Profile evaluation request

[czechchamp]

Hi Stacy,

Could you please take a look at my profile and assess my chances of being accepted to McCombs School of Business?

- Nationality & Basic Info: Czech, Male, 25yo
- Overall GPA: 3.67
- Major: International Trade
- College: State school (recognized as "Best Value for Public Universities" by Consumer's Digest in 2008)
- GMAT: poor 600 (Q42, V31 with 4.0 AWA)....I was scoring 670 - 710 on prep tests but failed miserably in Verbal & that killed my overall score..(still not sure why i scored so low in verbal)
- Recommendations: Should have strong letters of recommendation
- Resume highlights + job info: 2.5 years of work experience (at matrikulation) as a Business Analyst working for the state government, assisting small business owners with anything business related (accounting, bank loans, market research), with specialization in international trade and market research issues.
- Work Accomplishments: Highest ranked counselor based on work performance in the NW Texas region
- Extracurricular Involvements: Plenty of extracurricular activities to choose from...soccer coach, kindergarden mentor, volunteer at non-profit events, etc...
- Awards: Received many scholastic awards during my undergrad...since then I was a main actor in few short movies that received awards in independent movie festival if that counts..??!
- Interesting personal facts - countries lived in, challenges faced, unusual interests: I'm fluent in 3 different languages and have basic understanding of 3 additional languages, acted in few short movies...I traveled all over EU and NA...and I also competed in Thaiboxing (my#1 hobby) while in Czech and continue to teach thaiboxing / mma (mixed martial arts) classes at a local mma gym.

GMAT score is my weakness, unfortunately, I will not be able to study for the exam in the near future due to my current work load; therefore, it'll take me a few months before I can retake the test and improve my score significantly. Is that what I should concentrate on or will I be reasonably competitive at the moment (even with my lousy score)?

Last question, provided that I'll apply but will not be accepted for '09, will the University look unfavorably at my application next year when I re-apply?

Thank you very much!

[Lisa Anderson]

Dear czechchamp,

You are correct in your assessment--your GMAT score presents a weakness in your application. I think the rest of your profile is interesting and there is much to leverage in your favor. However, I am concerned that your GMAT is too low for McCombs. I think you would be better off retaking the exam and applying in the second round. If you cannot get your score closer to (or above) a 650, then I think it will be difficult (but not impossible) to gain admission to McCombs.

In the event you apply this year and are rejected, what will matter on your re-application is that you have improved the part of your candidacy that caused concern. So it will be important for you to get feedback on why you were rejected and then address that weakness prior to re-applying.

Best of luck,
Lisa

[czechchamp]

Thank you Lisa,

I will re-take the exam and will improve my score significantly before applying.

I appreciate your advise.