Harvard MBA?

Question

If I have a gpa of 3.0 and withing my work history i did 2 years without workin due to the fact a parent past away and that i had to care for my mom and granny who both were severly ill. Does it mean my chances of getting accepted are down the toilet?

i have 6+ yeras of experience. But from 2004 to 2006 i havent worked...Im about to start working again soon.

Answer 1

The GPA will raise a red flag, but it doesn't mean that you don't have a chance. They're looking at the total package, so you can still redeem youself with a good GMAT score, compelling essays and strong recommendations.

They often say that the essays are the most important part of the application package, so use those essays to demonstrate that you have great potential as a leader and that you've made an impact despite some major obstacles (family illnesses). Use the recommendations to illustrate your excellence in school and in the workplace.

I would say that you're a little young given that you've only had 2 years of experience. The average Harvard MBA student enters with almost 5 years of work experience. Then again, there are students that get in straight out of undergrad.

There is no harm in applying this year and reapplying next year if you don't get in. I had a classmate get in on his 3rd try.

One last word - "How to Get Into the Top MBA Programs" by Richard Montauk is a great resource.

Best of luck to you!

Answer 2

I'm tempted to just say "yes" -- at least for now.

The top MBA programs are pretty similar in what they look for -- so what I'm going to say applies as much to MIT, Wharton, Duke, Berkeley, Chicago and Stanford as much as it applies to HBS.

The top programs look at lots of things. You can into one of the if you are weak in one -- but probably not if you are weak in a number of areas. Right now you have two weaknesses -- your GPA and your work experience. Unfortunately, you don't say anything about the other things that they look at.

In my experience (which BTW includes an MBA from Duke, a PhD from the Haas school at Berkeley and teaching experience at MIT and Wharton) -- the top B-Schools are about the following:

1. GPA -- you can get in with a 3.0 if everything else is strong -- but most of your classmates will have a higher GPA. A 3.0 with a degree in Physics will be more impressive than a 3.0 with a major in sociology.

2. Work experience -- The top schools want four years of experience. Those with less usually have an interesting story -- like working overseas or in an unusual field.

3. Interview -- be honest. Talk about what you can contribute -- not what you can take away.

4. Essays -- these are CRITICAL!!!!! Have someone look them over before you send them in. Search the net to see what works & get hints on this.

5. Quality of undergraduate institution. The majority of my classmates and students went to high quality schools. Many went to Ivy League schools, top state schools or top private schools. The few who didn't go to top schools fell into two categories -- those who were perfect otherwise (4.0 GPA plus work in a top accounting, consulting or I-Banking firm) -- those who went to Historically Black Schools AND had nearly everything else perfect.

6. GMAT. A GMAT score under 600 isn't going to cut it. With a GPA of 3.0, you will probably need a GMAT score of 700 or better.

Bottom line -- if you went to the fourth or fifth best state school in your state, had uninteresting jobs and scored 580 on your GMATs, there is no way you will get into a top school.

But if you went to University of Virginia, Duke, Brown or any of the UC schools, have a 700 GMAT, work for a big name consulting firm, write a killer essay, interview well and get two more years of experience -- then there is SOME top 15 MBA program that will accept you.

On a personal note, I think there are 7 or 8 MBA programs that are better than Harvard.