I will start applying to MBA programs next November and I have decided to pursue an alternative transcript to supplement my current stats.
What classes should I take? I was thinking of taking things that I was really interested in learning about but the more I look into it the more I realize that the consensus is, either take Accounting or take heavy quant courses like Stats and Calculus.
I was a finance major and accounting minor in undergrad so I feel like taking those classes again will be a little redundant.
Also, how many classes is enough? I was thinking 3 courses should be enough.
Should I do an online program like the UCLA Extension (I live in Houston) or should I just go to a local community college?
Thanks,
pacman
I have been looking at the same exact thing today and joking with my boss that I am taking the screen writer class. I am interested in the responses. I am from Houston too. What MBA's are you looking at?
I am looking at the major Texas schools (UT, Rice) and some schools out east that think I will have a legit shot at....Duke, Ross, Cornell, Yale, etc..
Any one have any suggestions!?
Well I bleed burnt orange so I am biased. I want to go FT UT but my life might not allow that (Married, Im 28 and poor). So I might have to do the dreaded PT MBA. UT has a top 10 PT program and allows for OCR. If I can do FT it will prolly be Rice.
When it comes to you I wish I could help but I am in the same boat as you. I know if you want to work in Texas that UT is a great value. Rice is very strong in Houston. The others seem on par for OCR and education so I would look at social life. I think the good news is all these schools will set you up for success if you can take advantage of the program to its full potential.
alternative transcript (Originally Posted: 03/09/2010)
Hey guys...
just wanted your take on creating an "alternative transcript"
Anybody with experience, ie low gpa>alternative trans>good mba/mfin???
Also, does it matter where and how you take your additional courses. ie: harvard/ucla extension vs no name community college online vs actual classroom?
and one last thing...should you avoid "business" classes so they don't overlap with your course in b school and/or mfin just take calc one / stats etc...???
thoughts/input much appreciated thanks
anyone??? bump
...
Nobody knows what an alternative transcript is.
I'm sorry to bump an old thread like this, but I actually had a very similar question. Has anyone here ever taken any classes in the NYC area in order to build up their "alternative transcript" in order to strengthen their resume or business school profile? This whole "taking part-time classes" thing seems really complicated when you're not actually working towards a degree.
It looks like BMCC or one of the other CUNY schools might be my best bet -- anyone have advice to share here?
I have had UC Berkeley recommended to me. You can take the classes online, they have a decent selection of classes available, and give you a grade on an official Berkeley transcript
Mediocre UG gpa --> high masters GPA --> alternative transcript --> chicago booth here
I did my alternative transcript courses at UC Berkeley Unex. All online, very convenient. I did accounting 1 and corp finance because I was an engineer before school. The courses you take should complement your background, i.e. they should be courses that are naturally part of an MBA curriculum yet you don't have experience in those fields. I'd say stay away from calc, a strong GMAT math score should suffice. Stats is useful, acct and corp fin as well.
Why do you recommend staying away from calc?
I got a 5 on Calc AP in high school, but got a C in Calc in college. Was considering retaking at Berkeley online to show I can handle it.
Alternative Transcript? (Originally Posted: 05/17/2007)
I graduated with an Economics degree a few years back from the University of Virginia. My GPA is piss poor, ~3.1. I've been working at a Big 4 consultancy since I graduated and I am planning on applying to b-school in a year or two.
Does anyone have experience building an alternative transcript? What courses should I take? Undergraduate or graduate classes? I've heard that taking too many graduate business class can be a detriment.
Do a Certificate course (maybe in accounting or something) and get straight A's.
If I were to do what you're saying, I would either do the certificate course I mentioned above or take Mathematics classes (only) at my local schools...not community college but something like "Tufts Univ, Pace Univ, St Johns" Get A's in Calculus, Linear Algebra, shit like that.
Is george mason good enough? I qualify for instate tuition so it would be much cheaper attending classes there instead taking classes at george washington or georgetown
Schools generally don't care where you take the class, they understand it's going to be a function of what's affordable and what's available. Also, they aren't going to really care about really hard core quant classes like linear algebra because you won't use any of that in an MBA. Classes generally recommended are: calc, stats, acct, econ. Make sure you get A's. Also, a 3.1 isn't stellar but it isn't horrible either. Most of the average gpa's are 3.3-3.5 so it really isn't going to kill you.
Alternate Transcript: Core Quant classes? (Originally Posted: 04/17/2013)
Hi all,
I graduated form a semi-target last year majoring in economics and statistics and have been working at an international BB. Unfortunately, I graduated with a low GPA. I plan on pursuing an MBA and will start applying around 2016/17. Seeing as though I have 3-4 years till then, I am considering retaking some classes in which I did not get A's in.
So I was wondering, what are some core quant classes that business schools look at/consider when reviewing an applicant's undergraduate courses?
Hopefully, my plan is to take them either after work, on the weekends or online.
Thanks in advance.
I am wondering this as well. Is there a typical core of classes to take for an alternate transcript?
I'm no expert on this, but people always mention calculus, statistics, and accounting as good, basic quant choices.
Recommendations for where to take non-degree courses with goal of getting a masters? Low gpa (Originally Posted: 01/19/2016)
qqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqq
Hi OP,
Checkout UC Berkeley Extension school. They offer on-campus and online graduate certificates in a variety of business related fields including Finance/Marketing/Accounts. Each course costs around 850 dollars and you receive a letter grade/transcript.
