Online vs. In-Class Quant Courses

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asafchar: Newbie | Next Rank: 10 Posts; Posts: 4; Joined: Tue Jun 18, 2013 11:42 am

by asafchar » Mon Apr 07, 2014 6:50 am

Hello,
I plan on applying for B-School in the fall, and have already taken the GMAT. While my overall score is good (720), my quant score isn't as high as my verbal score. Since my background isn't very quant-oriented either, after deliberation and consultation I decided to take a relevant quant class to help strengthen the quant weakness on my application, and to be "in shape" for the quant skills I may need during the MBA.
My question is, will taking an online quant course (calculus / statistics/ etc) be considered by the adcom as good as an in-class quant course (for the purpose of strengthening my application)?
Is an online course from a known university as good as taking an in-class course from a local college?

I've also seen the MBA Math course (https://www.mbamath.com/), which covers all the basic quant skilles needed for an MBA, and I've heard some schools even recommend this course for their accepted students. Will taking this course, and submitting the transcript, help strengthen my application?

Thank You!

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Source: Beat The GMAT — The Application Process | Mon Apr 07, 2014 6:50 am

Kaneisha Grayson: MBA Admissions Consultant; Posts: 213; Joined: Thu Jul 29, 2010 10:15 amFollowed by: 31 members; Location: Austin, TX; Thanked: 44 times; GMAT Score:620

by Kaneisha Grayson » Wed Apr 23, 2014 3:51 pm

Hi Asafchar!

Taking an online quant course is just as fine as an in-person one. What matters is that you score a B+ or better. It's better to be able to submit a transcript rather than a certificate, although I have had clients take Coursera courses and submit them with their applications. I do believe that taking supplemental coursework and doing well in the courses is one of the lesser used tools applicants who may be on the border of "waitlist" and "admit" can take advantage of to move themselves into the "yes" pile.

Good for you for being so proactive! I encounter many people who wait until a few weeks before the deadline to get serious about the idea of doing additional things to strengthen their application.

Best of luck!
Kaneisha

Harvard Business School MBA 2010, Harvard Kennedy School MPA 2010
Founder, The Art of Applying
Admissions Consulting for MBA, MPP, Joint Degrees, and Fellowships
https://theartofapplying.com

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Si4S: Newbie | Next Rank: 10 Posts; Posts: 7; Joined: Thu Feb 21, 2013 10:10 am; GMAT Score:550

by Si4S » Thu Apr 24, 2014 7:15 am

Kaneisha Grayson wrote:Hi Asafchar!

Taking an online quant course is just as fine as an in-person one. What matters is that you score a B+ or better. It's better to be able to submit a transcript rather than a certificate, although I have had clients take Coursera courses and submit them with their applications. I do believe that taking supplemental coursework and doing well in the courses is one of the lesser used tools applicants who may be on the border of "waitlist" and "admit" can take advantage of to move themselves into the "yes" pile.

Good for you for being so proactive! I encounter many people who wait until a few weeks before the deadline to get serious about the idea of doing additional things to strengthen their application.

Best of luck!
Kaneisha

Kaneisha,

If schools don't give feedback when an applicant is put on the waitlist, how does that student know what to "improve" or work on? Should an applicant base their stats with that of the average accepted student?

Sleep iz 4 Suckaz

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Kaneisha Grayson: MBA Admissions Consultant; Posts: 213; Joined: Thu Jul 29, 2010 10:15 amFollowed by: 31 members; Location: Austin, TX; Thanked: 44 times; GMAT Score:620

by Kaneisha Grayson » Thu Apr 24, 2014 8:21 am

Si4S,

First of all, awesome username.

(Though I admit that I love a good nap.)

Second, when you get waitlisted but receive no feedback, the kinds of things you should do to improve your chances are:

retake the GMAT/GRE and report significantly higher scores (let's say 20 points or more)
take supplementary coursework in Calc, Stats, Microecon, Accounting, and/or Finance and report grades of B+ or better
get a promotion at work or a new job

You always have the right to request feedback. One of my clients at a top 10 school got feedback that the AdCom wasn't convinced he really needed an MBA and they let him submit a new essay! I think that's fairly uncommon, and this opportunity only came up because he sought feedback and kept in touch.

I hope that was helpful. Best of luck!

Kaneisha

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Si4S: Newbie | Next Rank: 10 Posts; Posts: 7; Joined: Thu Feb 21, 2013 10:10 am; GMAT Score:550

by Si4S » Thu Apr 24, 2014 7:50 pm

Kaneisha Grayson wrote:Si4S,

First of all, awesome username. (Though I admit that I love a good nap.)

Second, when you get waitlisted but receive no feedback, the kinds of things you should do to improve your chances are:

retake the GMAT/GRE and report significantly higher scores (let's say 20 points or more)
take supplementary coursework in Calc, Stats, Microecon, Accounting, and/or Finance and report grades of B+ or better
get a promotion at work or a new job

You always have the right to request feedback. One of my clients at a top 10 school got feedback that the AdCom wasn't convinced he really needed an MBA and they let him submit a new essay! I think that's fairly uncommon, and this opportunity only came up because he sought feedback and kept in touch.

I hope that was helpful. Best of luck!

Kaneisha

Kaneisha,

Thanks for that information! I got the username from watching video's of Eric Thomas on youtube! Definitely will make you feel like you can go into any adcom interview and walk out with an acceptance letter lol! The guy is phenomenal.

So essentially I'm working on all three, BUT I also have this feeling of reapplying in the Fall so I know I'll be using a consultant for my applications this time around. Are you available off-line to discuss your rates?

Thanks again for your assistance!

Sleep iz 4 Suckaz

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Kaneisha Grayson: MBA Admissions Consultant; Posts: 213; Joined: Thu Jul 29, 2010 10:15 amFollowed by: 31 members; Location: Austin, TX; Thanked: 44 times; GMAT Score:620

by Kaneisha Grayson » Fri Apr 25, 2014 5:47 am

Hi Si4S,

Since I'm currently a one-woman shop (with the exception of my team of editors), I reserve my phone time for enrolled clients. I'd be happy to answer any questions you have about working together via email and of course I invite you to join my mailing list and explore my website to learn more. https://theartofapplying.com/newsletter

I hope to hear from you!
Kaneisha

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