Which schools to apply to?

[lauraelaines]

I am not really sure which schools I should apply to. I have a 3.49 GPA, two years solid work experience, have lived abroad, and a GMAT of 700. I plan to purse a career in strategic management consulting. I also have solid recommendations from my past two employeers. The schools I am considering are:

Yale, Darden, Tuck, Cornell, and Duke

My biggest concern is that the only bad grade I got in undergrade was a C in Econ and my quantative GMAT score was in the 60th percentile. Do I still have a shot at getting into one of these schools?

[Lisa Anderson]

Dear lauraelaines,

It is possible. It comes down to the strength of your overall application package relative the applicant pool. You have your essays, resume, recommendations, and (hopefully) interviews to make your compelling case for a seat in the class. One C is not going to result in an automatic rejection, nor will the 60% on the quant section of the GMAT. However, if you have no other evidence of quantitative aptitude or proficiency in your background, then the admissions committees will be concerned on your ability to handle the rigor of the coursework. Likewise, you should be concerned and present evidence demonstrating you have the quant skills to mitigate those concerns, such as high marks in recent math classes. If you do have other quant classes on your transcript with A's and B's, as well as analytical/quantitative tasks in your professional experience, then you have some supporting evidence to show you have the ability to do the work.

Good luck,
Lisa