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Advice with alternative transcript

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Advice with alternative transcript

by moosehead9oc » Sun Sep 11, 2011 11:01 am
Hi Stacy,

I first wanted to thank you for the advice you had given me a few months back. I'm not sure where that thread went but I had a follow up question.

Just as a recap:
2 years at OCC with 3.1 gpa (straight A's in all levels of calculus)
3 years at UCI with 2.1 Civil engineering

I have had three strong years of work experience in both technical and financial positions.

I know the gmat is the best way to mitigate a low gpa(my goal is 740) but I also feel I need an alternative transcript.

I am looking to take a course at UCLA however I do not know what kind of class to take. I am interested in specializing in entrepreneurship. Would it be wise to take a course in "developing a business"? Or do i need to take something more quantitative. If so, which class do you recommend?

My quant scores on practice gmats are at the 90%
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by Lisa Anderson » Tue Sep 13, 2011 10:25 am
Dear moosehead9oc,

You can take courses through UCLA or UCLA Extension, either online or campus-based are acceptable these days. If you have mixed performance in your quant coursework in college, then quantitative courses are advisable. Since you earned A's in calculus, you could look at a statistics, finance or accounting class. If you did well in your quant courses, then you are a bit more open, but you do want to take classes that make sense as preparation for business school and/or beyond. Once again, a finance or accounting class might be helpful, or you could consider other business courses. If you plan to start a business immediately after your MBA, then taking some entrepreneurship courses is a good idea, but make sure you won't be taking something similar in the MBA program. These courses would convey your commitment to launching your venture and show you are already working towards your goal.

Good luck,
Lisa
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by moosehead9oc » Tue Sep 13, 2011 5:22 pm
Hi Lisa,

Thanks for the response.

Although I feel I have more than enough quantitative knowledge to perform at a B-School, I do feel I have a mixed story on paper.

I have three A's in calculus from Orange Coast College and tutor students in math up to linear algebra. I am also sure I'll be getting a relatively high quant score on the gmat.

BUT I have plenty of low grades in quantitative engineering courses(material I will probably never use again) for multiple reasons I'll explain in my application.

I am thinking to take the "developing a new business course" this fall and take a more quantitative business course the following quarter.

Does this sound like a good idea?

Lastly, can MBA programs discern whether a class taken at UCLA is an online or on-campus course?
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by Lisa Anderson » Thu Sep 15, 2011 11:31 am
Your plan sounds appropriate based on the information posted. Whether or not a school will know if your class is online will depend on how UCLA writes its transcripts. Most schools will not note that on a transcript, but you might check with the registrar if you are concerned. Of course, if an admissions professional really wants to know, s/he will look it up...but in most cases, the class being online versus campus-based is insignificant.

Regards,
Lisa
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Stacy Blackman Consulting

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