Please evaluate my profile

[steiny]

Age: 26 - intend to matriculate at 27
GMAT: 710 (49Q, 39V, 5.0 AWA) -although decent score am retaking as I was reasonably distracted due to a personal issue the morning of the exam.
Undergrad: ~3.0/4 GPA from a top 15 university with degree in engineering - Just enrolled in an extensions class for an alternate transcript as I unfortunately did not give my undergrad education my best effort.
Recommendations: I expect to get stellar recommendations from both my current and former supervisors.
EC's: Have some ECs including adult sports leagues, youth group, and volunteer group, but not tons that would look overly impressive.

4.5 Years work experience
3 Years working at a large engineering firm in as project engineer and technical specialist positions. Throughout the three years progressively took on more responsibilities,etc.
1.5 Years working at a small start-up company (~20 people) and have been the manager of the engineering department for the past year (manage team of 6).

I enjoy working at my current place of work and think it has the potential to grow exponentially in the coming years. I therefore am looking at commuting for weekend MBA and wanted to know what my chances of acceptance at Kellogg, Booth, and Haas's weekend part time programs. I will also apply to Foster's evening program as I am local to the Seattle area.

I just want to know if I have a decent chance at getting accepted to these schools or if I have unrealistic expectations, etc.

Your help is greatly appreciated.

[Stacey Oyler]

Hi,

Thanks for your post. Given the information you've shared, it's safe to say that you likely can be competitive for admission at the programs on your list. Your weakness may be your academics. It's great that you plan to retake the GMAT since a higher score will help balance out your low GPA. I'm also glad you are taking some courses to build an alternate transcript since that is the best way to demonstrate your academic ability.

Additionally, you may wish to write an optional essay for each school briefly explaining your low undergrad GPA. This essay should be less than 300 words and a straightforward explanation of your GPA, not a long drawn out list of excuses. I find it important to address any red flags in the optional essay since it allows you to explain your weakness rather than allowing the adcom to draw their own conclusion.

In regard to your extracurricular activities, I would not worry so much about your lack of involvement. While it certainly would help to have deeper involvement as it would likely make for some interesting essay topics, it's a bit too late to get involved in new activities. The good news is that part time and evening programs don't tend to put as much emphasis on extracurricular activities as full time programs.

Please feel free to send you resume to me at [email protected] for a detailed profile assessment.

Best,

Stacey

[steiny]

Stacey,

Thank you very much for your analysis. I will definitely make good use of your recommendation on writing the optional essay to further explain prior academic performance.

It is also good to hear that not as much focus is put on extracurriculars for the PT students, as my activities have tended to ramp up and dwindle down for the past several years dependending on work load and other factors.

I am in the process of finalizing my resume and will keep you up to date on my progress.

Thanks,

B

[Stacey Oyler]

Glad to hear I was helpful.

All the best,

Stacey

[steiny]

Stacey,

You made mention of writing an optional essay to possibly explain my poor grades in my undergraduate studies. Unfortunately, I cannot claim that I was working massive hours or had other extenuating circumstances that could detract from my coursework. Instead, I credit my subpar performance in school due to the fact that I was young and unfocused, and at the time, had no intention of going to graduate school (and as a result, my GPA would play little or less consequence on my career). Honestly, looking back, I kick myself for being content with aiming for getting the average on exams and when I could have studied harder.

My question is whether I should write the essay with no real excuse other than a lack of focus and maturity? It would prove that I am capable of performing well in graduate school, but I feel that most everyone that performed poorly in school has this excuse.

Any thoughts?

[wayofjungle]

I'm also interested in your question and agree with you steiny "the fact that I was young and unfocused, and at the time, had no intention of going to graduate school (and as a result, my GPA would play little or less consequence on my career)" This seems like a common excuse and poor way to address the issue.

[Stacey Oyler]

Hi,

I completely understand your concern. I do still think it is important to write an option essay stating your immaturity as the reason for your low GPA. Be direct and to the point. It's so much better to admit and explain your low GPA than it is to ignore it. An adcom could often interpret a lack of explanation as a lack of concern around low grades and this itself can be a red flag.

Best,

Stacey

[steiny]

Thanks Stacey. I will keep it brief and to the point.

[Stacey Oyler]

Less than 250 words is ideal.

Regards,

Stacey