Admissions Business School Low Gpa
Hello everyone, I am currently completing my bachelor's degree in economics in Italy a few months late and with an average gpa (24/30) or even a little lower. For various personal reasons I have this gpa but during my degree I have also done several extracurriculars, a few internships and should be starting an internship for a Big 4 soon (nothing big but something to start with is needed). I wanted to know from seasoned people (since it's full in here) if I still have a chance to get into some Uni/Business Schools target masters in finance and then later try to get into Ib/Private Equity. I was considering Erasmus Rotterdam and Stockholm University (from what I understand with a high Gmat you should be able to get in) but also Escp. If you have any other good Business Schools/Uni to recommend and which you think is possible to get into with my situation then please feel free to suggest it to me (any help is welcome!), especially if it doesn't cost much. I know perfectly well that I have "screwed up" my career already but due to various miscellaneous personal problems my grades in my early college career suffered a lot. I know that here is full of many geniuses who from the very beginning knew what to do but I unfortunately didn't have this "luck" let's say and that's exactly why I ask the successful people in here how to maximize my chances of getting into these target Uni/Business Schools.
Ah, the classic tale of the underdog with a GPA that doesn't reflect their potential – a story I've seen unfold on Wall Street Oasis more times than I can count on my monkey fingers. But fear not, because all is not lost in your quest for a spot in a top MSc Finance program. Here's what you need to know:
GMAT Scores: A strong GMAT score can be a great equalizer. Based on the WSO content, candidates have offset lower GPAs with impressive GMAT scores. Aim for a score significantly above the average for your target programs.
Work Experience: Your internships and the upcoming Big 4 internship are valuable. Highlight your professional experiences and how they've prepared you for a career in finance.
Extracurricular Activities: These can showcase your leadership skills, initiative, and ability to manage multiple responsibilities. Make sure to emphasize these in your application.
Personal Statement: Use this to explain any extenuating circumstances that contributed to your GPA. Be honest and focus on your growth and how you've overcome challenges.
Recommendations: Secure strong letters of recommendation from people who can vouch for your abilities and work ethic.
Target Schools: Erasmus Rotterdam, Stockholm University, and ESCP are all reputable institutions. Based on the WSO threads, with a strong GMAT and a compelling application, you could stand a chance.
Cost Considerations: Look for schools that offer scholarships or have lower tuition fees. Sometimes, less expensive programs can still offer excellent opportunities.
Networking: Start building connections in the industry. Networking can sometimes open doors that grades alone cannot.
Remember, your GPA is just one part of your story. Craft a narrative that highlights your strengths and potential. And who knows? With a bit of hard work and a dash of monkey magic, you might just find yourself on the path to IB/Private Equity after all. Keep swinging!
Sources: Ask mbaMission about Business School Admissions, Is target MSc Finance still possible in my situation? (Bocconi, HEC, LSE, HSG....), If your GPA is less than a 2.5, what is your ceiling in regards to MBA admissions?, Ask mbaMission about Business School Admissions, An old man looking for advice
Your post reads so weird? “Here is full of geniuses…”. What’s the point of that? You’re asking for help and get so defensive to the point that you’re insulting people who you’re asking for help all in the same paragraph?
Maybe this is not what you want to hear, but could taking a step back and reflecting be a good idea?
However, if you’re set on working in finance, here are my 2 cents:
For us non Italians, it would probably be a good idea to explain what 24 means converted to some sort of an international metric. According to this website (https://www.findamasters.com/guides/gpa-grade-point-average), a 24 is 1.7-2.0 on the 4.0 metric, would this be accurate?
If so, I would say that your GMAT really needs to wow the admissions committee. Like 750+ on the old scale (idk how it translate to focus. 695/705?). And to get that score you really need to either be a “seasoned” mathematician or work your ass off. With GMAT, there’s also definitely an element of luck. (From personal perspective, I was pretty confident going into the exam, and only managed a 700). So take from that what you will.
It sounds like you’re still at uni. Your #1 priority should without question be pulling your weighting up as much as possible.
Also, it’s probably a good idea to have a solid reason for your GPA being low to mention in your essays (idk, anything from having to work part-time to support yourself to caring for a dependant). I’m definitely not saying that you should make stories up, only that if you do have a reason that can be span as a pro in your essays - use it.
Now onto the part that I am not too sure about, and I’m hoping someone else with inside info can answer this. Do banks/firms care about undergraduate GPA when a candidate is joining after masters?
Adding on to my comment.
