So actually asking for a neighbor of mine who doesnt want to post himself (being honest hahaha this isnt for me) but he wanted me to gauge his MBA profile from the community here. The basic 3 statistics are:
Went to BC, majored in Econ
3.1 Undergrad GPA (This is the biggest red flag)
Will have ~4 years of financial services experience when he applies (currently in Investment Mgmt)
760 GMAT (idk the breakdown)
Does a decent amount of community involvement, not too much but I def know he does some good stuff (I added this)
His favorites are Stern and Cornell, reach is Columbia. Guy wants to get into IB for the long haul. I feel like he has a shot at all three, including CBS if he applies early which I know they drool over. The GPA is bad but within the 80% ranges at these schools and his GMAT is 99th percentile. I'm also a recent college grad and have no idea about any of this, so I cant really help him too much but gauging the crowd could be useful. Any input?
Thx
Hi Nightman Cometh,
Your "friend" does have a shot at Cornell and Stern. CBS is more of a stretch, but worth a try. He should also consider Booth,if he wants to return to financial services.
He must address the causes of that low GPA. Hopefully he at least has an upward trend. A CFA or at least passing a few of those exams will be helpful.
For more suggestions on dealing with a low GPA, please see:
5 A's for Your Low GPA.
Applying to Top MBA Programs with a Low GPA.
Thanks a ton for the input. I talked to him and he thinks his best bet out of his targets is Cornell since his gpa is only .2-.25 less than the average but his gmat is top 10%. Unfortunately he was pretty straightline 3.1 but will consider the cfa. Stern, booth, and columbia seem to be tougher but to me it seems like johnson is a good bet.
Hi Nightman Cometh,
I agree that Cornell is his best bet from his initial list. In terms of additional schools to consider, also consider Duke. Maybe UNC.
Hi Linda, I have a follow up question if that's ok. I went to college in a top university in Asia, majored in math (major) and economics (double major), which calculated GPA separately. I have a 2.9 GPA in math and 3.5 in economics. I know 2.9 looks like I'm retarded but it's partially due to the fact that the department doesn't curve. 2.9 is pretty much average in the math department and the math department is one of the bests in the world (I'm sure admission committees of quantitative PhD programs all agree). After undergrad, I went to a target in US for a Master's in economics and got 3.91 GPA. Other than the GPA, I think I'm pretty solid in other aspects, very strong work profile with plenty of leadership experiences. Do you think I have a shot at CBS or Stern? THX!
HoggieT,
Do you have a GMAT score yet?
agree with Linda - a lot will depend on the firm he works at / what he does (how prestigious, have people from the firm/role gone to top MBA programs, etc). Cornell should go for the GMAT, CBS ED could make sense. I would add Booth and a safety such as Georgetown.
I agree about Georgetown. Maybe UNC too.
Does GTown place into IB?
people from his firm have gone to booth, kellogg, and fuqua mainly but some variation from that exists
there's def a chance to get into those schools then but the GPA may hurt so it would make sense to cast a bit of a wider net. could make sense to do 3-4 schools round 1 (CBS, stern, booth, cornell) and if that fails be ready with some lower ranked schools round 2 (georgetown, unc, ross (not technically lower but easier to get into)). i think your friend should likely get into cornell though if cbs/booth/stern don't pan out
Another item to note:
Op's friend has stated a projected GMAT of 760. Execution of said 760 will be very difficult, regardless of intelligence. Gentle reminder that the test is not an intelligence test.
In reference to Darden's and Ross' IB placement? 100% for US citizens.
Seems as if we're operating out of a best-case scenario.
Nah, he actually did get a 760. I'm not sure what the quant/verbal breakdown is. Sorry if it was misleading.
Quia porro molestias ut doloremque ducimus. Quia quisquam eveniet numquam deserunt et ex explicabo sed. Qui minus cupiditate dicta distinctio numquam et itaque.
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...