Getting into top mba programs even possible or wishful thinking?
Hi there I am trying to figure out if I am even able to get accepted into a top MBA program. My top two choices are MIT and Stanford. I attended Boston University and got an undergrad degree in management. Unfortunately, I was not a great student then and was D1 athlete all four year. My undergrad was a 2.96 when I graduated.
Now after undergrad, I work as a software engineer and I am currently back at BU getting my masters in CS part-time. My masters GPA is 3.6 now and I am a much better student without having the insane amount of hours (30+) training.
If I graduate with my masters still at 3.6 will I even be considered even with such a low undergrad GPA.
Not sure exactly how adcoms view masters vs undergrad GPAs, but I would assume that for Stanford and MIT, the 3.6 masters is not enough to offset the sub-3 undergrad. But you did not provide enough info for an accurate evaluation. The brand name of your employer, your responsibilities at work, and any leadership opportunities/promotions at work will all affect your application. It also sounds like you have not taken the GMAT yet, which is obviously a very important factor. Other considerations include your international experience, community involvement, and demographic profile (gender, ethnicity, etc.). But if those other parts of your application end up strong and you get good recommendations and write good essays, you should still be competitive at some decent schools (probably at least some in the top 25).
It's difficult to assess without a GMAT and some sense of your progression at work and extra curricular, non-professional activities. Based on the info you provided, your 2.96 will make acceptance at Stanford and MIT Sloan unlikely, even given your grad GPA. However there are other excellent programs out there that may accept you and help you achieve your professional goals. And the latter is the point of the MBA.
Your grad GPA will help you overcome the low undergrad GPA. So will a high GMAT. For more suggestions on mitigating the impact of your low GPA, please see 5 A's for Your Low GPA.
Best, Linda
Hey @racher5050 Thanks for posting. So firstly, the good news...schools love Division 1 athletes. So this will help you in the process. But that 2.96 is going to hurt. The 80th percentile GPA range for most top programs starts at 3.2 so you'll be in the bottom 10%. Not a position of strength! Please take HBx CORe as soon as you can. It's not cheap but it will help the AdCom understand that you are serious. Then, I really want you to nail the GMAT (the low GPA really requires that you do this) so get a private tutor and do everything you can to prep yourself. Lastly, broaden your range of schools. "Everyone" wants to go to Stanford, but only few -- 5% -- are chosen. I hope that helps! Once you have a GMAT score, please set up a free consultation with us. Link in signature. Krista
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