In college I had a low GPA (2.8 on a 4.0 scale.)

Now, I will take the GMAT so I can get into an MBA.

What GMAT score do I need?

I would like to study in the USA. The schools I am interested include Rutgers, Wisconsin School of Business, and UT Austin (McCombs.)

It depends on a lot of factors. How much work experience do you have? Generally, the more work experience you have, the less important GPA becomes, although they'll still see your lower GPA as somewhat of a red flag.

OK, in terms of work experience I have about 5 years total, spread across two jobs - 2 years as a junior web developer and then almost three years now as a development project manager (in a different company). Is that enough do you think?

Your work history has a decent arc to it, which will look good. However, you're still around the average at the b-schools you're looking, in terms of actual number of years of work experience, so I doubt that your work experience will be enough to mitigate the low GPA.

My guess is you're going to need a really, really good GMAT score just to get your foot in the door. Certainly at least 700 - probably more - aim for 750+.

Oh, 750+ is quite high. I will get to studying. :) Thanks for the comments.

A nice way to think here is about the standard devation. Most programmes have several applicants for each seat. The accepted applicants' scores are not much better than the rejected ones; they just have better applications and experience. If you are below the average on any one score, then you need to be well above the standard deviation on more than one other. An okay GMAT and a low GPA says you can work hard for a month but not for an academic year. So, it does not balance out. You need an excellent score and perhaps one other outstanding thing to make up for it.

Oh, 750+ is quite high. I will get to studying. :) Thanks for the comments.

Thank you sir.

Hello, I have a 2.7 GPA and my GMAT score is 670. What MBA programs can I get into?

Your GPA will present major concerns for any business school you apply to. In general, because of this, you'll want to have a higher than average GMAT score to rectify these concerns. As a ballpark, if 670 is your best score, you'll want to apply for MBA programs where the average GMAT is around 600 or under.

Are you from some country that does not use the GPA system? I often see people who have mistakely use a self-calcuated GPA.

Or they might be from a competitive school where students typically come away with a 'low' looking GPA, even though they performed well. The technical schools in India are often like this. If this is the case, the business schools should be aware of the GPA nuances (for the most part).

Dear sirs,

Are there GPA cut offs for MBAs in the US?

The US doesn't work like the India, with cut off points for grades being the key criterion. Generally schools will publish bands withing which most candidates score, and international students will generally be within or above that band.

I really appreciate the guidance, thank you.