PT vs FT.

[ketnet1]

Hi,

Please let me know if PT is less competitive and easier to get into (with a low gpa) than it is for FT? In addition, since the gmat score requirements are lower for PT, does schools put more emphasis on the years and quality of work experience? (ie. PT favors people with more years of work experience, with promotions, and who has a job when they apply for PT) Currently I am unemployed but plan to apply for PT programs.

With a lower gpa, who (ie. the school) should I contact to help me best decide what classes to take and quality of class (ie. community college or UC extention) to make up for the lower gpa?

What's the general time frame people give their reccomenders to write the rec. letters and how far in advance should you ask? Is 3 weeks too rushed?

Thank you in advance.

[Stacey Oyler]

Hi,

Thanks for your post. Please see my comments below:

Please let me know if PT is less competitive and easier to get into (with a low gpa) than it is for FT? In addition, since the gmat score requirements are lower for PT, does schools put more emphasis on the years and quality of work experience? (ie. PT favors people with more years of work experience, with promotions, and who has a job when they apply for PT) Currently I am unemployed but plan to apply for PT programs.

I would not say that PT programs are less competitive for admission than FT programs. I simply think the applicants are different. Applicants to PT programs tend to be currently employed full time and have more years of work experience. They tend to be candidates who are looking to stay in the same career rather than change fields.

With a lower gpa, who (ie. the school) should I contact to help me best decide what classes to take and quality of class (ie. community college or UC extention) to make up for the lower gpa?

This really depends on your background and work experience. If you're lacking in quantitative skills it 's a great idea to take courses such as accounting or statistics prior to applying. In general it's best to take these courses at a local university rather than a community college.

What's the general time frame people give their reccomenders to write the rec. letters and how far in advance should you ask? Is 3 weeks too rushed?

3 weeks is pretty rushed. In general I suggest at least 6-8 weeks. The recommendation is a key portion of a successful application. Asking a recommender at the last minute might put a lot of pressure on them to produce a solid document in a very short period of time. If you choose to do this, I highly recommend that you provide your recommender(s) with as much material as possible (resume, essays, goals, etc.) to make their job as easy as possible.

Best,

Stacey

[ketnet1]

Hi Stacey,

Thank you for your reply. Regarding your reply on lower gpa below, can you indicate why it's better to take the classes at local University rathan than at community college? I have taken calculus courses in undergrad, but received low grades (C). I took a few accounting classes (at local community college) I did not think about MBA at that time. I received a C in one tax accounting.. and B's in the 2 other accounting classes. Based on my background and profile, what classes would you reccomend that I take? (if will help) ex. Intro to Statistics?

In addition to my 1st post, can you please evaluate my profile? Please let me know if you want me to start a new post for this. If you can answer my questions below, that would be great. I really appreciate your help and input. Thanks in advance.

PROFILE: Financial Analyst

Age: 27yrs when apply/Female/Chinese

GMAT (3rd try) - 600(65%ile), Quant- 44(69 %ile), Verbal- 28(47 %lie), AWA- 4.5 (37%ile) [AWA- 5 (56%ile) 2nd time]

Target schools Part-Time: USC, Carnegie Melon, Boston University, Santa Clara University.

Academics: Undergrads- Economics B.A.
UC Campus
GPA: 2.707

Work Experience: 3.75 yrs
(1st job/yr in client serving role at one of Big Four firm, 2nd job as Financial Analyst- non-managerial).

Extracurricular/ leadership roles:
-Student adviser for 100+ students, media translator (an international and domestically based non-profit).
-Chapter Vice President for Alumni
-Vice President for Business Frat. (College)

My Questions/ Concerns
1. Is my profile good enough for those school listed above?
2. My main concern is the low gpa- due to taking heavy quant engineering calculus courses in college. In addition, there is one upper div. math unfortunately received a D in. Seems like those schools listed above have at least a 3.0 avg for PT.
What "specific" classes should I take to balance the gpa weakness and is it better to take the class at community college or an UC extention? ( I assume the only way now to make up for the low gpa is to take classes, since nothing can be done about college gpa).
3. Since I'm currently unemployed (3 months), should I try to find a job first to fill the resume gap before I apply this fall? If so, should I find an int'l job to gain more of a unique int'l background? Or should I try to find a job in the city of the school- since I plan on applying for its PT program?
4. Does it hurt my chances of being competitive if I am unemployed when applying for PT programs?
5. How can I further improve my profile? I would be applying for Round-1 this year
6. I am mainly applying to "part time" because they require a lower GMAT and gpa score. Since PT gmat score is lower than FT's, is PT less competitive than FT? Since I have tried my best in GMAT preparation, I really am aiming for the schools listed above.