Alt Transcript (Originally Posted: 06/16/2015)
I was wondering when creating an alternative transcript is a good idea. Obviously, you create one in hopes of mitigating a poor gpa but I’m wondering how effective they are and which cases are the optimal ones for creating one. Also, how many classes are necessary before it makes a significant impact to school applications?
Thanks for all input
they work the best when they're the most credible.
i would take alternative transcript much more seriously when I see 4.0 at Harvard Summer School than some no-name community college.
Quality matters...
I've been working on developing an alt transcript as well through a nearby university I think doing well in courses such as stats, econ, accounting, and finance can definitely help
Best Schools Offering Online Courses to make Alternate Transcript? (Originally Posted: 12/20/2012)
Did fine in undergrad, got a 3.8, albeit from large SEC state school. Real dinger is a C I got in Honors Calculus 1 as a freshman. I had scored a 5 on the AP and was way overconfident and didn't put in nearly as much time as I should've.
Anyways, looking to demonstrate to admissions councils that I am capable of handling the math of their programs by taking online courses at a good school. Given the C in Calculus, I think I'll need more than a top notch quant score on GMAT.
The best schools I've seen so far are high quality public schools such as Texas, UNC, Virginia. What are the best schools you guys have seen for taking online courses in calculus and statistics?
I go to one of the schools listed so am naturally biased. (Message me if you want me to do a little research at my school.)
That said, I think a 5 on the Calculus AP exam + a killer GMAT quant score would be enough + your GPA is enough in my book. I don't necessarily think taking another math class will negate that C anymore. You may have to explain it in interviews, but it's clear that you're good at math.
UC Berkeley has a very accessible program, as do all the other UC's, but most of my students who have done the Berkeley programs have found it manageable and liked the process.
I did UVA for an alternative transcript before they invented the internet, and I used it to get into HBS. I don't know if their current set-up is "open" or an actual grade.
To be honest, as long as the school is a regular accredited school that someone has heard of, it shouldn't matter. All of the schools you mention are fine, and you should simply check the details of the system, the process and the amount of time you have to complete the course and take the exam. Also, be aware that some schools require you be proctored when you take your final.
Whoever you go with, make sure you get a grade and take the course for credit so it will be included with your regular transcript.
Building an alternative transcript: MS in Accounting? (Originally Posted: 09/16/2012)
Hey Monkeys,
I have a 2.85 gpa in Economics from a decent UC school. I want to build an alternative transcript to offset my GPA. Would a large state school's MS in Accounting program help me do that, if I ultimately want to get into PE? The program is 1 year and costs about $18,000. Do you think it would be worth it or beneficial for getting into an MBA program at USC, UCLA, or Berkeley, if i get a 3.5+ gpa? The only reason I wouldn't do an MSF is because no school in my area offers one, or at least at a decent price. Also, would it look attractive at all to firms, either BBs or Boutiques, that a candidate has an MS in Accounting? What types of jobs could I realistically get with that type of a degree from a decent state school? Thank you for your input and opinions.
MAcc grads look good mostly to accounting firms, many have in house M&A as well as consulting and TAS, are you ok with those sort of positions?
Those seem like fine options. I eventually want to get into buyside PE tho. Would it benefit me to get a MAcc, work after, then apply for an MBA? I really just want to see what options I can exercise.
You're not likely to get PE after an MBA, work hard, focus on getting into an MBA and then into consulting or TAS
No investment bank will like a MAcc. It will actually probably hurt you. Having said that, if I were in your position and had your goals, I would try this path:
MAcc --> Big 4 audit --> Big 4 TAS --> any boutique IB you can get into --> good boutique IB --> MBA --> PE.
There are a million different ways to get there, but this I think is the most logical. It will be difficult at every step of the way, but if you work hard enough, you can get there.
Dolorum nulla omnis ab ipsum aperiam qui eaque illum. Ipsum quia explicabo aut quo voluptas assumenda eos totam. Non deserunt dolore rerum recusandae architecto. Qui totam accusamus temporibus mollitia et accusamus nulla. Consequuntur labore est voluptatem.
Consequuntur sint omnis nam id provident eum possimus velit. Consectetur cum voluptate voluptatem occaecati nesciunt deserunt. Numquam sit sit atque accusantium. Sit dolores quo et omnis delectus est voluptates commodi. Molestias doloremque perspiciatis architecto similique sit repellendus itaque.
See All Comments - 100% Free
WSO depends on everyone being able to pitch in when they know something. Unlock with your email and get bonus: 6 financial modeling lessons free ($199 value)
or Unlock with your social account...
Vitae odit consequatur sunt sit sunt fugiat sit. Enim quia aut numquam.
Eaque illo quos magnam et. Molestiae doloribus officiis soluta dolor. Alias nemo laudantium sed culpa quis.
Id in molestiae sunt sed maiores. Pariatur velit eius ea repudiandae deserunt. Alias nihil maxime quia maxime a ea. Quia nesciunt dolore sequi vel. Provident dolorem autem aut est esse omnis. Officiis fugit ut qui est et aliquam possimus. Aut quis eius commodi consequuntur voluptates alias praesentium quia.
Beatae ex qui et et odit iste. Illo consequatur magnam cumque eos debitis rerum sed. Sed non magnam facilis velit occaecati soluta. Et esse itaque id maiores sed quia.