Will I be able to get into a top 15 business school?

To be honest, based on your stats alone, you are definitely borderline - your GPA is lower end of the 80%, as is your GMAT. That said, this is based solely on hard stats, which only make up a portion of your application. Without knowing your ECs/Volunteer outreach, any leadership roles you have taken on, and how well you have performed in your position (in 4 years, that is), it is impossible to say whether you have a great shot or not. If I were you, I would definitely retake the GMAT - you have plenty of time, so take a course and get that score over a 700 - this will help to alleviate any fears a school may have regarding you quant ability and lower GPA (although a 3.4 is still a good GPA, just towards the lower end of the 80% for most top schools). Additionally, I would start volunteering or taking part in some reputable ECs (that you have a genuine interest in) now, so that in 4 years time you should have been able to step up and make an impact on the organization(s), at least to a degree, and articulate your experiences to the ad com with enthusiasm.

IBanker www.BankonBanking.com Articles, News, Advice and More Break Into Investment Banking

Please stop bashing my alma-mater...

Bankon Banking, is it the same case if your an engineering major? i.e 3.3 (major) gpa from top ten program, I haven't taken the gmat, but ill shoot for the moon....710 for giggles. Is the scenario any different? Ceteris paribus post school & extra curricular.

Just wondering, what about the following stats (they're a friends, not mine) - what type of MBA school could these land?

GPA: 3.7 GMAT: 710 Experience: Canadian or European IB (think RBC/CS) with internships starting freshman year.

EC's: LOTS of leadership and charity positions (founder & president of a club, built homes in Africa for 4 months, coach of a sports team, different executive positions, etc.).

I know it always comes down to how well you paint your story and etc., but I'm curious as to how competitive these stats would be DURING NORMAL TIMES.

Strictly referring to your GPA, a 3.3 from a top 10 engineering school would usually be viewed a little better than a 3.3 from a non-engineering major. Engineering is viewed as a more difficult major than many other majors, and top engineering programs are known to be tough graders. As a result, your GPA should have a little more slack. Couple that with a strong GMAt (700+), and you shouldn't have a problem proving your ability to handle an MBA quant load. I can't comment on the rest of the application, but a 3.3 from a top engineering program with a strong GMAT should alleviate most of the fears (if not all) of a slightly sub par GPA (again, a 3.3 is a good GPA, especially for an engineer, but still in the lower end of the middle 80%).

SpaceMonkey - In "normal times," based solely on what I am reading, stats wise, your friend should be in a good position to get into a top 10-15 school - I am, however assuming a few years of FT work experience as well as internships, regardless of how many you have held, are not viewed the same as FT employment. Beyond WE, your friend has a solid GPA, a solid GMAT, and what appears to be a healthy dose of ECs and volunteering. As you said, the essays tell the story, and anyone can make 2 or 3 sentences sound good - but on an initial reading, he/she sounds like he/she would at least have a shot a good MBA program (again, I am assuming a few years of WE by the time he/she applies).

IBanker www.BankonBanking.com Articles, News, Advice and More Break Into Investment Banking

Bankon Banking, appreciated. Only good advice on this site.

Would those stats have a shot at top 3? (H/W/S) Thanks for the advice BB, definitely appreciated.

you have to remember many MBAs have never taken a calculus class and most didn't do anything past Calc 1 in college. You just can't compare an engineering undergrad to a typical MBA in terms of quantitative ability/talent. That said, MBAs often have good speaking abilities, jargon etc. but "MBA quant" is kind of an oxymoron...

Also, a 3.4 is at the bottom of the 80%? first I've ever heard that. I think the average undergrad GPA is 3.3-3.5 at the top 10 schools.

At Wharton undergrad, many who place out with Calc BC go straight to Stat 101 which is non-calc. BC is not really two full semesters of college calculus.

To the OP. I believe that you can get into a top 15-20 school. From what I can see you have decent grades and W/e definitely not enough to crack the top 10 unless there are good ECs and work achievements. It just seems like a typical lackluster 9-5er applying to grad school without any of the big achievements..

And to the OP...

Bottom 80%?

Its my understanding that past the top 5-8 schools, the 3.6GPA, 700+ falls off. So a 3.4 + 680 is good enough for a top 15 school.... so long as the rest of your admissions package holds water and possibly compensates for a somewhat lower GMAT score.

Average Admission Stats: Fuqua 3.4, 696; Johnson School at Cornell is 3.3, 682; Ross 3.3, 700; Haas 3.4, 712; Tuck 3.4, 712.

Also while there's nothing you can do about your GPA now, you can always try to get your GMAT up, which would make you a better shot for schools like Tuck, Haas

Bottum of top 15. Halberstram's right. Also, Darden has avg. GMAT of 670.

Also, GMAT can go up. It's def worth retaking if you get high 600's.

What seems to not be mentioned at all here is that the OP isn't applying for another FOUR years.

To the OP: you're barely out of school. From your perspective, I can completely understand why you may put more importance on your GPA and GMAT - because academics has been your full-time world until now.

In short, no one knows at this point whether you can get into a top 16 business school in 4 years. A lot of the important chapters in your life haven't been written yet. You've barely started.

Strong numbers (GPA/GMAT) in and of itself won't get you in nor will it say anything about your chances. Extremely low scores (i.e. below 3.2, below 660) can keep you out of a top school. So your numbers alone aren't going to reveal anything about your chances.

Alex Chu [email protected] www.mbaapply.com http://mbaapply.blogspot.com

ya im thinking of schools like cornell, usc, maybe dartmouth.

will probably apply once in 3-4 years, if i dont get in, retake GMAT.

Halberstram- missed out on your witty writing skills as I took the week off to be at the Jersey shore. Man, you're right I'm a nerd... while this is my 78th message, which is rather pathetic- you sir, are truly an epic loser with 755+ lame, unfunny and unhelpful posts on an anonymous internet chat board.

Think about the countless hours of your life wasted on this site, dispensing worthless advice to newbies... hours and hours, never to return, on top of the face time you put in for a low level desk job.

If your real life personality is as insufferable as this Halberstram online persona, your colleagues and manager must despise you and your prospects for advancement are slim.

Regards.

Some of the 755 bananas were double and triples for posting new topics and inserting images, so its quite possible I've only posted somewhere between 250-500 posts.