MSRE Programs

So I’m finishing up my undergraduate BSBA at Northeastern in Boston. It’s a pretty shitty program in my opinion, sure it’s a generalized business admin course so that and combined with the fact that most of my professors have negligible industry experience, I couldn’t focus or take my classes that seriously. I’m in the high 2’s for my GPA and would be lucky if I end up with a 3.0.

The one good thing about it the co-op program. I spent roughly 12 months interning at a boutique REPE firm, $1B AUM, institutional LPs, spent plenty of time with the C-suite. I learned a lot, I was extremely focused and productive in that environment and even took several initiatives within the company as far as fund raising, deal sourcing, and contributed to opening their eyes to a new asset class that today they’re raising a $300MM fund for. Naturally I have a very good, dare I say a personal friendship with CEO, CIO, COO. I’ve also been in conversations with some HNWIs to raise a small fund that I’d ideally lead or co-GP with someone else.

Moral of the story: my grades are shit because I couldn’t take my classes seriously and I had some medical issues that exacerbated that for a semester or two. But on the other hand, my work experience, my own initiatives in the space, and my letters of recommendation would paint a much fuller picture that I’m not the incompetent putz that my transcript might make me out to be. Maybe I’m being too hard on myself.

Once I graduate, I have a year to stay in the US as I’m an international student. So I’m looking to do an MSRE / MRED that would be worthwhile but that I could get into as well.

Considering UMiami because it’s STEM designated meaning international students can stay for 3 years instead of 1. I also am well connected at the school and my recommendation letters would hold the most weight there I’d assume.

Friends of mine have recommended all of the following:

Cornell Columbia Georgetown Johns Hopkins NYU USC UMiami

I’d probably not consider Cornell because I wouldn’t last in Ithaca at all. I also wouldn’t want to be in the west coast unless it was my only option, so no USC most likely.

For the rest, I think Columbia and NYU seem to be the strongest. As long as I’m in NYC, DC, or Miami, I think I’m game. But do I even stand a chance at getting in with a sub 3.0 GPA? I’m a great test taker and could score well on GRE/GMAT, which is an optional test for most of these but I’d take it if it’d bolster my application. I’m hoping my experiences as well as the letters of recommendation would be the strongest cases for admission along with a strong personal statement, but is it even enough?

My friends seem to think the programs aren’t extremely competitive, it’s not the same as undergrad. I suppose the pool of students willing to spend $50-100k on a program of this sort is relatively small compared to everything else. I also can’t find that many data points on these.

Any insight would be greatly appreciated along with recommendations to improve odds.

Thanks in advance