Profile Evaluation - Government/Non-profit background

[chrisz.freeman]

Hello! I'm requesting a profile evaulation, thank you very much for your time!

Educational Background:
- GPA: 3.14/4.00 American University (AU), Washington, DC, Dual Majors: Poli Sci and Econ (Fall 2004)
I started my BA in 1998 at a state school and worked nearly full time at America Online while going to school (worked there for 3 years, promoted 3 times). My grades suffered while working, and at one point my culmulative GPA hit 2.2 at one point (I got a few F's but retook the courses and got B's or A's in them), but had 2 years of 3.8's to 4.0's to bring my culmulative GPA up to a 3.2. I then transfered into American University (losing a bunch of credits in the process), but graduated there with a 3.14. I made the transfer so I could intern on Capitol Hill. For the 2 years I was at AU, I completed about 4-5 internships for Senators, Commitees, and the Library of Congress.

I'm a little concerned that my GPA and the fact that it took me about 6 years to graduate may hold me back (even though had I stayed at my state college I would have graduated in 5 years).

In order to get my GPA up, I have taken online courses at Stanford and Harvard and done very well in them. I'm also taking a few courses at a local community college to boost up my alternative resume.

Work Experience:
Out of college, I worked a top 5 law firm for about a year as a paralegal/legal assistant. Following that, I was hired on at the largest lobbying firm/non profit in the US, where I have been promoted three times in the past 3 years and now serve as a Manager of Research and Fundrasing. I do research exclusively on companies in the finance industry and have reached this point faster than all of my colleagues.

Volunteer Experience:
Outside of 2 years experience on Capitol Hill doing internships (in college), I have served on a Habitat for Humanity sub-committee for the past 2 years and was recently elected Co-Chairman of the sub-committee for the DC area.

GMAT Scores:
I am taking the official test very soon but currently have been testing around 680.

With this background, can I get into a top 10 school or will my academic performance hinder and such hope?

Thank you!

[mbamission]

Hi, and thank you for such a complete profile!

Assuming you do well on the GMAT (roughly 700, with evenly balanced scores around 80% each V/Q), I think your academic record won't hold you back. It will be important for you to write the optional essay about it to explain the story to the admissions committee, but I think you've done a lot to offset the grades. Emphasize in the essay that you re-took courses you did particularly poorly in and did well, and that you have taken more recent courses and done well in them. Also point out the positive trajectory at the state school - going from a 2.2 to a 3.8 is pretty great progress! Is the 3.14 your overall GPA or just your AU GPA?

It's important in the optional essay not to make excuses, simply to tell your story and then focus on the positive elements you want to be sure the committee sees. In terms of your GMAT, you really want it to be in the 700 range (680 is probably fine too) because you don't want to have to add anything more to the optional essay, and also because you want to use the strong GMAT as one more piece of evidence to offset the early low grades.

But all that being said, I really don't see it holding you back. You did a lot to offset the grades, have a good story to tell, and overall have a strong profile with a history of promotions, consistent work experience, and leadership both at work and outside of work. The only other area I would need to know more about are your goals - are you a career changer or want to continue in the area you're in now? Either way is fine, it just determines how you position your personal statement.

I hope that helps, and best of luck,

Jessica Shklar
mbaMission

[chrisz.freeman]

Jessica,

Thank you very much for your response - the information was great to hear and it definitely gives me motivation to hit that 700 mark on the GMAT. I will absolutely follow your advice on writing an optional essay that explains my efforts to offset my original grades. To answer your question on my GPA, I recieved a cumulative 3.14 GPA at American University and a cumulative 3.2 GPA at my state school - so my total culmulative GPA would be right around a 3.16. So obviously my big worry is that my GPA is too low for the top 10 programs. As I said earlier, I have taken courses to make up for my low GPA and done very well in them (A- averages).

For your question about my personal statement I do want to get my MBA focused on finance but I still want to travel down the non-profit/government path. I also believe that since I'm a slightly non traditional applicant, that this will make me a more appealing and competitive applicant.

Chris

[mbamission]

Thanks for the follow up Chris. Just be sure to focus your personal statement to show the logical flow from past to present (MBA) to future. Even if you're sidestepping slightly, (or if you were a career changer) you want to show transferable skills and how one experience lays a foundation for the next.

On our website (www.mbamission.com) under the Store tab is a link to our free Personal Statement Guide which will walk you through this past-present-future trajectory. You may also want to look at our new Optional Essay guide, which we just published this week.

Good luck!