Can a High GMAT Score Save an Application? - 工管

QUESTION:
I dream to study abroad for my MBA but Iˆm worried that Iˆm too….normal.
My undergraduate university was not a top one but a normal local college, and
I have been working for 7 years now. I am wondering if I should even apply
for b-school because my background is weak. Can a high GMAT score outweigh
other shortcomings in my MBA application?

ANSWER:

The short answer is yes, a high GMAT score CAN help a weaker application.
Kill it on your GMAT and you will certainly have a shot at an MBA in the US.
If you break 700, you should be in the top-50 range! Now, as you get closer
and closer to 760, 770, 780 etc. you will be able to rise up the ranks into
the top 30, top 20, and top 10.

But for you especially, given the fact that your school is not a top-ranked
one (and you donˆt have a great work experience either, it sounds like), the
GMAT becomes VERY important. If you can do very well in that test, you will
have good chances this year. So get a 760…and you will be in business!

Now, of course there is even MORE that you can do. The most obvious thing is
to bring out some amazing WORK experience. If you have a great job—perhaps
with a well-known company, ideally even an international or US-based company—
you could look even MORE impressive. That is, you got a job DESPITE the fact
that you didnˆt go to an amazing college. ¨Gosh, that must have been hard
to do!〃 I can hear the adcoms thinking that already. So great work
experience can help to overcome a weaker, or ¨normal〃 college background.

And finally, you can make yourself stand out through EXTRA-CURRICULAR
activities. Do you volunteer anywhere? Do you have any LEADERSHIP
experience OUTSIDE the office? If yes, that is also a great thing that can
make a ¨normal〃 application stand out from the crowd. The combination of
extra-curricular work and LEADERSHIP go a very long way in MBA applications.

So never fear! Just because you didnˆt go to an amazing school, or just
because you feel that your background is too ¨normal,〃 there is still a TON
of hope for you. Just follow our simple steps, and you will be in great
shape this year!

Good luck!
– Jon Frank
HBS 2005
Founder Precision Essay
http://www.precisionessay.com

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