740, but GPA 3.0/4.0... :(

[Hoyden]

Hello..

I scored 740 on my GMAT, just 2 days back. But I have a measly undergrad GPA of 3.0/4.0. Considering this, is 740 good enough or should I retake the test? For the background, I'm 22/F/Indian/Telecom Engg. Another query: I named the B schools I wished my score to be sent to, but I'm applying only in 2011. So will I have to resend my scores then to the same schools??

Thanks in advance.

[Graham]

Dear Hoyden,

Thanks for your post!

On the surface, my gut instinct is to NOT have you retake the GMAT based on a 740 result. Your score is well above the average at all the leading MBA programs and you are already into 'wow' territory on the exam from the standpoint of most adcoms.

While your GPA is of some concern, you really haven't provided me with enough detail to make a more nuanced assessment here. For example, is your "3.0" a "3.00" or a "2.98"? Also, is the GPA converted from a school in India or did you attend unviersity in the USA? If the former, I'd like to know the raw score you received in India (usually denoted in percentiles) as well as any class rank information you might have. Finally, regardless of whether the "3.0" is from India or the US, I'd need to know more about where you attended school and what you studied to help give you a sense as to how this coursework will be intepreted by the admissions officers. As you might imagine, a 3.0 GPA from Princeton or one of the IITs in India may not be viewed in the same light as a 3.0 GPA from a lesser school.

So why does all of this matter if I'm leaning towards not having you retake the GMAT? The reason is that there may be other steps you'd need to take to address the GPA concern - e.g. outside coursework in business-foundation courses over the next two years until you apply, etc. The nature of your academic background may also impact how you approach the XCs in your profile, what sort of work experiences you seek out, etc.

Feel free to send a complete resume (along with the answers to the questions I've posed above) to [email protected] if you'd like to set up a free chat with a Clear Admit admissions counselor - or you can simply post a reply here in the general forum, or in our Ask Clear Admit thread.

Best of luck,

Graham

[Hoyden]

Hello Graham,

Thanks for your time and response.

I'll try to give you an overview of my academic profile.

I lived in Kuwait for 11 years and completed my schooling there. Throughout my school life, I've been a high performer both in academics and extra-curriculars. But I had to relocate to India for my undergrad course and that’s where things started getting sour. I battled depression and performed poorly in the initial 2 years of my course. I picked up in the later 2 years and my GPA graph is something like this:
6.64, 6.72, 6.35, 6.09, 7.45, 6.90, 7.75, 7.50 [All on a scale of 10]

I've studied at the National Institute of Technology, Trichy and my CGPA is 7.00/10.00. My class rank is in the range of 35-40 out of 80 students. The conversion factor used by the college is 10.

I am very fluent in English and Hindi. I can speak French and Arabic too. I’m currently involved with an Indian NGO and work with women and children. I’ve previously volunteered in China for 4 weeks.
I’m employed in the Telecomm industry and my designation is that of Assistant Manager. At the time of application, I’ll have work ex of approx. 26 months.

Coming from the Indian/Engg. pool, I know my profile is flat and competition is fierce , so any advice on how I can improve my chances will be greatly appreciated. I’m open to the idea of taking part-time courses in the next 2 years to improve my profile. The colleges I’m targeting are INSEAD, NYU Stern, California Anderson, LBS, Duke Fuqua, Texas Austin [McCombs], Kenan Flagler, Indiana University-Bloomington (Kelley) and ISB [Hyderabad, India]. What do you think about my target choices? Any names I should add or drop?

Thanks again for your time.