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NEED HELP!!! Chances of Admission

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NEED HELP!!! Chances of Admission

by MCollier » Fri Jan 21, 2011 11:55 am
I need some help and advice on my chances of admission. Took my GMAT last Saturday and tanked!

Some background info:
22 year old Black Woman
Undergrad degree in Construction Engineering & Management
3.0 GPA that trends up from freshman to senior year (achieved while working to support myself all four years)
TONS of community service
Countless awards from industry, work and community organizations
3 years of quality part-time/internship work experience
1 year of post bachelor full-time work experience
Great letters of recommendations
Horrible GMAT score of 540 (embarrassed BBM face)

I'm thinking about the following: University of Chicago, Wake Forest (MA in Management), University of Illinois, Georgetown, George Washington, Emory, BU, Boston College, Vanderbilt, Purdue.

Hoping I can get some help here. I'm very worried about being denied everywhere...
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by Tani » Sat Jan 22, 2011 7:07 pm
Hello,

I know you are anxious to move on and get your degree, but you would have a much better chance of getting into a competitive school next year. That would give you time to get your GMAT score up into the mid-600s and give you two full years' work experience by the time you apply, and three by the time you enter. You should get into a school somewhere this year, but you would be much more competitive next year. You are also very young and have plenty of time before you need the extra degree. You would also benefit more from the classwork with more real-world experience under your belt.

If you are determined to go next year, look at schools such as SMU that have programs designed to integrate recent grads into the class. Even for those schools, you are very late in the timeline for next fall, You have missed most of the second round deadlines and third round is very tough.

You have several things in your favor. Schools are always looking for diversity, not just in gender and race, but in education and experience. You offer advantages across the board. Construction is a very poorly represented field and most of those candidates will be male. Your working your way through school, your community service, awards, etc. should make you an exceptional candidate. Your only drawbacks are your age/experience and GMAT, both of which are easy fixes, if you can wait a year.

I'm not saying don't apply this year. You have enough strengths that it is possible that one or more schools will decide to overlook that GMAT. I simply feel that you would have several schools looking seriously at you in another year. You might consider deferred admit. Some schools will look at a candidate like you and say you are accepted for one or two years out. It would be worth your while to contact the admissions departments in some of your target schools and ask for their advice.

As for the GMAT, if you didn't take a course or work with a tutor, you should seriously consider doing so. Schools know from experience that the GMAT is a solid predictor of classroom performance and are particularly concerned to take on students who have gotten 50%ile or below on the quantitative section. If you can't take a course, at least take the time to analyze why you are missing questions AND why you are getting ones right. Keeping a log of error types can be a tremendous help. Are you misunderstanding the questions? Are there key concepts you don't know how to apply? Are you making simple errors such as messing up signs or arithmetic? Once you identify a trend, you can correct several problems at once, making possible large jumps in your score.

You should be an exceptional candidate. I don't want to discourage you from applying to business schools, I simply want you to be sure you are putting yourself in the best possible position to get into the school (and get the financial aid) that you want and need.

Good luck,
Tani Wolff
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by MCollier » Mon Jan 24, 2011 9:59 am
Thanks for the advice. I seem to be getting the same response from all the experts. Seems like another year or two of full-time work experience, a GMAT prep course, being a year older and taking a few classes at the JC in the next year will help me be a more competitive applicant for Fall 2012 or 2013. I also didn't realize that I could've applied through the Consortium which I will be able to take advantage of if I wait...and hopefully I can become competitive enough for scholarships/fellowships. If waiting means saving $50,000 + in loans...I'm in no rush! :)


Thanks again,

Marlissa
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by Tani » Mon Jan 24, 2011 2:16 pm
Absolutely! The Consortium is fabulous; my error in not mentioning it. It wouldn't hurt to get in touch with them this spring and start establishing a relationship.

Good luck,
Tani Wolff
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