“Your past mistakes are supposed to guide you, not define you”
For a person deeply ingrained in the MBA application process, the first thing that hit me about this quote was a common MBA profile weakness- the low GPA.
Every year, we work with applicants who have low undergrad grades. The reasons are several- they were passionately involved in extracurricular activities, sidelining academics; they were disillusioned with the college academics; they were parallely doing a job to help the family finances; they were tending to a sick family member; or they simply didn’t care too much. If it’s the last reason you could be in trouble, for all other reasons there is redemption.
The fact is that for most applicants, the undergrad horror is atleast two years past by the time they start contemplating an MBA. The good thing is, as you amass work experience, the work profile begins to take precedence in the evaluation process. Besides, there’s also the GMAT, which is considered a strong indicator of your academic strength. So there are a few things you could do to offset the low GPA spectre and still emerge on top in the MBA application process.
1. Ace the GMAT – When b-schools asses your academic aptitude, they consider both GPA and GMAT. If you have not done well in one, but aced the other, its still a sign of your academic ability. So, if you have a low GPA, aim for a high GMAT score. As a reference point, a score ~30 points above the class average of your target MBA should keep you longer in the race.
2. Take educational courses that matter- B-schools are concerned about your ability to handle the MBA workload, hence their focus on your academic grades. MBA courses are quant-heavy, so ascertaining your comfort with these courses is reassuring for the adcom. Prove to them that you can do well in subjects such as maths, calculus, statistics, accounting and economics. Consider online options such as the MBA Math course, reputed certifications courses from Coursera or b-school online platforms, such as HarvardX. Adcoms will value your commitment towards overcoming a weakness and you will check mark an important box in their evaluation list.There can be other options for studying further. If you have completed challenging certifications such as the CPA, CFA, CA etc. then this would also help you overcome a low GPA.
3. Ask recommenders to support you –Although your recommenders would not know about your academic strengths, they can still speak to certain skills that matter in the MBA applications. These are your intellectual ability, analytical skills, quantitative skills, ability to master new and complex concepts, willingness to learn new things and a growth mindset. However, just mentioning these terms can render them meaningless. Instead, your recommender should give vivid examples of how you used these capabilities and helped achieve positive outcomes.
4. Write the optional essay – B-schools nurture leaders, and the best leaders grow from learning through their mistakes. Use the optional essay to briefly explain why you achieved a low GPA. If you have a valid reason like some of the reasons I mentioned above, then do mention those. Its not advisable to make excuses as adcoms expect applicants to be matured enough to own their mistakes. Explain how you took corrective measures and how you have used the circumstances leading to the low GPA as a guiding force to do better in life since then. Giving appropriate professional and academic examples that demonstrate this will also help mitigate the negative impact of a low GPA.
5. Make the adcoms want you, despite the low GPA – Adcoms across business schools admit that they look for reasons to accept you, not to reject you. Well, that’s so true, for no candidate can be perfect or they wouldn’t need an MBA. Make the rest of your profile so stellar that b-schools are ready to overlook your low GPA. The chief evaluation criteria at business schools are: academic ability, career progression, leadership skills, and achievements and impact both at work and in extracurricular activities. Put together a really strong application that delivers on all these aspects. Later, follow it up with a grand interview that steals the show for you.
As a last word, when you mope and give excuses about a low GPA, you let it define you. When you gracefully accept it and use the tips above to say that you have worked upon your weakness and grown, you then make it your guiding force for success.