Role of pre-MBA academic performance in MBA applications
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Role of pre-MBA academic performance in MBA applications
Post by MBACrystalBall » September 8th, 2014, 10:23 pm
[This is an article that we wrote for Pagalguy]
So this time we are taking up another topic that got a few queries – pre-MBA academic performance and its relevance in MBA applications. Two of these came from the readers and one is a logical follow-up to those.
Q1. ajit10 asked - My acads are 10th - 91.7%, 12th - 91.2%. But, in my B.tech I secured only 67% ... I am a fresh graduate...
Most profile evaluation requests that you’ll find on the discussion forum (check out the ‘Ask a Consultant’ thread on most MBA forums) start off this way.
When it comes to MBA applications for most of the top bschools, your undergrad performance is important but your 10th and 12th standard grades don’t matter. To understand why that happens, consider the average profile of applicants to these schools.
On an average, they would have 4-5 years of work-experience at the time of matriculation (i.e. starting the program). This means that the 12th and 10th standard marks are at least 7-8 years old – going back to an era when the applicant’s hyperactive hormonal levels were just reaching equilibrium.
That time frame is much more than the validity for a GMAT score (5 years). So stop worrying about your high-school grades, unless you’ve achieved something (like a state rank) that’s really worth talking about. Focus instead on factors that really influence your success in the program and in your chosen post MBA career.
Q2. rider27 asked: How much does the academic profile matter in getting into a good Bschool? If one has not done well in academics then what are his/ her chances of getting into a reputed school?
Though there’s a fair bit of practicality integrated into the course, at its core, an MBA is still an academic degree. Which means you will be spending a lot of time with your head hidden in books. Some topics will have a heavy emphasis on quantitative and statistical work. Others might involve a multi-disciplinary approach to problem solving. This is why Admission committees consider academic performance as one of the components in evaluating profiles.
Some top schools specifically list out the pre-requisites on their website. This might be in the form of a cut-off for undergrad scores (first class or equivalent). Others are a little more flexible and prefer looking at the bigger picture before taking a decision.
So to answer your question – yes, academic performance does matter and if you have got very low grades (a subjective call), then it can be tough. If it’s low, but not pathetic (again a subjective call), you can still get away with superlative performance in other areas.
Q3. My academic performance wasn’t very good. Can a very high GMAT score exorcise that ghost away? How else do I fix it?
Strictly speaking, a GMAT score is not a replacement of your academic grades and for that reason one can’t fill in for the other. But many schools might give you the benefit of doubt if you can get a high GMAT score and show that your quant and verbal skills are top-notch.
If you’ve got bigger challenges to deal with (e.g. lost an academic year), you still get a change to put up a case for yourself using the optional essay.
For instance, if your low grades were because of an illness or you were busy managing a critical event that involved a huge budget, then bring this to the Adcom’s notice.
You might even be able to use it to your advantage by demonstrating how you’ve gained practical skills that might have been difficult to pick purely from books.
Of course, not all situations are salvageable. So judge the level of damage and try not to push your luck too much with schools that have a higher academic hurdle to jump over.
So this time we are taking up another topic that got a few queries – pre-MBA academic performance and its relevance in MBA applications. Two of these came from the readers and one is a logical follow-up to those.
Q1. ajit10 asked - My acads are 10th - 91.7%, 12th - 91.2%. But, in my B.tech I secured only 67% ... I am a fresh graduate...
Most profile evaluation requests that you’ll find on the discussion forum (check out the ‘Ask a Consultant’ thread on most MBA forums) start off this way.
When it comes to MBA applications for most of the top bschools, your undergrad performance is important but your 10th and 12th standard grades don’t matter. To understand why that happens, consider the average profile of applicants to these schools.
On an average, they would have 4-5 years of work-experience at the time of matriculation (i.e. starting the program). This means that the 12th and 10th standard marks are at least 7-8 years old – going back to an era when the applicant’s hyperactive hormonal levels were just reaching equilibrium.
That time frame is much more than the validity for a GMAT score (5 years). So stop worrying about your high-school grades, unless you’ve achieved something (like a state rank) that’s really worth talking about. Focus instead on factors that really influence your success in the program and in your chosen post MBA career.
Q2. rider27 asked: How much does the academic profile matter in getting into a good Bschool? If one has not done well in academics then what are his/ her chances of getting into a reputed school?
Though there’s a fair bit of practicality integrated into the course, at its core, an MBA is still an academic degree. Which means you will be spending a lot of time with your head hidden in books. Some topics will have a heavy emphasis on quantitative and statistical work. Others might involve a multi-disciplinary approach to problem solving. This is why Admission committees consider academic performance as one of the components in evaluating profiles.
