Just got a 700 and undecided

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Just got a 700 and undecided

by rommulus » Sat Dec 06, 2008 5:06 pm
Quick background. I retired from 20 years of military service last position had me leading 170 people. My undergraduate is from Thomas Edison State College in Nuclear Engineering. The problem is many of my courses are equivalency coursework and I only have about 45semester hours of traditional coursework. I was planning on attending Cal Poly Pomona MBA program but I scored a 700 Q45(75%) V41(92%) and was wondering if I would be competitive for USC or UCLA program considerong the potential weaknesss in my BS. My GPA at graduation was 3.71
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by Jay Allen » Sat Dec 06, 2008 7:00 pm
Congrats on a great GMAT score! For all the criticisms of standardized test scores, one of the great aspects is that it can ease an admissions officers concerns. In this case, your recent scores will weigh much heavier than courses taken 20 years ago.

Am I correct in assuming the undergraduate degree was finished 20 years ago?

If so, your application will rest on the school's willingness to take a late career admit and your story for getting an MBA now. You need to effectively communicate why an MBA is so essential now when it never was before. You also need to communicate how you will be a great teammate with people much younger than yourself. These are tricky points to get across in your application. We'd be happy to talk through a strategic plan for tackling these concerns with your essays.

Finally, thank you for your service to our country. I always found in my MBA that former and current military students had a tremendous amount to offer. I'm sure your contribution will be similar.


Best,


Jason

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Re: Just got a 700 and undecided

by Linda Abraham » Tue Dec 09, 2008 5:44 pm
rommulus wrote:Quick background. I retired from 20 years of military service last position had me leading 170 people. My undergraduate is from Thomas Edison State College in Nuclear Engineering. The problem is many of my courses are equivalency coursework and I only have about 45semester hours of traditional coursework. I was planning on attending Cal Poly Pomona MBA program but I scored a 700 Q45(75%) V41(92%) and was wondering if I would be competitive for USC or UCLA program considerong the potential weaknesss in my BS. My GPA at graduation was 3.71
I join with Jay in thanking you for your service and also agree that your age may be a bigger hurdle than the Thomas Edison degree. On the other hand, b-schools love miliary applicants and they trend a little older in my experience. However, as with most older applicants you have to have crystal clear, realistic goals. Please see MBA Admissions Advice for Older Applicants for more details. You may also want to consider part-time or EMBA programs at both UCLA and USC.

Best,
Linda
Linda Abraham
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