Ask Veritas Prep Admissions Consulting

Thank you for any help and advice. I am applying to U of Michigan, Georgetown & Maryland.

Undergrad:
Tulane University
GPA: 3.0
Majors: Psychology & Sociology (bad grades in Stat, Calculus & Fin Accounting)
Recently took a stats course at a local college and received an A

6 years of work experience in small non-profits. Received a promotion at one.

GMAT: 740 (42V/48Q) *Thanks to Veritas Prep

My current supervisor and a former supervisor are writing recs

First of all, congratulations on a great GMAT score! I am also impressed by your initiative in taking a stats class and getting an A. Both of these quantitative measures will help off set your lower GPA and should make you a viable candidate for the programs you are targeting. I also like your unique (for an MBA applicant) undergraduate studies. It might be interesting for you to discuss you interest in business psychology and behavioral economics. You always want to look for opportunities to discuss specific areas to which you would bring a unique perspective. Your educational background coupled with your non-profit work could help differentiate you. However, make sure that you are able to tie your background in to your future goals, and, most of all, make sure that you clearly articulate how an MBA is a logical next step.

Good luck!

Some other things you have going for you is that you graduated from Tulane, a top 50 institution in the US. This will help you stand out amongst other applicants who do not have as good an academic pedigree. It's not only about GPA, but also about the rigor of the program and the school. I agree that the poor grades in quant classes may cause concern, but it seems like your quant GMAT score will balance that out. I like that you have made the extra effort to take additional coursework in statistics. You might consider a business calc class or advanced accounting class to add more credibility to your passion for going back to b-school and to demonstrate that you can hang with the tougher MBA -level courses. One thing you did not address in your profile is your targeted post-MBA industry or career. It is important to have a clear vision for what you plan to do with the MBA and have that vision hopefully connect to what you have already done. Sounds like your responsibility in the non-profit world has been progressively more substantial including a promotion, so be prepared to speak about how you will leverage this exprience for your next step after b-school. Adcos always like a plan that makes sense, especially now that hiring has slowed down. Schools do not want to take a risk that any given student will have trouble landing a job at the end of the two year program, so build a plan that sells the committee on your employability. Let us know if you need help pulling everything together.

Thank you both for the info. I wanted to give you an update that I was interviewed at all 3 - Maryland, Georgetown & Michigan. Now just waiting to hear.

keeping our fingers crossed for you!