<p>I have been working as a consultant in IBM's consulting practice in the public sector for the past 5 years. GMAT is a 700. The problem is that my undergraduate gpa is only a 3.1, I graduated from U of Michigan-Ann Arbor, with an Aero/Mech Engineering Degree. Basically I failed an orgo class freshman year in college(had 2.5 first term), and was below or around 3.0 every term until the last 3 semesters, where I had about 3.6-3.7 for each term. I made the dean's list for those last 3 semesters. I am pondering about business school for the next admissions cycle, was wondering what schools I can get into. Any honest input is appreciated, thanks!</p>
<p>That's not much of a problem 3.1 isn't that low for business school. You should certainly be able to get into a top 20 school and possibly a top 10 school. Top 5 would be pretty difficult but certainly not impossible.</p>
<p>Top 10, are you kidding? 3.1 is low and one would need to have had a fabulous job to even be considered with that.</p>
<p>Where you can get in will depend in large part what you did at IBM. While not a prestige pre B school job, if you did very well and had several promotions, managed increasing numbers of people and can get a rec from someone high up, that would really help. But probably not for a top school unles your IBM experience was amazing.</p>
<p>I don't think that he's kidding. Obviously the OP has excelled in classes with much more quantitative and analytic rigor than anything that s/he will face in b-school. The 700 GMAT is solid.</p>
<p>The nature of the work experience and the rest of the package will certainly be important factors, but they are for everyone.</p>
<p>I'm not kidding at all. The avg GPA at Ross is 3.3. Even schools that avg 3.4 or 3.5 are going to have plenty of students who had 3.8 to 4.0 GPAs and thus will have lower GPAs also.</p>
<p>Aside from that, a 3.1 in engineering (from a top 6 engineering program) is IMO as impressive as a 3.8 in english/history/business/etc. Considering he received a 700 on the GMAT I don't think this 3.1 is a huge knock on him. It would just pull the GPA avg down ever so slightly.</p>
<p>That being said, I still think top 20 is the most realistic.</p>
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can get a rec from someone high up,
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<p>Getting a rec from someone high up means absolutely nothing to top business schools.</p>
<p>BTW, you are still in college. When you get 5 years removed from college, what you did in college means very little. In many ways, we were still kids then (note your SN). There are many factors more important than GPA in one's business school application.</p>
<p>Vector, have you worked for a top firm or applied to top B schools. You don't know what you're talking about.</p>
<p>Well I for one have done both, worked for top firms and gotten in (to HBS, Stanford, and a bunch of others). And the truth is this: if your grades are decent, and your GMAT is 700ish or above (mine was only 710), it all comes down to your story. Essays, gentlemen. Thats the key. Tell your story. Everyone applying's a rock star--why are YOU so special? How are YOU a leader? Interviews, Rec's, GPA, mean little to nothing--compared to your essays...</p>
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Vector, have you worked for a top firm or applied to top B schools. You don't know what you're talking about.
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<p>Yes, I did and I had a lower GPA than the threadstarter from a far less impressive school and a slightly better GMAT score and had no trouble getting into my top choice.</p>
<p>thanks for all the responses! i figured i'd have a good shot at the mid to high teens, was just wondering how much of a hurdle it is to overcome a low gpa. to be perfectly honest, 3.1 at michigan engineering was a good grade, if i had another semester left, i could have graduated cum laude (3.2 gpa) But, i just didn't know how the admissions folks would think.</p>