Pretty much title. Is it impossible or are there always that 1 or two kids with a mediocre GPA and GMAT/GPA but good holistically to get into deferred MBA programs.
Trending Content - Business School and GMAT Forum
Career Resources
WSO Free Modeling Series - Now Open Through
November 30, 2026
9 Free Financial Modeling Lessons
Get instant access to lessons taught by experienced private equity pros and bulge bracket investment bankers including financial statement modeling, DCF, M&A, LBO, Comps and Excel Modeling.
+Bonus: Get 27 financial modeling templates in swipe file
+Bonus: Get 27 financial modeling templates in swipe file
High Finance Applications
Guaranteed
Get at least one offer GUARANTEED
- 1:1 support
- 92% success rate
- 2,000+ mentor network
- Unlimited Live bootcamps
- AI for resume + LinkedIn
- Networking automation tools
- HireVue simulation tool
- Full course library
- Private Slack community
- 20hrs of mocks
- + much more...
Subpar GPA and GMAT usually mean subpar MBA program that is usually not worth attending.
I get what you’re saying but I’m talking about for top programs? Is every person getting accepted have a stellar GPA and GMAT?
pretty much ... you have to be in the general range or have glowing work experience and recommendations.
what do you mean deferred?
poets & quants has a section that rank peoples chances of getting in to their desired courses, i.e. people submit their profile and gmat and these guys write a public review of their chances. I cant find it but im sure its still around if you have a snoop -
https://poetsandquants.com/2020/11/06/2020s-biggest-rumors-about-applyi…
edit: i think its this - looks different to what I remember - they used to do 4-5 people at a time:
https://poetsandquants.com/2020/02/10/introducing-mba-watch-discover-yo…
Like Harvard business school 2+2
There are outliers certainly, yes. I know of one guy who got into HBS with a ~3.2 and a 690 GMAT score......but he was also Cherokee and his pre-MBA employment experience was I think 2 years between the practice squad and 53-man roster for an NFL team (among other stuff, can't remember since I read this when I was applying to business school).
I think the question was about deferred programs - so kids who get in out of Undergrad then go in 2 years.
To my knowledge, you need to be an absolute blue chip candidate to get into HBS or GSB deferred (like 2+2 programs). The reason is you have nothing else on your resume and nothing separating you from the fact that you just were in school for 4 years and did mediocre. That does not mean you are out of luck for MBA - many people get great work experience for 3 - 5 years, get a great GMAT score and then apply and get in the normal way despite a mediocre undergrad GPA. This is how I went from 3.0 to M7: high GMAT and good work experience I could speak to
what work experience and gmat did you have? -- obviously very impressive. Why i'm curious
Engineer + big 4 Consulting, 770 GMAT I was laser focused on what I wanted to do post school and my story made sense. Got into Wharton, CBS, Sloan and Darden. Ended up going to one of the M7 with 80% scholarship. Not an under-represented minority either, just had great essays (spent months) top GMAT, great extracurriculars/volunteering that I'd done for much longer than the standard 6-months-soup-kitchen-for-my-application that a lot of people do, and really good recommendations. All told, outside of HBS/GSB, you basically get one "blink" - which for me was a 2.9X GPA, everything else had to be perfect.
Not a deferred MBA but I know one who got into HBS with undegrad GPA of 3.23, and 680 GMAT. Being international I don't know helped or not, but being from MBB definetly helped.
Qui voluptas et cum consequatur adipisci maiores voluptatibus expedita. Nam sed perferendis non quas autem in consequatur porro. Sapiente ea et qui voluptatem est rerum.
Blanditiis est quos sapiente sed. Dolore autem voluptas eum et. Eos temporibus autem excepturi debitis autem aut eveniet. Ea officia eius et esse quaerat non provident.
Atque perspiciatis asperiores ipsum modi maxime nostrum vel. Rerum delectus tempore eius. Molestias repellat natus delectus consectetur mollitia aperiam maiores.
Aut dolore recusandae dolorem iure possimus et autem delectus. Sed quidem similique eos qui. Repellat qui quae beatae atque non. Commodi minima enim sint sapiente. Qui quia soluta a quas est.
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...