What if apply at lower ranked B School with high GMAT score?

[nahidbari]

Hello everyone.

I am planning on applying for full-time MBA this year (session starting next year). Have registered for GMAT. Preparing myself. I am convinced that I will get a score around or above 750. Concurrently, I am exploring different B Schools. My condition is like this: I am a non-US citizen living in my home country. Age around 33. Working for 6+ years. I do not have much fund or savings. So, will have to depend on some kind of waiver and student loan. So, I am planning on applying to couple of top 10 schools, couple of mid ranked (10-25) and couple of lower ranked (25-40) schools.

Now, my concern is, if I apply to a lower ranked school with GMAT score of 750, how will it go? Will they consider my application positively, or will they set it aside? I know other things matter for the application, like academic record, work experience, essays, interview etc. I would like to know your opinion considering these other things to be constant.

Thanks and regards.

[[email protected]]

Hi nahidbari,

It sounds as though you'd go to the "best" school that will give you a full-scholarship (or an equivalent situation in which you could take out a full loan for the cost of the education), which is fine.

Part of convincing a Business School to "choose" you among the many applicants is two-fold:

1) Have a strong overall application with as many great aspects (GMAT score, essays, work experience, etc.) as possible
2) Convince the school how important its MBA degree will be to your career path and your extreme desire to attend school there.

If you can't satisfy those 2 conditions, then the school is not likely to pick you. Your questions are ultimately Admissions-related, so you should talk to an Admissions Expert (you can post in that sub-Forum on this website). My concern about your plan is not that a "lower" Business School would be skeptical about your application (with a 750 GMAT Score); my concern is that because you'd rather go to a higher-ranked school, you won't come across as being genuinely interested and excited to attend school at a "lower" program, so the Admissions Officers for that school would be less likely to choose you (your lack of excitement would come through during the application process).

GMAT assassins aren't born, they're made,
Rich

[nahidbari]

Thanks Rich.