The odds of offsetting my ridiculously low gpa.

[piyushdabomb]

Hi Lisa,

So here is my situation and I wanted to hear your thoughts on my opportunity to a top school. I graduated from the Rochester Institute of Technology in 2006 with a BS in Electrical Engineering with a Computer Engineer Option (BSEEC). Like the rest, I have a very low undergraduate GPA (2.7ish). With this said however, I think I can make a case for why the schools of my choice should accept me, or at least consider me. Here it goes (in advance, apologies for my long message) -

My Cons - Graduated in 2006 (fairly recently), 3.7 GPA, didn't do much more than that in school

My Pros - I have LOTS of potential for the following:

1. Volunteering Experience - I have been volunteering at the hospital for approximately 100 hours and will keep on till the end of the year. Takeaway - I believe in helping the community and will go above and beyond myself for the world.

2. Athletic Experience - I'm a runner. I used to smoke cigarettes 2 years ago, and overnight, I quit, jumped on the marathon track and now I've run 3 marathons, 5 half marathons, over 10k's, and i'm qualifying for the most prestigious marathon this year - the Boston Marathon. Next year, I'm going to do Ironman (I can't wait!!). Takeaway - YES - I'm dedicated and I work hard. Heck - I'm running the most challenging endurance sport there is.

3. My professional Experience - I was a technology project manager with fortune 100 clients and now I work at a business consulting firm as a business analyst. Takeaway - I worked hard to get to be part of a top tier competitive business consulting firm

4. My Short Term/Long Term Goals - I know exactly where I'm going to be in the next 3-5 years. I will work with my dad and help him expand his business. I want to grow it like never before. Takeaway - I have my goals carved out. I'm not cocky, but dedicated to achieving my goals. My MBA program will provide the powerful toolset needed.

5. My hobby/part-time business and venture - I started a resume evaluation service for college students. Unfortunately, with the numerous things in my life, I was not able to successfully complete it. It's a killer idea with a killer opportunity, but as a man of '1', I didn't end up marketing this. I do want to venture back on this amazing idea in school projects while I'm doing my MBA. Takeaway - I learned how to write my own business plan, learned to model, and practically learned what it means to fail.

6. Background - I was born in New Delhi, India; I moved to Canada when I was 2 (I'm a canadian citizen), moved to Singapore when I was 9, moved to New York, then to California, and now to where I am, in Washington DC. I can speak Hindi, French (partially), Mandarin (partially), and of course english. My language skills are still a little weak. Key Takeaway - I come from a diverse multicultural background and I can add value to the graduating class of my future MBA program.

With these 6 distinguishing characteristics, I believe that I should be different position from most folks.

Target School - INSEAD, SAID, IE, SDA Boconni, HBS, Columbia, Wharton

With these 6 key points, I still have a low GPA, which won't change. Given that my tarket schools require a 700+, I am concerned that even with a GMAT score of slightly higher than 700, I will be shot down.

What are your overall thoughts? Please note that my priority are European schools, followed by American schools. How will this play out?

Your initial post mentioned taking classes. I'm thinking about applying for the fall of 2011. I have a little time, but not enough time to take 'classes' right?

[Lisa Anderson]

Dear Piyush,

I don't think you should let your GPA stand in the way of applying to your target schools. However, I do think you should consider having at least 1-2 safety schools in your list. You have some fabulous schools, but they are all highly selective and tough for even applicants without obvious weaknesses to gain admission to in any given year. I think you have a shot at any of these schools if you score in the 700s on the GMAT and submit a strong application (i.e., essays, recs, resume, and interview). In essence, you need to use your application to make a compelling case to the admissions committees to have you in the class. The EU and US schools tend to evaluate applicants similarly, although there might be some slight variation on a school-specific basis, so your strategy will not necessarily be different for the EU schools.

The reason folks submit an alternative transcript is to have tangible evidence that they will succeed in the classroom now versus average/sub-par performance previously. Courses can be taken at a community college or online--you do have time to take them between now and the first round of applications if you wish to do so; you just have to make the time in your life for the courses. If you tended to do poorly in one type of class in college, like your quantitative courses, then that might be a reason to take a couple of quant courses over the summer. If your grades were sort of mixed across disciplines, then you could take a couple of courses to demonstrate you are serious about doing well in school this time and pick from a few business courses.

Good luck,
Lisa

[piyushdabomb]

Hi Lisa,

Thanks so much for responding. I'm banking on my GMAT at 700+ and taking my exam in July. Once I crack the grade in July, I will spend much time on the rest of my applications.

I have courage and determination, but it's going to be an uphill battle. A few questions:

1. You mentioned classes are still an opportunity. Given that the semester has already started, can I take the classes in July?

2. My bad <3.0 grades are scattered across multiple sections. But fortunately, my grades were always improving (except for my last semester). I'll analyze the classes to see where they were. If they are scattered, can I just take B-School type classes?

3. If I take B-School type classes, can I 'transfer' them in to my B-School after I get selected?


4. I don't know why I'm getting the jitters about not going to possible schools of my choice. Do you know any success stories with anyone who was in my position and landed an opportunity with the schools I've listed?

5. You mentioned safety schools. What are safety schools? How do I find them? Do I just go by their entering class GPA? Is Georgetown considered a 'safety' school? Are you talking about second tier schools? Isn't a safety school relative?

Let me know your thoughts. Thanks again for your support.

[Lisa Anderson]

Dear Piyush,

1. Most schools offer classes over the summer, starting in June or July. You will want to check with schools in your local area now though to make sure you don't miss registration windows. These classes usually end by August/September. If schools in your area do not offer summer classes, then you might consider finding an online option.

2 & 3. Yes, if you decide to take courses and don't feel you need to focus on quantitative courses, then you could take a few business related courses like finance, accounting or economics. These courses are usually on the undergraduate level since you would not be taking them towards a degree program. As such, they do not transfer to business schools. Likewise, most (but not all) business schools do not accept transfer credits, even from other graduate business programs.

4. Yes, there are folks admitted to top MBA programs every year with GPAs in the 2.5-3.0 range.

5. Safety schools are relative to the applicant based on the applicant's profile. So, what might be safety school for you might be a reach or reasonable school for someone else. Until you know your actual GMAT score, you might not be able to determine your final school list. However, you should identify some programs that are potential safety schools for you. These schools will generally have GMAT and GPA averages close to or less than your GMAT and GPA, as well as be a good match for what you seek in a program.

Regards,
Lisa