What do you think?

[overunder]

Hello,

OK, so I had a hard time in college for a myriad of personal reasons that I don't want to get into here. That being said here are my stats

760 gmat
2.2 gpa from at state school
3 years experience working as an account exec. for a private shipping company. While working here I've brought in more than 3 million dollars in new business and have excellent recommendations from my superiors and peers and have been promoted twice since starting the job.

Do I have any chance at a top 20 program? What about a reasonable but not amazing state school?

[Lisa Anderson]

Dear overunder,

I do think business school is in your future if that is what you decide is your next step. The question is where. I also think applying to 1-3 top 20 programs is not unreasonable for you, as long as you have a mix of programs where some are in the 21-40 range. While your GPA is low, it is not insurmountable. Having said that, it will be critical you demonstrate your academic performance in business school will be different and provide evidence to the admissions committee as such. Your high GMAT shows your aptitude, but you will also want to point out examples of motivation and commitment in your professional experience. Finally, you should consider taking a few classes to demonstrate your ability to earn A's in the classroom.

Best of luck,
Lisa

[overunder]

Hi again,

Thank you for your response, I appreciate it. Any suggestions on which courses to take? Will it make a significant difference in the admissions process? Are there any specific schools that tend to favor folks with high GMAT/low GPAs more than others? You mentioned that I should include schools in the 21-40 range, would you say that any of these schools would be likely admits for me even with my GPA? Do I even have any actual "safety" schools I could rely on as back ups?

Thanks