Very random, but I just had a somewhat wild thought.
Would you consider doing 2 masters?
It’s not completely unheard of in Europe.
Let’s say you can get into a solid (not Bocconi/HSG/HEC, but something known and respected by the admissions committee) University. Say you really focus on maintaining your GPA there, get more time for a higher gmat and maybe another summer internship under your belt. THEN you can apply for target masters.
Hi Pekho, thanks for the answer. First of all I Just want to clarify that my topic was not passive-aggressive but I really just want to know advice from people here and they just all are so amazing and focused (something that I admire). About the "second master" I understand what you are saying: in Italy is not uncommon to take "Triennale and Magistrale" and then Master but in my opinion there are two problems. 1- you can do some internship during "Triennale and Magistrale" (by the way what I'm currently doing) but this will probably affect your Gpa for a lot of reasons: time for studying, absence during lessons (which I assure professors also count in grade evalution) and others. I'm not trying to justify myself but if you are italian you would probably know that Italian University isn't designed to allow working while studying (this fact is also demonstrated by the percentage of students working in Italy compared with other States). 2-After "Triennale and Magistrale" and Master I would probably finish studying around 26/27 and this is a big problem for Ib because average age for first year analyst is lower so I would be less competitive. I may have done some internships but in any case I wluld enter as a First Year Analyst.
However, it does not mean that I did not consider this possibility because I would also have a very strong theoretical background (since I would have attended the Italian public university that fills you with theory) but for this reasons I'm trying to find a good master (by the way in Europe there are a lot of 2 year masters) to enter Ib.
Sorry but I was thinking you are italian.
By the way "triennale" means three-year bachelor degree and "magistrale" means two-year master degree. In Italy is common to pursue "triennale" and "magistrale" because "triennale" is general about the topics and "magistrale" is the specialization on a field of study. Since university in Italy is generally very theoretical many people decide to pursue a master's degree after completing their "magistrale" but as I wrote this gets you into the job market later (26/27 years old).
Let me add my two cents. Your GPA based on the converter is very poor, and if it is indeed considered as 1.7/4.0 then you have a problem. I personally don't know much about Italian grading but assuming this is true, I don't think you will get into a target, even as your second Master's. I am gonna start my second MSc degree this year, even though my story is different than yours as I have a very good GPA from undergraduate studies, followed by a good GPA from my first Master's degree, just in unrelated discipline. Interestingly, even though I had to admit to each university I applied to for the second Master's degree that I already have one Master's, none of universities were interested in my grades from Master's! And that's very important to consider. Master programmes only require having an undergrad degree and then only look at GPA from undergrad. Sure, you can already have a Master's like I have (just in unrelated discipline), but it doesn't make any difference recruitmentwise and won't help you to get into the target. So, in other words, in my opinion your undergraduate grades will determine the uni you can get into for your Master, whether it will be your first or third Master. This said, you need to think strategically and find universities that might accept you with your poor undergrad GPA. I think that RSM might be the safest bet as you need to apply early - this year the MSc F&I programme closed after 7 days! You will need to have a GMAT Focus score over 605 and a 'above average' GPA, but it is a bit unclear at RSM so you still have chances to get accepted. Work experience at RSM is not taken into account for recruitment purposes. Stockholm School of Economics is another option, but it's more competetive imho as it offers way less places each year. Fot SSE you will need a much higher GMAT score, and the rest would be up to the recruitment comittee. In Sweden there is also Lund University which is classified as semi-target in Scandinavia, and it has a 1 year MSc Finance. Though wil Lund you'll have most chances to land a role in Sweden, not in Italy, Germany or the UK. To be honest there are also some French schools like ESPC which you mentioned which are a very good target for London and Paris. I think ESPC is relatively easy to get into, at least looking at the ESPC grads I know lol, but it is way more expensive than studying in the Netherlands or Sweden, so you need to keep that in mind. Another unis to consider might be EM Lyon (France) and Nova (Portugal), though both are worse than RSM/SSE/ESPC imho
Thank you for your answer. The problem is that if I apply for Rsm Master this year then I could maybe enter in 2025 (at 24 years old) so there will be an age problem. I'm also considering LUISS business School cause of the fact is relatively easy to enter. I know it's a semi semi semi target but through it I can still have a chance to break into Ib/Private Equity. For Escp I will try but....honestly 44k is too much for me. I don't really know what to do.
Try RSM, SSE or HSG the rest are too expensive and have a poor ROI ;)
Even Escp has poor Roi?
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