Ask AdmissionsConsultants

[AdmissionsConsultants]

Just thought you might like to know that I was just informed the latest David’s Corner/blog was posted to http://www.businessschooladmission.com.

I discussed the ‘advantages’ of being a Round 1 applicant in this month’s edition. As always, your comments are certainly valued. You can click here to go directly to the September blog.

Best of luck with your applications!

Sincerely,

David Petersam
President
AdmissionsConsultants, Inc.
DPetersam@admissionsconsultants.com

AdmissionsConsultants
703.242.5885

[feetstink]

Hi David,
I have 2.79 undergrate GPA, and 780 GMAT. Do you think I can get into top 10 schools like northwestern or michigan?
I am going for JD/MBA program in 2007 and I have 173 LSAT, but LSAC GPA is 2.55 based on LSAC calculation.
I have 5 years of work experience, and planning to take some business classes this year to overcome low gpa.
I want to go to Northwestern or Michigan, but not sure if it’s possible to get into both law and business school with my GPA.
Please advise me.
Oh, another question. Do MBA schools also have their own GPA calculation like LSAC?
Thank you.

[nsc19]

Do you know the general timeline for accepted applicants to send in their deposits and commit to schools? Do you have to decide much earlier if you apply/are admitted Round 1?

[kmg]

Hi David,

I would appreciate your thoughts on my situation.

Education:
UNC-Chapel Hill
B.A. in English
B.A. in Communications
concentration in public relations
Completed 12 hours of graduate studies in pursuit of an M.S. in Information Science

Work Experience:
I have 9 years of of total work experience. I progressed from working in a newsroom (journalism) to online Web design and Web journalism, to working in product development for a technology company that offered a software program for media outlets and non-profits. I was a program manager (technical account manager) for the company’s largest publshing clients before the tech boom declined and I was laid off (along with the company’s founders). currently I am a communications manager in charge of both PR/media relations and the Web site for a top 10 university program (this career move was not by choice but moreso by necessity).

GMAT: I am currently reviewing to take the GMAT in early November. Not that it suggests my success on the GMAT, but I scored a 1260 on the GRE.

Extracurricular activities and other experience:

• I lived and worked in London, England for 4 months right after college.
• I am a member of a local Women’s technology group (formerly Webgrrls)
• I freelance as a writer (have done so since 1998) and have been published in regional and a national consumer publication.
• From 1998-2002 I was very active in animal rescue as a volunteer. I still volunteer but on a more limited basis.
• Currently I volunteer with a group in various capacities. We have collected food for our local soup kitchens and shelters, adopted families at the holidays, raised money for charities, etc.

My first choice school is NYU’s Stern Business School where I would like my concentration to be in media and publishing. My second choice is UNC-Chapel Hill where I would concentrate in marketing. I want to pursue a marketing higher management position with a traditional or new media company.

[kmg]

I forgot to add that my undergraduate GPA was 3.3 and that I had an A average in all of my graduate coursework. Also, I have taken a financial accounting class in the last year, took economics as an undergrad, and plan to also take a statistics class prior to entering an MBA program.

[AdmissionsConsultants]

Hi and thanks for your inquiry.

Hi David,
I have 2.79 undergrate GPA, and 780 GMAT. Do you think I can get into top 10 schools like northwestern or michigan?

It certainly could be done and, in fact, has been done. An alternate transcript with a few properly-selected classes would likely help your chances immensely.

I am going for JD/MBA program in 2007 and I have 173 LSAT, but LSAC GPA is 2.55 based on LSAC calculation.
I have 5 years of work experience, and planning to take some business classes this year to overcome low gpa.
I want to go to Northwestern or Michigan, but not sure if it’s possible to get into both law and business school with my GPA.
Please advise me.

We have full-time law school consultants with law school admission committee experience and one of our consultants had a low GPA and ultra-high LSAT score when she was a law school applicant herself. I’m really not an expert on law school and don’t feel I can competently opine on your law school chances.

Oh, another question. Do MBA schools also have their own GPA calculation like LSAC?
Thank you.

The b-schools are much less standardized about items such as GPA calculation than their law school counterparts.

Best of luck with your applications!

Sincerely,

David Petersam
President
AdmissionsConsultants, Inc.
DPetersam@admissionsconsultants.com

AdmissionsConsultants
703.242.5885

[AdmissionsConsultants]

Hi and thanks for your inquiry.

