620 GMAT, GPA: 2.8 (3.6 final year), managed signed band

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I'm in a tough spot and I'll try to summarize this as quickly as possible.

I just wrote my GMAT and scored a 620 33Q and 41V. Admittedly, I bombed the math.

My GPA is a mess, first two years were very bad; last two years were very good, including having one my research papers published.

However my GPA was reduced by my extra-curricular focus. During my second year, I guided the band I was managing from nothing to a world wide record deal and critical acclaim.

So I left school and moved to NY where I managed all aspects of the group's business and toured with them across NA and Europe on several occasions.

Needless to say, it was an unbelievable experience that opened my eyes to the real world and furthered my entrepreneurial drive. I have had a very impressive track record since then, winning a few business plan competitions and I currently work for a F500 software company.

I believe my experiences will provide me with a UNIQUE story for my application and I feel confident that I can excel within a top school. However, I am extremely worried that my GMAT and GPA will seriously reduce my chances of getting in to a top US school.

Any thoughts or advice? Will re-taking the GMAT really provide me with much of an edge considering the nature of my application?

Thx.
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by Lisa Anderson » Thu Sep 25, 2008 12:20 pm
Dear milahmada,

You are right to be concerned and in this time of increasingly competitive and growing application pools, your GMAT and GPA could very well prevent you from getting into some schools. I agree that your work experience is unique and will distinguish you from others. I'm just not sure it will be enough at a top 20 US school.

If you are open to other US programs in the top 50, then I think you might have a shot. Since you did not do well on the quant section, it will be important to demonstrate you have quantitative abilities for any school.

Best of luck,
Lisa
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Thanks!

by milahmada » Thu Sep 25, 2008 3:13 pm
Lisa,

Thank you for the honest feedback, it is much appreciated. I'll have to further consider my options.

best.