Overcoming a Low GPA

Many applicants believe that a low undergraduate GPA will prohibit them from getting into an MBA or other graduate school program.  While having a solid GPA is a positive indicator in proving your academic potential, it is just one of many factors that the admissions committee will evaluate to determine your ability to succeed in an MBA program.   Below is a list of steps that you can take to overcome this weakness on your MBA applications.

-  Get a high GMAT score.  Your GMAT score is the other primary indicator the admissions committee will use to evaluate your intellectual capacity.  Therefore, if you have a low GPA the GMAT becomes even more important.

-  Evaluate your college transcript.   If you earned solid grades on key business subjects, and poor grades on subjects not related to business, be sure to highlight this distinction in your optional essay.   If your grades in key business subjects are weak, consider taking supplemental college or online courses to prove your proficiency in these areas - this will show that you do in fact have the ability to succeed in those subjects and are working hard to improve yourself.

-   Focus on extracurricular activities.  While you may not have been focused on studying in college, you may have had extensive extracurricular involvement.  In your essays and resume, be sure to clearly explain the extent of your outside-of-class involvement, specifically highlighting leadership and teamwork experiences.

-  Write persuasive essays.  Almost every MBA program allows you to write an optional essay which is a great place to address the low GPA issue.   This is your opportunity to provide legitimate reasons why you did not achieve as much as you should have due to circumstances such as family issues, illness, transferring schools or switching majors.  The optional essay should be direct and brief, must not be full of excuses and it must have a positive tone.

-  Support from your recommenders.  The letters of recommendation are a key element to overcoming a low GPA.  A recommendation from a professor stating that the applicant is very smart and that their GPA does not reflect their true academic potential can be very powerful.  Make sure you address this issue with your recommender before they draft the recommendation letter.

Your past does not define your future.  Keep in mind that admissions committees are very pragmatic and are looking for people with strong future potential.  Subpar past academic performance will not automatically eliminate a candidate from consideration if they can show that they have unique qualities and such future potential.  I have seen many candidates that did not have high GPAs follow the steps above and gain acceptance into very good MBA programs, including a candidate with a 1.9 GPA!