in client serving role at one of Big Four firm, 2nd job as Financial Analyst- non-managerial).
Extracurricular/ leadership roles:
-Student adviser for 100+ students, media translator (an international and domestically based non-profit).
-Chapter Vice President for Alumni
-Vice President for Business Frat. (College)
My Questions/ Concerns
1. Is my profile good enough for those school listed above?
You're work experience seems quite solid and is perfectly in line with what adcoms are looking for. However, given your low GPA and GMAT score, you will certainly want to take a couple of courses and get A's to prove you have the academic horsepower for bschool.
2. My main concern is the low gpa- due to taking heavy quant engineering calculus courses in college. In addition, there is one upper div. math unfortunately received a D in. Seems like those schools listed above have at least a 3.0 avg for PT.
What “specific� classes should I take to balance the gpa weakness and is it better to take the class at community college or an UC extention? ( I assume the only way now to make up for the low gpa is to take classes, since nothing can be done about college gpa).
See my comments above.
3. Since I’m currently unemployed (3 months), should I try to find a job first to fill the resume gap before I apply this fall? If so, should I find an int’l job to gain more of a unique int’l background? Or should I try to find a job in the city of the school- since I plan on applying for its PT program?
I suggest looking for a job in your current industry or in the one you wish to join post bschool (if it is different). I wouldn't recommend a move across country to work in the city where you are applying to bschool since you don't know where you'll get in.
4. Does it hurt my chances of being competitive if I am unemployed when applying for PT programs?
Many part time programs require employment as a prerequisite. You'll want to look into the employment qualifications/specifics at each school you apply.
5. How can I further improve my profile? I would be applying for Round-1 this year
Do you have leadership experience at work? If not, I strongly suggest finding a way to demonstrate your leadership skills and potential. Extracurricular activities are a great way to do this.
6. I am mainly applying to “part time� because they require a lower GMAT and gpa score. Since PT gmat score is lower than FT’s, is PT less competitive than FT? Since I have tried my best in GMAT preparation, I really am aiming for the schools listed above.
I'm not completely sure I understand your question. Can you please clarify?
Best,
Stacey
