Compensating for low cgpa

[abc_xyz]

Hello,

I am a 3rd year undergraduate student in the dept. of mechanical engineering at Indian Institute of Technology. Cgpa is an important factor for addmission to MBA programs in Harvard, Chicago and other universities but I have a cgpa of 3.0.

To compensate for that i am thinking of changing my b.tech program to b.tech-me.tech dual degree program and hope to score a good cgpa in m.tech.

Will that help or is there any other better way to compensate for that.

Also, our institute provides an option to convert 4 year b.tech program to 5 year b.tech-mba program.Will that increase or decrease my chances of getting into top b-schools?

Also i have heard about something called pre-mba courses, and scoring good grades in that helps in compensating low CGPA.
Can you please provide more details about that.

I haven't given GMAT yet.Please mention what minimum GMAT should i score to compensate for that.
I hold good leadership position in college festivals.

Thanks!!
Waiting for your reply

[mbamissionjenK]

Hi there,

A couple of things on what you've posted...

-not sure if you are calculating GPA based on a conversion scale or ?? IF you are converting, I'd suggest not worrying as much because it's not always a straightforward conversion and each school does assess your scores within your actual school's framework etc.

-Otherwise, generally yes GPA is important but GMAT arguably even more so, as it's considered more recent and is designed to be a predictor of how you would do in your first year of b-school. In terms of what to aim for, look up the average GMAT scores at the schools you are interested in, and aim for that or above for better chances. The top global programs tend to have averages over 700, fyi.

-Most b-school programs prefer work experience before applying; the average incoming MBA student has 5 years

-A masters degree GPA that was strong would help out with a lower undergrad GPA, yes

-Getting an MBA right after undergrad now could make it more challenging to get another one later if that is what you are asking, schools are often skeptical about the need for another MBA

Hope all of that helps! I'd aim to take the GMAT when you can because scores are valid for 5 years and people tend to score higher when they are still in school. ;)

Good luck!

[abc_xyz]

Hi Jennifer
Thanks for the reply !!!

Need your help on a few more things.

-I haven't used any conversion scale for calculating GPA.I have reduced it linearly from 7.5/10 to 3.0/4.0
Is there any conversion scale available or any other way to get an approximate true picture of my GPA on a scale of 4, just to compare it with the averages of B-Schools.

-Which type of companies should i target during placements to make a strong application?

-Can you please tell a bit about GMAT preparation?How and from where to start?Which books to follow?

Thanks!!

[mbamissionjenK]

Hi there,

There are various conversion options around on the internet, but the only way to get a most accurate assessment of how it will be viewed is to contact admissions at a school you are interested in and ask them. It's not usually a direct mathematical translation, but schools look at your grades in context with your school/country/grading system etc.

Re: job placements, it depends on what your long term career vision is. As long as your 'story' makes sense, i.e. you can explain WHY you chose that job/ path, and how it relates to your future, it can work in terms of admissions. If interested in particular paths in consulting or investment banking, then the more prestigious and well-known the firm you work for initially, ideally the better.

Re: GMAT prep, most people spend 2-3 months prepping for it (part-time). I do recommend a preparation course. That might be live, or online. It should include multiple full length, realistic computer adaptive tests, as well as content review and question strategy. The 2 programs we recommend are Manhattan GMAT and Kaplan.

Good luck to you!