Alternative Transcript Worth It?

[anton9871]

I'm planning to apply to three part-time MBA programs in rd 1 - Haas, Anderson, and Marshall. My undergraduate gpa was low - 3.08. I've read in these forums that "alternative transcripts" can help mitigate my low gpa by taking quant courses. My undergrad major was Business Administration and have already taken Accounting, Stats, Finance, Econ, calculus, etc. and received B's for the most part. In your opinion, is it even worth it to take extra classes to build an alternative transcript? I'm taking the gmat on 10/1 fyi. Any feedback is appreciated

[MargaretStrother]

In my opinion, absolutely! They won't necessarily be seen as an additional transcript, unless the courses were taken as part of a degree-granting program. However, anything you can do to allay the admissions peoples' concerns about poor academic performance is definitely worth doing. This will be particularly true if one or the other of your GMAT areas appears weak: top MBA programs have to weigh your strengths against your weaknesses, and by showing your commitment to do well in areas you identify as a weakness, you're showing the schools your commitment to the MBA in general, and your courage to take on hard stuff and triumph.

All in all, it's a win/win for you to take a course or two. UCLA's online business extension courses are among the higher-ranked options, and they are frequently self-paced.

Good luck!
Margaret Strother