Profile Evaluation for International MBA program

[traveler36]

27 years old
Undergraduate: Liberal Studies
Work experience: 5 years
GPA: My overall GPA is very low only 2.1 due to being unfocused, immature, living on campus/being away from parents for the first time(freedom to be a slacker) and quite frankly not ready for college at the time. During my later years in the upper division I was able to somewhat salvage my GPA and my Upper Division GPA is 2.75.
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I am planning on applying to Florida International University's International MBA program, which is a 12 month program its requirements are at least a 500 on the GMAT and a 3.0 GPA, but it does state that if your GPA is lower then a 3.0 a personal essay can detail why and you may still be considered for admission into the program.
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-I wanted to know if you are familiar with the International MBA program?

Florida International University also offers a Master of International Business, but the work experience and requirements asks for business undergraduates so I'm not eligible. I haven't been able to find much information on the International MBA.

-Also, will my Upper Division GPA be what the school is looking at for admission or the overall GPA, which is significantly lower?

-I haven't taken the GMAT and plan to utilize all the tools necessary to get the best score I can to make up for my low GPA. Based on my Profile what Score should I aim for to balance out my GPA and give me a chance to be considered into the program?

-Lastly, I have a Liberal Studies Background and wonder if not having prerequisites are a problem?

[Lisa Anderson]

Dear traveler36,

The program at Florida International University is not well-known outside of the southeastern US, but if you plan to live in that region when you finish, that should not be a concern. In terms of your GPA, it is the overall GPA that the school refers to, but your entire transcript will be evaluated with the upward trend in the last couple of years reflecting positively on you. Since you are below a 3.0 on both measures, you will want to have a higher GMAT score to mitigate that weakness. I would encourage you to speak directly with the admissions office there regarding your profile to make sure that you do have any prerequisites (or what you need to do to meet that requirement) as well as seek clarification on your GPA.

Good luck,
Lisa

[traveler36]

Dear traveler36,

The program at Florida International University is not well-known outside of the southeastern US, but if you plan to live in that region when you finish, that should not be a concern. In terms of your GPA, it is the overall GPA that the school refers to, but your entire transcript will be evaluated with the upward trend in the last couple of years reflecting positively on you. Since you are below a 3.0 on both measures, you will want to have a higher GMAT score to mitigate that weakness. I would encourage you to speak directly with the admissions office there regarding your profile to make sure that you do have any prerequisites (or what you need to do to meet that requirement) as well as seek clarification on your GPA.

Good luck,
Lisa

Thank you for the feedback, I spoke with the admissions dept and was informed that the program is open to all majors and requires all students to take two courses at the beginning of the semester one in accounting and the other data analysis to get everyone on the same page. Also they advised that the GMAT score will be the factor that can balance out my low GPA.
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If I were to get an extremely high GMAT score would I be able to be a competitive candidate with the low GPA at other universities?

What GMAT score gets you into most top 10 schools without a strong GPA?

[Lisa Anderson]

Unfortunately, there is no magic GMAT/GPA formula. Admissions decisions are made on more than the numbers. So, you need to shoot for the best score you can and submit your applications to the schools you feel are the best match for you.

Regards,
Lisa