Can post-undergraduate education increase my chances?

[Gmf]

I wonder if academic degrees obtained after college boosts in any way the chances of being accepted in a top MBA.

In my case, I don't have a sufficiently high undergraduate GPA (~3.0), but I managed to have a GPA of 3.4 in my Masters degree in Economics and I also did a Post-Graduation in Econometrics and Applied Forecasting with a GPA of 3.2. Will these two degrees work to increase the odds of being accepted in a top MBA program?

Thanks!

[Jon@Admissionado]

Well it certainly can't hurt!
The way to make the most out of it, is to explicitly show how obtaining this degree will make you attaining your goals more possible and to set aside your skillset as unique from your competitors.

[Gmf]

Thanks Jon!

Indeed, the Masters and the Post-Graduation degrees allowed me to get a solid and highly technical background in Economics and Statistics. It helped me to get a stimulating position as a corporate risk analyst at a major european energy company.

However, after 4 years of work experience I really feel much more related and interested in financial management and other general management positions such as strategy management or business development. The MBA will give me the technical tools that will allow me to achieve my career goals and leadership skills.

Adding to that, these 4 years in risk analysis really defined in a certain sense the way I approach business problems, which can be a valuable skill when analysing business issues.

[Betsy Massar]

Hello Gmf,
Your post-undergraduate education is pretty impressive and certainly relevant to the kind of work that you will do in your MBA program. Economics, econometrics and applied forecasting are also a strong basis for a host of post-MBA careers in finance or strategy. That should make you a attractive candidate for recruiting season. I've seen hundreds of business school resumes, especially in finance, and your quantitative skills and knowledge of risk management will take you far.

As for how your 3.0 is viewed by admissions, that really depends on where you went to school, what courses you took, and the trend. Your higher GPA in grad school indicates increasing seriousness and an aptitude for the hard courses. Of course, it does depend on the quality of your program, but I'm guessing that it was a challenging one.

Let me know if you've got any further questions, happy to advise.

Best regards,

Betsy

Betsy Massar
Founder
Master Admissions
www.masteradmissions.com

Author of Admitted: An Interactive Workbook for Getting Into a Top MBA Program
www.admittedmba.com

[Gmf]

Hi Betsy!

Thanks a lot for your insights!

I earned my undergraduate and masters degrees at Nova School of Business and Economics in Lisbon which is, along with the Católica Lisbon School of Business and Economics (where I also got an executive education in Finance last year), ranked as the top Economics and Business school in Portugal. Both schools are ranked amongst the Top 40 Business Schools in Europe by the Financial Times.

Although I have an undergraduate GPA around 3.0 (not really sure if it is exactly 3.0 since in Portugal the GPA is evaluated on a scale of 0 to 20) it really masks two completely different phases of my undergraduate life. In the first half of college I wasn't really sure if being an economist was what I wanted to do in life, and it surely ended up being reflected on the grades I got on initial courses (a GPA around 2.4). On the second half of college, however, I really got passionate about Economics and especially about Econometrics and that strongly motivated me to start studying a lot. So, the GPA on the second half of my college studies is considerably higher (~3.3) resulting in a final GPA around 3.0.

By the end of college it was very clear to me that I wanted to pursue a career as an economist and specifically in the econometrics field (even considered applying for a PhD). That's why I decided to go for a Masters degree in Economics and a Post-Graduation in Econometrics (I got this one at ISEG, the only Economics school in Portugal that offers a grad course in Econometrics). I got both grad degrees in the same year which was really challenging but at the same time it was one of the most intelectually stimulating phases in my life.

Getting an MBA degree will allow me to get back on the career track I should be at, had I started to study and using all my capabilities in the beggining of my undergraduate journey.

GMF

[Jon@Admissionado]

Well your plan makes sense, and in your case of being let's call it a "finance tehcnician", it's easier than if you are a "Technician" in lots of other industries. But one thing to work on in your application is to show also that you have this capacity for broader thinking and management as well, to not pigeonhole yourself.

[Gmf]

Thanks Jon!

It will be easy for me to show that because a year ago I designed, and been developing since then, a project with the objective of integrating risk management with strategy execution. That encompasses putting up a strategy map, a risk map and coming up with a Risk-adjusted Balanced Scorecard with KPIs and Key Risk Indicators. I've been really focused on strategy issues and how risk management can play a crucial role in strategy execution monitoring.

Also, I've been putting up a business plan for a possible econometric consulting start-up (I've been developing innovative forecasting methods for the last 2 years and I believe they could constitute valuable products along other econometric consulting services) which would be the ideal way of conciliating my passion for econometrics with my managerial-self (focused on strategic thinking, business development, leading and inspiring people).

So, I believe that a management reasoning is really present in what I am and in what I do. I also try to avoid as much as I can being a "technical geek" and to do so I always strive to be philosofical and innovative in everything I plan to do.