Do you know the general timeline for accepted applicants to send in their deposits and commit to schools? Do you have to decide much earlier if you apply/are admitted Round 1?

You can find a lot of these deadlines at http://www.businessschooladmission.com and I know that site is updated pretty regularly as schools release and/or change their deadlines. Generally, the non refundable deposit is due from Round 1 admitted applicants than the later-round applicants.

Best of luck with your applications!

Sincerely,

David Petersam
President
AdmissionsConsultants, Inc.
DPetersam@admissionsconsultants.com

AdmissionsConsultants
703.242.5885

[PinkyandBrain]

Hi David,

This is a great board! I have learned a LOT about the MBA application process, thanks!

My question regards a touchy subject. What is the importance of “family” or “connections” in acceptance to a top 10 b-school? I have heard mixed reviews of how certain applicants are admitted not due to personal credentials, but because of famous/powerful/influential family members.

How important are these “family relations”? For example for HBS, what % of students are admitted based on who their “fill-in-the-blank family member” is?

[AdmissionsConsultants]

Hi and thanks for your inquiry.

Hi David,

This is a great board! I have learned a LOT about the MBA application process, thanks!

My question regards a touchy subject. What is the importance of “family” or “connections” in acceptance to a top 10 b-school? I have heard mixed reviews of how certain applicants are admitted not due to personal credentials, but because of famous/powerful/influential family members.

How important are these “family relations”? For example for HBS, what % of students are admitted based on who their “fill-in-the-blank family member” is?

Hmm, this is probably good inspiration for a future David’s Corner, my monthly blog on the http://www.businessschooladmission.com website. Thanks!

Well, to answer your question, this is yet another urban legend that just doesn’t want to die. The admissions officers are very independent and I once spoke with a Dean of Admission from a state flagship school who dinged the daughter of that state’s governor.

Do you see a decent percentage of legacies at the good schools? Of course. It’s more due to the inside knowledge of the school, the clearly-signaled sincere desire to attend the school and clear expectations of what to expect as well as the positioning in terms of good pre-MBA jobs, etc. There are tens of thousands of alumni out there with kids but the vast majority of admitted applicants have no legacy to the schools they attend.

Best of luck with your applications!

Sincerely,

David Petersam
President
AdmissionsConsultants, Inc.
DPetersam@admissionsconsultants.com

AdmissionsConsultants
703.242.5885

[mint]

Hi, i was wondering if u could hav a look at what my chances are of gettin into HBS or wharton.

FT exp: 6 months by the time i enrol
other work exp: several different internships + odd jobs here and there.
Nationailty: australian
age:22
Degree: BA, Bcom with first class honours from a good Uni (below average grades for first year of Uni however)
GMAT: 710
xtracurriculars while in undergrad: served as treasurer and officer in University club, licentiate diploma in piano, organised music competition for charity, various volunteer positions, founded and captain of university basketball team, university squash team member, university mentor, university tutor, brown belt in kobudo martial arts, studied abroad for a while.

1. which areas do you think are weak/strong?

2. I will hav 6 months FT exp. by the time i enrol (because i graduate in December), will i be considered a college senior for application purposes?

3. If i get into HBS, i actually will want to try and defer 1 or 2 yrs (HBS allows deferrance for college seniors in some cases). Should i make a note of this in my essay? or will it harm my chances if i say i would like to defer if possible.

4. wat do u think of my chances?

Thanks for your help!

[rurban12]

Question regarding low undergrad GPA:

I’m not going to start applying to MBA programs until I have another year or so of work experience under my belt. I finished my undergrad at a nationally recognized state school with a double-major in Finance and MIS and a GPA of 2.9. Shortly after graduating, I was diagnosed with Obsessive-Compulsive disorder, which caused severe concentration problems in school, and even attendance problems as I was literally afraid to leave my apartment on some days. Since I underwent cognitive-behavioral therapy, I have performed extremely well professionally and made top scores in every professional academic program (ie. continuing education) I have attended.
Are these circumstances that will be recognized if properly accounted for in my essay? Will it take some of the emphasis off of my low GPA and possibly put more on accomplishments I’ve made after being treated? Also, OCD is covered under the Americans with Disabilities Act. I don’t know if this helps at all.

Thanks

[AdmissionsConsultants]

Hi and thanks for your inquiry.

Hi, i was wondering if u could hav a look at what my chances are of gettin into HBS or wharton.

We still have 1 consultant from both HBS and Wharton who are still accepting new clients.

