I need some professional Admissions guidance here

[priluckj]

Hello Admissions professionals,

I originally posted this in the GMAT forum and was directed to post this here, so any feedback you have would be greatly appreciated.

I'll start by telling you my 510 on the GMAT is my major weakness. I have had an ongoing problem when it comes to this type of make it or break it exam. My strength is that I have a unique background. I started my career working at NBC, then worked at one of the most prestigious Hollywood talent agencies. I left to start my own business representing screenwriters and directors which I did for close to 4 years, before selling my business to work in finance in order to reach my end goal of becoming an analyst at a studio, which I plan on doing post-MBA.

I had an above average score of 83 on the Series 7 which I included in the "optional essay", which I thought would be a testament to the fact that I have an above average facility with numbers. I'm 34 and have been out of school for a while now, my GPA was 2.95. The one thing in the way of leadership that I can offer that is huge is the unique perspective that I bring to an incoming MBA class, especially now. Our old financial system is in turmoil, and many finance and consulting jobs, the bread and butter of MBA graduates, are a lot fewer and paying a lot less. I bring some serious connnections to an alternate business, which could help my fellow students and the career services office when they are looking for "alternate careers," which many of them have been doing.

I applied to Kellogg, Wharton and Tuck, and got dinged at all 3. Not even a waitlist. I'm waiting to hear from UCLA and USC but am losing hope. I guess my question here is, does it all just come down to the GMAT in the end? If they read my essays and didn't think I was a fit for whatever reason, I can live with that, but I feel like they didn't even read them. I think they saw my 510 GMAT and chucked my application in the trash.

I would appreciate your thoughts on this, as I figure I have one more year to enter a full time MBA program.

Thanks

[mbamission]

Dear priluckj -

Thank you for your question.

I'm sorry to hear about your 3 rejections; that's really discouraging after all of the work you put into your application. While we never know exactly how admissions decisions are made, and of course without seeing your full application a personalized "ding review" is impossible, there are a few factors that could have led to your rejections.

First, the academic angle: 510, combined with a low GPA, is simply not going to give the AdComs confidence that you can perform well academically. Applicants do get in with lower than average scores or with lower than average GPAs, but the combination of both makes your candidacy an uphill struggle. You did well to include the strong Series 7 score, but it probably wasn't enough to offset the other factors. Two scores dramatically below what they're looking for will be a red flag.

Second, your age: Most business schools look for applicants to be 25-28 years old. You fall fairly far out of that range. We have seen 34-year-olds be accepted, but combined with the GMAT and GPA, it was probably another question mark for the Adcom.

Activities: Your work experience sounds varied and quite interesting, but you do not mention any other activities - extracurriculars, volunteer work, etc. Schools want to see candidates who are well-rounded in all areas, so if you did not have significant activities outside of work, it gave the committee another reason to hesitate.

Finally, this year was one of the most competitive in recent memory. Application volume is up and the quality of candidates is outstanding. It has been a difficult year for everyone.

Best of luck with your remaining schools.

Sincerely,
Jessica Shklar
MBA Mission

646-485-8844

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[priluckj]

Jessica,

Thanks for your response! I definetely listed my extracurriculars, which I think were impressive. I think your right, If I'm going to give myself a realistic shot, I need to blow out the GMAT. While I can't change my GPA, on the bright side, I am taking a Calculus and a Statistics class, and received A's on both of the mid-terms. If I have to go again next year, I'm going to come back with a high GMAT, because I know i'm capable of that, and the additional coursework. At least then I won't give Adcom an excuse to ding me because of academics. I know it is a competitive year, but having said that, I figured they would be open to someone with my non-traditional background in a historically recession proof business (motion picture). We'll see how it plays out, but thanks again for responding.

[mbamission]

Jessica,

Thanks for your response! I definetely listed my extracurriculars, which I think were impressive. I think your right, If I'm going to give myself a realistic shot, I need to blow out the GMAT. While I can't change my GPA, on the bright side, I am taking a Calculus and a Statistics class, and received A's on both of the mid-terms. If I have to go again next year, I'm going to come back with a high GMAT, because I know i'm capable of that, and the additional coursework. At least then I won't give Adcom an excuse to ding me because of academics. I know it is a competitive year, but having said that, I figured they would be open to someone with my non-traditional background in a historically recession proof business (motion picture). We'll see how it plays out, but thanks again for responding.

Thanks for writing back. I think you're approaching it exactly the right way, by building an alternative transcript. If you can improve the GMAT score and prove your academic strength through those additional classes, you'll be in a much stronger position for next year.