Please evaluate my MBA case.

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Please evaluate my MBA case.

by sparkjones » Tue Sep 09, 2008 7:40 am
Hello,

Im brand new to this forum, and I must say the reading Ive done this morning has be a little nervous!

Im a 28yo black male, I graduated from an ivy league school in 2002 with a 2.7 gpa. have BA in film/tv studies. i took little to no real quantitative coursework (took one statistics course, and got a D). due to some outside circumstances, my grades really suffered. the last 2 years are slightly better than my first two, however.

I took a practice gmat and scored a 480. i took a kaplan course, now i'm scoring around 590 - haven't taken it for real yet. My verbal scores are significantly stronger than my quant scores.

Ive been working steadily for the 6 years since college, ive a strong record of customer service management and promotions with the two companies ive worked for; the first was an educational company, the most recent is a retailer.

As for extra curriculars, i love fashion & music and have been a member of bands and singing groups continually since i was in elementary school. I write music as my main hobby. I also dabble in fashion/costume design.

I want to go to bschool to further my mgmt education and outfit myself better to succeed in high level mgmt positions, eventually starting my own business that can merge my love for fashion and music.

My concern is that I want to attend a top 25 Bschool - UT McCombs, USC, or Georgetown. I know that with my current scores I am not a strong candidate. Ive always been successful in all my endeavors outside of the academic world, but i dont think that will reflect with my current application package (save for my resume).

Is it in my best interest to forego fall of 09 application for fall of 2010 and take some quant courses at a community college to show my aptitude there? Im more focused and ready to succeed now than i was in college, and i want to best show that.

This is something i really want to do, so I want to have the best application possible. I would rather go to a "name" school than go to a "lesser" school where my current stats arent a be all end all.

Please advise.

Thank you!!
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by Lisa Anderson » Tue Sep 09, 2008 12:06 pm
Dear sparkjones,

It might be best to wait another year to take some math courses (algebra, finite math, calculus). These will also help you with the quant section of the GMAT and your core classes in the first year of an MBA program. However, I am not sure there is enough time to take courses and still apply to enter fall 2009. What your GMAT score is will be important. If you can get above a 600, you will be in much better position for the schools you list. Perhaps take the GMAT and then reassess?

Good luck,
Lisa
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