Engineer/ Chances of getting into JD/MBA program

Graduate School Business School - MBA
1

<p>Hello,
I am a May 2005 graduate of a very good engineering program (its not an ivy league school, but its a top ranked school - 44 in the world, 23 in the US for engineering schools). In addition to majoring in engineering, i also double minored in Mathematics and Financial Economics. My school was so tough and it was definitely not easy, if not close to painful, to come by an A or a B. Professors favorite letters were Cs.</p>

<p>Now i am a grad student at another good engineering school doing Financial Engineering.</p>

<p>Here's my dilemna. I had a very rough time in undergrad, including being deregistered due to non payment (long story), and losing my mother my sophomore year. I was deeply depressed for a good 2 yrs, and my grads suffered tremendously. Even though i over came in my final year and a half, and got very good grades, i could only graduate with a GPA in the low 2.0s.</p>

<p>I am now working full time as an engineer while also going to school full time.
I will get my Masters next year, and i anticipate my GPA will be at least 3.5.</p>

<p>I really really want to apply to the JD/MBA at Northwestern University, for so many reasons. I have a clear defined career plan for this.
I have taken the GMATs and scored a 720. NU doesnt require LSATs.</p>

<p>If NU's JD/MBA program doesnt work out, my next option is to get into a top ranked business school.</p>

<p>By the time i plan to matriculate, i will have 3 yrs of work experience (but it will be in engineering).
Will my strong performance in grad school and my high GMATs make up for my extremely poor undergrad?</p>

<p>I am so scared this will doom me for the rest of my life. I wish there were something i could do to change it, but it is what it is.</p>

<p>I tried to apply for jobs in finance but when they see my low GPA, they dont call back. I cant get anything. I got my engineering job right out of college by a miracle. Its a great job and pays me really well. I can rise up, but at this point i am still a junior. I am just scared MBA schools wont regard engineering work experience as highly as finance/business work experience.</p>

<p>Please advice.</p>

2

<p>i didnt get any responses.
i guess my situation is that terrible :'(</p>

3

<p>From my limited research, and understanding on the topic of b-school, it appears that top schools look for top performers. I'm not sure they care what industry or career field it's in, just as long as your experience exemplifies the qualities they are wanting in their MBA students (leadership, commitment, creativity, integrity, charisma, etc.). However, I wouldn't be able to answer, with any accuracy, whether or not your bad undergrad will affect your chances, or whether top b-schools will look past it.</p>