Admission with poor gpa

Lyk

2 3

Posted Jun 21, 2013 10:22

Hi, first off all; i love this site and I have recivied alot of help by reading the forum but I have some questions which I hope someone could be so kind enough as to answer.

I am from Norway and I wish to pursue an MBA, particuallry within international business or energy management.
I have 3 years work experience from the public sector, more specifically within international relations and humanitarian work such as the UN.
I have both a bachelor and an MSc within political science and political economy with a gpa of 1,9 and 2,4 respectively.
My concern is that these results are not adequate to be admitted to a descent program.
I am looking for a one year program particuallry in Europe or Asia which will allow me to pursue a more business oriented career.
What are my chances and what can i do to improve them?
I hope that some of you can point me in the rigth direction.

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Duncan

14.005 15.470

Posted Jun 21, 2013 13:01

Focus on getting a good GMAT score; that is the single most important thing. Then, think about schools where you would be valued and add to the diversity. You'd add more in Asia than in Europe, for example.

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Inactive User

2.941 1.801

Posted Jun 24, 2013 13:08

I have both a bachelor and an MSc within political science and political economy with a gpa of 1,9 and 2,4 respectively.

Is that on a 4.0 scale?

I wouldn't say it's a lost cause, but you had better be ready to explain your low GPA, and tease out stronger aspects of your profile to make up for it (a good GMAT score, or significant work achievements, for example.)

A low GPA can be a strong signal to a school that you aren't very good at academics - but a strong GMAT score can prove to them that you've come a long way since your previous schooling experience.

In terms of location, you'll find a larger number of specialized programs in Europe. The International Organizations MBA from HEC Geneve comes to mind - it's only 10 months long and designed for people who want to land jobs in NGOs or intergovernmental bodies.

You might consider Rotterdam as well - although its MBA program isn't specifically focused on international organizations, its placed well for them, and some students go into organizations like the World Bank.

<blockquote>I have both a bachelor and an MSc within political science and political economy with a gpa of 1,9 and 2,4 respectively.</blockquote>
Is that on a 4.0 scale?

I wouldn't say it's a lost cause, but you had better be ready to explain your low GPA, and tease out stronger aspects of your profile to make up for it (a good GMAT score, or significant work achievements, for example.)

A low GPA can be a strong signal to a school that you aren't very good at academics - but a strong GMAT score can prove to them that you've come a long way since your previous schooling experience.

In terms of location, you'll find a larger number of specialized programs in Europe. The International Organizations MBA from HEC Geneve comes to mind - it's only 10 months long and designed for people who want to land jobs in NGOs or intergovernmental bodies.

You might consider Rotterdam as well - although its MBA program isn't specifically focused on international organizations, its placed well for them, and some students go into organizations like the World Bank.

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Lyk

2 3

Posted Jun 24, 2013 13:57

Thank you for the good feedback both of you.

Yes, the gpa is on the the 4.0 scale - I calculated the gpa again and i actually have 2.0 on my bachelor, I am currently retaking 2 courses from my MSc which will allow me to push closer to 2.6.
Would taking some adittional quanitatitive courses strengthen my chances or is it the degree which matter?
How high should the GMAT be before low GPA matters less?

Doing some more reading i feel that Asia and particuallry China will be my ideal MBA destination, as I have limited working proficiency in mandarin. During my MSc i spent 2 weeks at Fudan and would really enjoy taking an MBA here. The Fudan site (as well as several Chinese schools) only list bachelor degree or higher under requierments and does not specifiy a minimum gpa - how hard is to be admitted to schools like these (FUDAN, ECUST S3 Asia MBA etc) ?
I really like the point JK Duncan made about adding value and my european experience and knowledge is something I believe could be utilized in China.
Do you recomend doing an all Asia MBA or one where i study in Europe as well?

I am trying to do a transition from government work into business, my work experience comes from as previosuly mentioned both UN, EU and national government agencies. In the previous year i have been working with EU trade agreement implementation in Scandinavia and previously shipping regulation and international conflict management.
I see my ideal future position in an MNC where I can combine this public experience with the skills added from doing an MBA ,either working with Asia or in Asia in a mangement position.

Again; thank you for the feedback I really appreciated it.

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ralph

692 1.074

Posted Jun 26, 2013 18:14

Doing some more reading i feel that Asia and particuallry China will be my ideal MBA destination, as I have limited working proficiency in mandarin.

You're probably going to need more than limited proficiency in Mandarin to work on the mainland.

The Fudan site (as well as several Chinese schools) only list bachelor degree or higher under requierments and does not specifiy a minimum gpa - how hard is to be admitted to schools like these (FUDAN, ECUST S3 Asia MBA etc) ?

Most MBA programs will take your GPA into account, even if they don't require a minimum. I would contact the schools' admissions departments and ask them - generally business schools are pretty honest about if they would consider you or not. You should also ask if there's anything you can do to improve your chances.

Do you recomend doing an all Asia MBA or one where i study in Europe as well?

If you want to work in Asia, study in Asia. Westerners with limited Mandarin knowledge often find that going to Singapore or Hong Kong can be a good way to get their feet in the door - so maybe research schools like NUS, Nanyang, SMU, HKUST, CUHK, etc.

I am trying to do a transition from government work into business, my work experience comes from as previosuly mentioned both UN, EU and national government agencies.
My guess is that with your background you will be a pretty unique candidate for Asian MBA programs - try to use your application essays to show how different you are from everybody else.

<blockquote>Doing some more reading i feel that Asia and particuallry China will be my ideal MBA destination, as I have limited working proficiency in mandarin.</blockquote>
You're probably going to need more than limited proficiency in Mandarin to work on the mainland.

<blockquote>The Fudan site (as well as several Chinese schools) only list bachelor degree or higher under requierments and does not specifiy a minimum gpa - how hard is to be admitted to schools like these (FUDAN, ECUST S3 Asia MBA etc) ?</blockquote>
Most MBA programs will take your GPA into account, even if they don't require a minimum. I would contact the schools' admissions departments and ask them - generally business schools are pretty honest about if they would consider you or not. You should also ask if there's anything you can do to improve your chances.

<blockquote>Do you recomend doing an all Asia MBA or one where i study in Europe as well?</blockquote>
If you want to work in Asia, study in Asia. Westerners with limited Mandarin knowledge often find that going to Singapore or Hong Kong can be a good way to get their feet in the door - so maybe research schools like NUS, Nanyang, SMU, HKUST, CUHK, etc.

I am trying to do a transition from government work into business, my work experience comes from as previosuly mentioned both UN, EU and national government agencies.</blockquote>
My guess is that with your background you will be a pretty unique candidate for Asian MBA programs - try to use your application essays to show how different you are from everybody else.

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