Profile Eval Requested

[atrambitas]

Hello,

I just took the GMAT yesterday. Scored 730 (49Q/41V) which put me in the 96th percentile overall.

I currently have 3 years of experience, including 2 at my current job (with a promotion). I plan on waiting another 2 years to apply to B-School which will probably yield another promotion.

I also feel that I have a good story because I moved over 600 miles away on my own across the country and cold-called my way into a 6-month unpaid finance internship to gain before I got a full-time job.

My concern is my very weak undergrad GPA, which is a 2.5 from Michigan (not Ross). I plan on taking 3-4 classes to shore it up before I apply for the fall of 2015, but if I want to apply to top programs, should I retake the GMAT for a higher score?

[mbamissionjenK]

Hi there,

Congrats on your great GMAT score! It is good that you are thinking ahead to your future b-school applications. With a strong GMAT score and work experience and interesting stories to convey, your main weakness (you are correct) is your GPA (as long as you create a strong and compelling case for why the MBA and what your goals are, in your essays and interview, that is).

Generally admissions committees look at both GPA and GMAT as indicators of how you will handle the academics of the MBA program. The GMAT does balance the GPA to a certain extent, though a 2.5 is very low. The best thing you can do is take a handful of courses, ideally in areas that will help you with b-school and continue to demonstrate quant and analytical skills, and score very highly in them. That will help a lot as it will show more recent academic strength and dedication. Re-taking the GMAT at this time is probably not necessary; you are already in the top 4% of test-takers! Getting to, say, the top 2% will not make as much of a difference as getting some good course-work will.

Finally, bear in mind that you will likely need to explain if possible why the low GPA, and/or how you have changed or will not repeat those mistakes for grad school, in your application/interview.

Good luck with the coming years and your career.

Best,

Jennifer Kedrowski
MBA Admissions Consultant
www.mbamission.com
jen@mbamission.com

Visit the mbaMission Blog: www.mbamission.com/blog

Follow mbaMission on Twitter: https://twitter.com/mbaMission

Like mbaMission on Facebook: www.facebook.com/mbaMission

Read the mbaMission Insider's Guides (16 individual school titles): www.mbamission.com/guides.php?category=insiders