[Stacey Oyler]

Hi,

Please see my comments below:

Thank you for your reply. Regarding your reply on lower gpa below, can you indicate why it's better to take the classes at local University rathan than at community college? I have taken calculus courses in undergrad, but received low grades (C). I took a few accounting classes (at local community college) I did not think about MBA at that time. I received a C in one tax accounting.. and B's in the 2 other accounting classes. Based on my background and profile, what classes would you reccomend that I take? (if will help) ex. Intro to Statistics?

University courses are deemed to be more consistent in terms of quality an adcoms know they can trust the level of the course. If you don't have a university near you I suggest taking an online course from a reputable university like Harvard. Statistics and accounting are great courses to take. Remember, you need to get A's in the classes, anything lower won't impress an adcom.

In addition to my 1st post, can you please evaluate my profile? Please let me know if you want me to start a new post for this. If you can answer my questions below, that would be great. I really appreciate your help and input. Thanks in advance.

PROFILE: Financial Analyst

Age: 27yrs when apply/Female/Chinese

GMAT (3rd try) - 600(65%ile), Quant- 44(69 %ile), Verbal- 28(47 %lie), AWA- 4.5 (37%ile) [AWA- 5 (56%ile) 2nd time]

Target schools Part-Time: USC, Carnegie Melon, Boston University, Santa Clara University.

Academics: Undergrads- Economics B.A.
UC Campus
GPA: 2.707

Work Experience: 3.75 yrs
(1st job/yr in client serving role at one of Big Four firm, 2nd job as Financial Analyst- non-managerial).

Extracurricular/ leadership roles:
-Student adviser for 100+ students, media translator (an international and domestically based non-profit).
-Chapter Vice President for Alumni
-Vice President for Business Frat. (College)

My Questions/ Concerns
1. Is my profile good enough for those school listed above?

You're work experience seems quite solid and is perfectly in line with what adcoms are looking for. However, given your low GPA and GMAT score, you will certainly want to take a couple of courses and get A's to prove you have the academic horsepower for bschool.

2. My main concern is the low gpa- due to taking heavy quant engineering calculus courses in college. In addition, there is one upper div. math unfortunately received a D in. Seems like those schools listed above have at least a 3.0 avg for PT.
What “specific� classes should I take to balance the gpa weakness and is it better to take the class at community college or an UC extention? ( I assume the only way now to make up for the low gpa is to take classes, since nothing can be done about college gpa).

See my comments above.

3. Since I’m currently unemployed (3 months), should I try to find a job first to fill the resume gap before I apply this fall? If so, should I find an int’l job to gain more of a unique int’l background? Or should I try to find a job in the city of the school- since I plan on applying for its PT program?

I suggest looking for a job in your current industry or in the one you wish to join post bschool (if it is different). I wouldn't recommend a move across country to work in the city where you are applying to bschool since you don't know where you'll get in.

4. Does it hurt my chances of being competitive if I am unemployed when applying for PT programs?

Many part time programs require employment as a prerequisite. You'll want to look into the employment qualifications/specifics at each school you apply.

5. How can I further improve my profile? I would be applying for Round-1 this year

Do you have leadership experience at work? If not, I strongly suggest finding a way to demonstrate your leadership skills and potential. Extracurricular activities are a great way to do this.

6. I am mainly applying to “part time� because they require a lower GMAT and gpa score. Since PT gmat score is lower than FT’s, is PT less competitive than FT? Since I have tried my best in GMAT preparation, I really am aiming for the schools listed above.

I'm not completely sure I understand your question. Can you please clarify?

Best,

Stacey