Profile Eval

[queena427]

Hello,

I'd like a profile eval please. I'm in a bind since my undergrad gpa was HORRIBLE.

Cum gpa: 2.34
Major gpa: 3.89 (I was attempting a Pre-med, then Comp. Sci major and finally happily became an Economics major with a minor in Business mgmt. The low cum. gpa is from the pre-med & comp sci classes. In order to finish the Economics major quickly, I took 24 credits my last semester and received a 3.44 for that semester. I was also on the Dean's list that semester.)

Gmat: Not taken yet but what kind of score range do I need to be in to be taken seriously, based on my other info?

Work Experience: 8 years when I apply. I'm an avp at a financial firm & manage an IT group of 6 engineers. I was promoted to AVP and manager after 2 years at the firm which is out of the ordinary & only given for exemplary performance. Previously, I worked in tech support, electronic trading support, & network engineering at another financial/media firm. Each position was a promotion during my 4 years at the firm.

Extracurricular: I volunteer as a mentor to teenagers and read to younger children through an organization affiliated with my firm.

What else can I do to make admissions 'forget' about my undergrad cum. gpa?

I want to apply to Baruch's part time or Executive mba program and NYU Stern (which I know is a serious stretch).

Thanks in advance.

[mbamission]

Thank you for your question.

While your GPA is less than ideal, it may not be as serious an issue as you believe it to be. Your goal isn't to make admissions "forget" your GPA, but to demonstrate to them that it's not an indicator of how you'll do at school. There are a few things you can do. First, be sure to explain your GPA in your optional essay, both the reasons for the initial low grades and how strong your major and last semester were. You should also consider building an alternative transcript, for example taking two relevant classes at a local university prior to applying, and of course doing well in them. These courses will demonstrate your academic maturity and readiness to excel in an academically-rigorous program. As for the GMAT, there is no one score that is going to be magical; your goal is to score as high as you can, to strengthen your argument that your GPA is not representative of your abilities. You don't want to raise further questions or doubts for the committee, as a low GMAT would do. Aim for 700, but if you fall slightly short, don't take that as a sign that you shouldn't apply or won't get in. One last point is that at the EMBA level, the schools tend to be far more forgiving of GPA issues; your grades will be more of an issue at Stern’s full time MBA than Baruch’s EMBA.

Finally, you have a lot of strengths that you should feel confident about and emphasize in your application - strong grades in a quantitative field, a stellar work history showing increasing responsibility and leadership, presumably the excellent references that come with that work history, and some community activity. You'll definitely want to spend time on your essays to tell your story as well as you possibly can, but don't convince yourself that the GPA is going to ruin your chances. Again, it's not good, but there are several steps you can take to offset it.

Best of luck!

Sincerely,
Jessica Shklar
MBA Mission

646-485-8844

Website: www.mbamission.com
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[queena427]

Thanks so much! This helps a great deal.