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Profile evaluation

Launched April 26, 2006
Expert replies
by mikev » Tue Jan 05, 2016 6:06 pm
Hi -

I'd appreciate a profile evaluation and some help with a decision about my undergrad degree.

I'm 32. I started undergrad in 2001 at a 100-ish ranked liberal arts school, had a 3.5 GPA my first two years and then went downhill because of a number of problems. I was academically suspended in 2005. I tried to return in 2007 while working full-time but decided to withdraw and focus on my career instead.

I was re-admitted to the same college in 2014 and have taken 8-10 classes at a top 10 university for transfer credit. My GPA in all classes since returning is a 4.0. I'm on track to finish my degree this semester. If I complete it, my transcript will reflect a 2.15 GPA (not counting transfer credits, which they do not). If I count my transfer credit grades, my GPA at graduation would be a 2.4.

Since transfer courses won't raise my GPA by much and I have numerous failures and withdrawals from my 2005 and 2007 academic years, I'm wondering whether I should finish my undergraduate degree now or transfer to another college and complete the degree there. If I did that, it would take around 1.5-2 years but my transcript GPA would be a 3.5+ and my career across both schools would be above a 3.0. But, I'm already 32 and that's pushing the high end of full-time MBA candidates.

Professionally, I've been promoted around once a year. I was an analyst at a startup and then a smaller firm, then a project and program manager and now a business development manager. Total work experience is around 8 years with 3 years of management experience in a fortune 500 firm. It was my firm that sent me back to get my undergraduate degree in advance of a possible director-level position.

Practice GMATs have me around a 700. I've been involved in pro-bono consulting work in the arts for around a year, and I led a non-profit in the private sector from 2008-2014.

Looking at full-time programs to get the necessary education and skills to transition into private equity or venture capital, leveraging the business development, operations, and management experience.

I'm looking to at schools like Wharton, Booth, Kellogg, Tuck, NYU, and Fuqua.

Mostly looking for an opinion on finishing undergrad now or transferring/extending to fix the GPA, but also general advice on being realistic about top 5-15 programs and improving candidacy before applying.

Thanks.
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Source: — Ask Stacy Blackman |

by MargaretStrother » Wed Jan 06, 2016 12:39 pm
Wow, this is a complex question! My instinct here -- and there are good arguments either way -- would be to finish your undergrad ASAP and get that behind you. It's easier to write an optional essay about your grades than to delay for two years and then have to explain why you want an MBA at 35 from a school that doesn't take very many people over 30. It will also give you a simpler story to tell.
You'll also want to get a strong GMAT -- 720, balanced Q & V -- to allay any concerns the schools might have about your academic performance.

Once you've got academic fit out of the way, you'll want to focus on career and personal fit. MBA acceptance is a holistic process, and they'll be looking at all of these areas. Visit all the schools on your list, and be sure that you're making realistic choices as well as well-researched ones: not all of the schools on your short-list are friendly to the over-30 crowd, so why make your chances of acceptance slimmer than they need to be?

Your background is "atypical" and that's a GOOD thing -- top business schools love that kind of diversity in their classes. That said, while I don't always urge people to work with a professional consultant, I suspect that some guidance would be very helpful in your case; you do have a complex story and you'll want to be sure that you're maximizing your chances in every component of your application.

Good luck!
Margaret Strother
Margaret Strother
Senior Consultant
Stacy Blackman Consulting

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