FT exp: 6 months by the time i enrol
other work exp: several different internships + odd jobs here and there.
Nationailty: australian
age:22
Degree: BA, Bcom with first class honours from a good Uni (below average grades for first year of Uni however)
GMAT: 710
xtracurriculars while in undergrad: served as treasurer and officer in University club, licentiate diploma in piano, organised music competition for charity, various volunteer positions, founded and captain of university basketball team, university squash team member, university mentor, university tutor, brown belt in kobudo martial arts, studied abroad for a while.

1. which areas do you think are weak/strong?

Your extracurriculars, to date, are strong. Even though there has been a trend towards younger applicants, your lack of work experience is a potential deal breaker.

2. I will hav 6 months FT exp. by the time i enrol (because i graduate in December), will i be considered a college senior for application purposes?

You’ll be considered someone with 6 months of full time work experience.

3. If i get into HBS, i actually will want to try and defer 1 or 2 yrs (HBS allows deferrance for college seniors in some cases). Should i make a note of this in my essay? or will it harm my chances if i say i would like to defer if possible.

All schools allow deferrance for some cases. It’s far from a given however.

4. wat do u think of my chances?

Unless you can demonstrate remarkable career progression and personal development with that lack of full-time work experience, I think your chances are not too good.

Thanks for your help!

Best of luck with your applications!

Sincerely,

David Petersam
President
AdmissionsConsultants, Inc.
DPetersam@admissionsconsultants.com

AdmissionsConsultants
703.242.5885

[AdmissionsConsultants]

Hi and thanks for your inquiry.

Question regarding low undergrad GPA:

I’m not going to start applying to MBA programs until I have another year or so of work experience under my belt. I finished my undergrad at a nationally recognized state school with a double-major in Finance and MIS and a GPA of 2.9. Shortly after graduating, I was diagnosed with Obsessive-Compulsive disorder, which caused severe concentration problems in school, and even attendance problems as I was literally afraid to leave my apartment on some days. Since I underwent cognitive-behavioral therapy, I have performed extremely well professionally and made top scores in every professional academic program (ie. continuing education) I have attended.
Are these circumstances that will be recognized if properly accounted for in my essay? Will it take some of the emphasis off of my low GPA and possibly put more on accomplishments I’ve made after being treated? Also, OCD is covered under the Americans with Disabilities Act. I don’t know if this helps at all.

With the proper spin, this can largely mitigate a low undergraduate GPA.

Thanks

Best of luck with your applications!

Sincerely,

David Petersam
President
AdmissionsConsultants, Inc.
DPetersam@admissionsconsultants.com

AdmissionsConsultants
703.242.5885

[sayanta]

Hi David,

I’ve been reading quite a fre of your replies, and they’re great. Though they answer quite a few of my doubts, I guess my head popped me with a few more. It’d be great if you could assist me in answering my queries.

Allow me to give you a a brief introduction. I have done my Bachelor’s (which is a 3-year course) majoring in Physics from one of the top schools in India. The only hassle being that I achieved a 2.4 as my undergrad GPA score. In extra-curriculars, I was actively a part of the student body, and have been in leadership positions like president of a society and the Chancellor of the Exchequer to the student body for a year. After graduating, I have been working for approximately 2 years with McKinsey & Co. I just gave my GMAT and got a score of 720.
I am thinking of applying to the top-tier b-schools, like HBS, Sloan, Stern et al.

First question is :
In my case, how much of a let down is my undergrad GPA ?
And second question is :
Where do i approximately in the international applications arena ?

Thanks beforehand for your reply !

Sayanta

[TSA]

David,

I am applying R1 to schools like Sloan, HBS and Stanford and some other top 10 schools in R2. My details are as follows:

– Major: Biology and Economics
– GPA: 3.4 from a top-tier school in the US
– GMAT: 670 V (81%) Q (79%) AWA 6.0
– Work Experience: 3+ years in consulting – currently at Booz Allen
– Recommendations: Solid
– Additional: Lots of extracurriculars, increased focus on third world development, betterment of women’s social status. I am from a third world country myself but am a permanent resident of the US.

I wanted to get a sense of what you feel chances are like – I realize that the GMAT score is on the lower end but the reason I didnt retake it was mainly because both verbal and quant. were reasonably balanced with a good AWA and because I didnt think I would go up by 30+ points and I wanted to dedicate that time to creating a good story and package.

Any insight at all would be much appreciated!

TSA

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