Question

[RyanB40]

Hi Stacy,

I am applying to grad school and was a bit concerned about my grades. I graduated from a top 20 undergrad business school with a major in marketing and a GPA of 2.7. This is mostly a result of one bad semester during my sophomore year in which I failed 2 classes. However, over my last 4 semesters I had a GPA of ~3.0-3.1, which included making the dean's list. I recently scored a 710 on the GMAT and was wondering what the chances were of getting into a top 20 school.

As a bit of background, in college I played a varsity sport for all 4 years and took on a leadership role within the framework of the team. I have 3 years of work experience, 1 with a large firm as a sales/marketing guy, 2 as a marketing coordinator/director for a much smaller non-profit.

What are my chances for admission at a top 30 school e.g. UNC, UT-Austin, or UVA & any suggestions on how to improve my application & address this in my essay? Thanks in advance for your reply.

[Lisa Anderson]

Dear RyanB40,

I do think you have a shot at one your target schools and for most schools in the top 30. Your essays, recommendations, and interviews will play a significant role in the ultimate decisions, so be sure to make these parts of your application stellar. Your GPA is low, but your GMAT is high. Be sure to note that you were a varsity athlete with a leadership role on the team as most schools will take that into account when scrutinizing your transcript. Additionally, having some quality work experience you can write about will help to strengthen your application.

Best of luck,
Lisa