Pre-MBA Classes

[gracehsu099]

Does anyone know if pre-MBA classes help make up for low undergrad GPA when applying for top business schools?

I had a 2.98 in college, which is too late to regret... so I was wondering if there is anything I could do to prove to B-Schools that I am cut out for the hard work? I am also aiming for a 720+ on the GMAT. Any help would be great! Thanks so much


Best,
Grace

[CriticalSquareMBA]

Hi there,

Getting ahead of your GPA is a pretty prudent thing to. There are definitely a few options open to you. Oh, and rocking the GMAT won't hurt

The first is enrolling in a local university to take classes that either remedy red flags on your transcript (e.g. didn't do too well in math, so you take an advanced calc course) or round out your business pre-MBA credentials (e.g. statistics or business math). If you live near a good university this strategy can pay off by giving you in person experience. Not only does it help build your alternative transcript, but you learn more in the process as well just as a factor of being present. If the university has a strong brand, that can help too! If the ones in proximity are not as well regarded, that isn't to say you shouldn't pursue this option but, hey, always nice to have a great name on your secondary transcript, right?

The second option are extension courses offered by well regarded institutions such as UCLA and Berkeley. They offer online courses that are specifically tailored to the pre-MBA student. An MBA curriculum is designed to be fast paced (they don't want you to waste your ~$5,000 a class) and building on knowledge you should, theoretically, already have. If you don't have the foundation, you're going to struggle. For example, if you don't have a solid grasp of statistics, you're not only going to have to take the basic stats course which may not be why you went to bschool, but you're going to struggle in other courses as well. Everything from finance to marketing uses advanced stats and, potentially, regressions. Taking courses that align well with the bschool foundation are what they're looking for. That's where these extensions come to the rescue!

The third option covers solutions such as MBA Math. It gives you the skills you need to be successful while in school, but doesn't necessarily care the weight of option 1 or 2. Firstly, it doesn't give you any grades so right there you aren't really addressing your lower than average GPA. Option 3 is best for those who have a strong GPA but maybe lack those quant/analytical components and want to demonstrate they can handle it. In other words, it's a better additive than substitute.

I would recommend you start with options 1 and 2 and see what fits your schedule and goals best and go from there. If you have any questions, don't hesitate to reach out!

Bhavik

[gracehsu099]

Hi Bhavik,

Thanks for getting back to me! I looked into the local university non-credit courses at NYU as well as the extension courses at UCLA and Berkeley, and see that they offer an extensive list of studies. I am definitely going to enroll after I take the GMAT in May!

Do you know if there are any classes that B-schools look for specifically? Are they just looking to see that you can ace the Intro Macro/Statistics/Accounting classes or looking to see that you can ace the more intermediate levels?

Thanks so much again!

Best,
Grace

[CriticalSquareMBA]

Hi Grace,

My pleasure! Well, you want to find a balance between content, rigor, foundation development, and applicability. For people who have strong GPAs but lack a business background, content and foundation development are important. In your case, where the GPA is lower than you'd like, you want to add a good dose of rigor in as well. But you want to make sure it's applicable and has content you can leverage during your MBA. You don't want to take differential equations for the sake of taking it. That's why advanced statistics courses often serve as good options. But you don't want to go all in on math, either. Take an inventory of your profile - look at your transcript and identify where you need to shore it up but also look at your capabilities and identify development points. Taking additional coursework to address development needs is just as influential as taking classes to address GPA concerns.

If you are deciding between certain courses, feel free to post the options here or PM me. Happy to help you figure out which are the right options for you!

Have a great (and potentially long) weekend!

Bhavik