By Kristin Roth, Associate Director of Admissions
Thank you to everyone who participated in the GMAT Club chat last week! Our topic was intended to provide an opportunity for you to express concerns about various aspects of your candidacy and of course, for us to address them.
Here are the three most common “What do I do if…?” questions from last week's chat:
What do I do if (or what are my chances if) I’m older than the class average and/or have more work experience than the class average?
First and foremost, age is never considered during the admissions committee’s evaluation. Every single applicant must make a convincing case for why they need an MBA and why this is the right time for them to pursue it. Much more important than your age, or even the length of your work experience, is the quality of that experience. Aim to help the admissions committee understand the nature of your work, the level of challenge, progression of responsibility, and any leadership opportunities that you’ve had. What have you contributed to your work environment and what have you learned?
If you have very few years of work experience, it might be more challenging to convey your growth or value within the company, or what your work experience will enable you to contribute to a top-10 MBA program. If you have many years of work experience, you need to make the case that an MBA will be able to offer you additional skills and is necessary for growth/progression at this stage in your career.
Keep in mind, that although schools report the number of average years of work experience among admitted students, it is just an average. Some people are ready for an MBA program with only 2 years of experience; others are not yet ready with 7 years. We’re looking for individuals who exhibit professional maturity and for some, this may be evident with less full-time work experience.
What do I do if I lack quantitative experience (or have a low GPA, or a below average GMAT/GRE score)?
First, the admissions committee reviews applicants with a very holistic approach. While important, a low undergraduate GPA in itself won’t prevent admission. Similarly, a below average GMAT/GRE score is just one aspect of your entire application. A school’s averages are just that—an average. Even if your GPA or GMAT score is below a school’s average, it could be within its range.
One big difference between the GPA and GMAT: If you’re unhappy with your GMAT score, you can always keep studying and retake it without consequence. And, if after giving it your best effort, you feel like there’s no amount of additional preparation that will improve your score, you’re still not out of the game.
Bottom-line: These are still weaknesses and you need to prove you can handle a rigorous quantitative curriculum. If you think you could use a quantitative boost—either to give us more confidence (and thus make you more competitive), or for you personally so you can hit the ground running—you might want to consider taking a supplemental course like financial accounting, statistics, and/or microeconomics. You can take these courses in whatever format and with whatever institution works for you. That said, if you’re trying to prove yourself to an admissions committee, a graded course is a lot more effective than something on Coursera.
If you come from a non-traditional background where your quantitative skills weren’t really on display, it is definitely not a deal breaker! Tuck values unique experiences and individuals—many students decide to go to business school with the intention of switching careers, so you won’t be alone. While you may not have been crunching numbers, there’s a good chance you’ve been honing skills that will help you succeed in business; leadership traits, interpersonal skills, communication expertise, etc. Show us how your unconventional experience will actually bring a different and positive perspective to your classmates.
What do I do if I’m new to my company (or I don’t want my supervisor to know I’m applying to b-school, or I’m an entrepreneur, etc.) when it comes to asking for Letters of Recommendation?
Many people are hesitant to ask their current supervisor for a letter of recommendation because they fear it might jeopardize their employment. Others don’t think their current supervisor will be supportive of their decision to apply to business school. Or maybe, you simply haven’t been working with him/her for very long. These situations are fairly common and aren’t typically a problem if you tell us the reason (the optional essay is a good place for this); but if you don’t explain it, we are left with the equally realistic assumption that you don’t have a good working relationship with your supervisor.
While it’s certainly helpful to have the insight of a direct supervisor, applying without one is not a deal breaker. Consider reaching out to the person you reported to prior to your current boss. Other options may be current clients, a colleague who led a team for a project you worked on or the director of your department or team. The key thing to remember when selecting recommenders, is to focus on people who can really speak to your strengths (and weaknesses) in key areas such as leadership, teamwork, and aptitude. Steer clear of asking former professors, family members or your little league coach.