Profile Evaluation of MBA in Canada

[imran556691]

Hello,

My name is Imran.I did my graduation in Bachelors of technology and I am planning to do my MBA in Canada.I am facing a major problem in shortlisting universities for MBA in Canada.Any help would be really appreciated.

I got two years of work experience in Supply Chain Management as Business Analyst.

I m about to take my GMAT in January(Expecting above 650) and IELTS(above 6.5)

The main set back is my GPA in under graduation;It is less than 60% (with quite a few backlogs).

I am not expecting the top schools, but want to know which are suitable for my profile.

I also run a NGO,established in 2010 and which is successfully functioning till date.It consists of more than 30 members and has served thousands of people.


TIA.

[Personal MBA Coach]

Hello,

My name is Imran.I did my graduation in Bachelors of technology and I am planning to do my MBA in Canada.I am facing a major problem in shortlisting universities for MBA in Canada.Any help would be really appreciated.

I got two years of work experience in Supply Chain Management as Business Analyst.

I m about to take my GMAT in January(Expecting above 650) and IELTS(above 6.5)

The main set back is my GPA in under graduation;It is less than 60% (with quite a few backlogs).

I am not expecting the top schools, but want to know which are suitable for my profile.

I also run a NGO,established in 2010 and which is successfully functioning till date.It consists of more than 30 members and has served thousands of people.


TIA.

How involved are you in the NGO? That is more impressive than your work experience to be honest. What is the organization? The reason I ask is without the NGO, I would recommend you delay your application to get more work experience. That said, depending on how involved you are currently (# hrs/wk) and have been over the years, this could count as work experience as well.

Best,
Scott

[apphelp]

Hello,

My name is Imran.I did my graduation in Bachelors of technology and I am planning to do my MBA in Canada.I am facing a major problem in shortlisting universities for MBA in Canada.Any help would be really appreciated.

I got two years of work experience in Supply Chain Management as Business Analyst.

I m about to take my GMAT in January(Expecting above 650) and IELTS(above 6.5)

The main set back is my GPA in under graduation;It is less than 60% (with quite a few backlogs).

I am not expecting the top schools, but want to know which are suitable for my profile.

I also run a NGO,established in 2010 and which is successfully functioning till date.It consists of more than 30 members and has served thousands of people.


TIA.

Hi Imran,

In our opinion, you should wait for an year before apply. That will add months to your experience. 2 yrs is less. Also, if possible, spent more time on GMAT prep and target a 680. That will allow you to target schools such as Schulich, Sauders and may by Ivey as well.

At current score ( 650 expected) and 2 yrs of experience, you can target Alberta, McGill and HEC Montreal. You NGO experience will help but will not drastically change things.

Let us know if you have any queries.

Apphelp Team

[imran556691]

Yes true, but Mc Gill,Alberta and the other mentioned school has a minimum GPA criteria of above 70%. My doubt is can I still apply keeping in mind a good GMAT score to compensate low GPA.

[teecann]

I am a lawyer and I am also a Chartered Accountant of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria (ICAN). My most recent academic pursuit was the MBA from the Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU), Ife, Nigeria in 2014 which I finished with a "B+".

I obtained my Law Bachelor's degree in 2007 with a 4.5 cumulative grade point average (The University I graduated from use the 7 points grading scale as against the 5 points scale popular with other peer universities.) The law degree programme lasted for 5 years.

I currently work with a national supervisor of the country's financial services sector in the last 6 years. I have handled the management and recovery of assets in my previous role and currently work in a team as a bank examiner to periodically supervise and access the overall financial health status of banks (which include regulatory capital adequacy computation, earnings, risk management, credit and advances, ICAAP, etc) using risk based methodologies.

I am just a year on the role and it has become evident to me that my new role deserves higher competence and skills of world class level as the banks being regulated are getting sophisticated with time.

Hence my resolve to enroll in a full time Co-op MBA with schools MacMaster's Degroote Business School or Brock's Goodman with the accounting specialization although the programme is going to be self-financed.

To my main enquiries:
1. Will I be too old at 35 (when I will be applying in 2018) to come to Degroote for a full Co-op MBA

2. I intend to sit for the GMAT next year (2017 with a target score of 650). How stale will a GMAT score be (3, 4 years old score) that may jeopardize my application's success?


3. I wrote Degroote (my 1st choice for several reasons) about my condition and that I have a local MBA, I was replied that I may not be eligible for the MBA because I already have a MBA. I feel something is not adding up...my local MBA will not be used to grant me exemption waivers neither can I use it to secure a job in Canada, so why will I, on its basis, be disqualified for enrollment in the programme? (If anyone has an idea about this kindly help me out with an explanation) (though I have not written the lady back after their reply to my 1st mail, I honestly want to believe it's her opinion, not the programme's stand on the issue)

4.Can someone kindly explain this especially the underlined (as I saw it on Degroote's website) in relation to my 5-year Law degree:...Official transcripts from each post-secondary institution you've attended, including university transcript.
WHAT WE LOOK FOR: The completion of a 4-year bachelor's degree in any discipline, a recommended B average (73-76% or 3.0 on a 4-point scale) in your two most recent years of university study and proof of graduation (if applicable).
(I have a copy of my transcript, detailing all courses taken for the 5 academic sessions and the unit weight of each course)

Thank you as you take time to address my enquiries issue by issue.

[99Colleges: MBA Admission]

Hi Imran,

When in doubt about the eligibility criteria, you should first check (drop an email) with the school to be sure. Otherwise, you may unnecessarily dissipate your efforts. And it's better to check with them when you have your GMAT score, so that they get a holistic picture of your academic profile.

[99Colleges: MBA Admission]

Hi teecann,

My response is as follows:

1. It gets difficult for older applicants, mainly for career reasons. The schools wonder why you want to pursue an MBA after so many years in your profession. Drastic career change is often not easy at this stage because most wouldn't want to start from the bottom rung again, and this severely limits on-campus recruiting options. Therefore, answering 'why MBA' and outlining a credibly achievable short-term goal is absolutely key for an older applicant. I'm not saying you can't get in. You can, but it just gets tougher. You may learn more on this issue in this post:

Are You 30+? MBA Programs May Have 3 Concerns on Your Application

2. As long as your score is valid (taken in the last 5 years), it's not stale.

3. Different schools have different policies with regard to eligibility criteria for applicants who already have an MBA degree. Some schools such as Haas, Tuck, and Duke don't accept applications from those who already have an MBA. Whereas others do. If Degroote has communicated that they don't take applicants who already have an MBA, then you can't do much about it. You may have your reasons for targeting Degroote, but you got to look at other options now. You may get more information on the issue here:

Pursuing Second MBA: Why the Bar Is Higher and How You Can Cross It?

4. What I understand is that they prefer B average grade in the last two years of your five year program. If the transcript mentions grades for all the years, then you need not worry.