low gpa

[prospectivemba2009]

8 years ago I completed my undergrad in electrical engineering at an mid tier university with 2.4 gpa. I did poorly my 1st yr and failed one course however I managed to progressivly improve to get mostly B's and few A's in my final years. After graduation, I took some graduate level engineering courses have scored mostly B/B- range. In general I am a hardworking student with a passion for learning however I have struggled on exams throughout my academic career. I intend to enroll in a GMAT prep course that is best suited for me.

My first question is: What are the chances for me getting into a reasonable MBA school with this low ugrad GPA? And if so, what GMAT score should I be aiming for? According to Getting Into Buisiness School Today by Thomas H. Martinson (1996) he states "No candidate was admitted whose GMAT score fell below 30th percentile and no candidate was admitted whose GPA was lower than 2.50." Is this true?

Is there a GMAT test prep for people like me? I went to the MGMAT and was a little intimidated since they seemto target the guys who want to get 700+. I am looking for a test prep program that helps people who are
naturally weak in taking standardized exams.

Thanks for your time and insight.
DB

[Lisa Anderson]

Dear DB:

As it has been quite a while since you graduated from college, your GPA will be scrutinized but not seen as predictive as if you had graduated in the last 5 years. Nevertheless, you will still want to get your GMAT score as high as possible to provide some balance.

As for prep courses, I really cannot say I recommend one over another as you have to find the one that seems to be the best fit for how you learn best. All prep courses emphasize scores over 700 as that is where most folks are striving to be. The best way to reduce stress and increase your score is to take as many computer-based practice tests as possible, and most prep courses provide you access to practice tests.

Lastly, I'm not familiar with the Thomas H. Martinson book you refer to, so I'm not sure where he got his information or if he was speaking of one school, or group of schools, in particular. But I dispute his claim as there are folks with undergraduate GPAs below 2.5 who were not only admitted to a MBA program but also graduated from one.

DB, I know there is a good prep course out there for you and the right MBA program for you. If you believe in yourself and put the work in to prepare the best application possible, you will make it happen.

Good luck!
Lisa

[humeixia]

My advice is don't assume too much, just take the test and prepare for your application. The MBA program would like to recruit guys that have clear objective of MBA education. So, be honest with your weakness and strength of course and concentrate on why an MBA.