Some top schools specifically list out the pre-requisites on their website. This might be in the form of a cut-off for undergrad scores (first class or equivalent). Others are a little more flexible and prefer looking at the bigger picture before taking a decision.
So to answer your question – yes, academic performance does matter and if you have got very low grades (a subjective call), then it can be tough. If it’s low, but not pathetic (again a subjective call), you can still get away with superlative performance in other areas.
Q3. My academic performance wasn’t very good. Can a very high GMAT score exorcise that ghost away? How else do I fix it?
Strictly speaking, a GMAT score is not a replacement of your academic grades and for that reason one can’t fill in for the other. But many schools might give you the benefit of doubt if you can get a high GMAT score and show that your quant and verbal skills are top-notch.
If you’ve got bigger challenges to deal with (e.g. lost an academic year), you still get a change to put up a case for yourself using the optional essay.
For instance, if your low grades were because of an illness or you were busy managing a critical event that involved a huge budget, then bring this to the Adcom’s notice.
You might even be able to use it to your advantage by demonstrating how you’ve gained practical skills that might have been difficult to pick purely from books.
Of course, not all situations are salvageable. So judge the level of damage and try not to push your luck too much with schools that have a higher academic hurdle to jump over.
Sameer Kamat | Founder
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Re: Role of pre-MBA academic performance in MBA applications
Post by Pratik Rajpurohit » June 26th, 2015, 5:38 pm
1) without work exp. can we get an admission to top b-school? if yea than what are the chances ?
2) is high gmat score(700 up) is enough for the scholarship in top b-school ?
3) this is for SAMEER ! how you got double scholarship in one of the finest bschool? please give me a tip yar...
2) is high gmat score(700 up) is enough for the scholarship in top b-school ?
3) this is for SAMEER ! how you got double scholarship in one of the finest bschool? please give me a tip yar...
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Re: Role of pre-MBA academic performance in MBA applications
Post by MBACrystalBall » June 29th, 2015, 9:55 pm
Though some top bschools do accept applications from freshers, chances are very less.Pratik Rajpurohit wrote:1) without work exp. can we get an admission to top b-school? if yea than what are the chances ?
Also, we highly discourage it because the main takeaways from an MBA are lost when you get in without experience.
Read this post: Top MBA in USA without work experience for freshers
No. Scholarship decisions aren't taken only on the basis of GMAT scores. Having a solid, well-rounded application increases your odds.Pratik Rajpurohit wrote:2) is high gmat score(700 up) is enough for the scholarship in top b-school ?
Another related post: GMAT Scholarships for Indian students abroad (USA, UK, Europe)
I got 2 partial scholarships. One was industry specific (sponsored by a tech company called Misys) and the other was a more general (Commonwealth) scholarship.Pratik Rajpurohit wrote:3) this is for SAMEER ! how you got double scholarship in one of the finest bschool? please give me a tip yar...
The biggest tip I can give you is to be patient and not rush in an application when your profile isn't strong enough to compete on an international level.
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Re: Role of pre-MBA academic performance in MBA applications
Post by Abhilasha » September 25th, 2015, 3:14 pm
Hi,
I need a little guidance & suggestions here: I am a hotelier, I graduated from IHM, Pusa, Delhi in 2010 and since then, I have been working with hotel companies into Sales & Marketing. I am preparing for GMAT & want to check if my background would work in favour or against me. I understand that they look for diversity, but would my industry be out rightly rejected? I am looking forward to changing my industry post MBA. I would love to switch to Marketing or Consulting. Would appreciate your inputs.
Thanks for your time.
Cheers!
Abhilasha
I need a little guidance & suggestions here: I am a hotelier, I graduated from IHM, Pusa, Delhi in 2010 and since then, I have been working with hotel companies into Sales & Marketing. I am preparing for GMAT & want to check if my background would work in favour or against me. I understand that they look for diversity, but would my industry be out rightly rejected? I am looking forward to changing my industry post MBA. I would love to switch to Marketing or Consulting. Would appreciate your inputs.
Thanks for your time.
Cheers!
Abhilasha
Re: Role of pre-MBA academic performance in MBA applications
Post by tofique » November 17th, 2015, 9:40 am
Hi,
I am Tofique Noorani, B.Pharm graduate, 2015. I am currently planning to do my MBA from Canada and am frequently visiting the universities website for details.
So I have few questions regarding MBA in Canada.
1) I am a fresher right now and currently looking for some job. I am planning to my MBA in marketing field, so for an MBA in marketing what kind of job should I prefer? Strictly into marketing or other jobs might work like bpo, kpo or any other job in MNC’s?
2) If I go for a marketing job then will I get more preference?
3) Many universities have mentioned that they require 2 years of managerial experience. Getting into a managerial post with just graduation can take years. So I wanted to know what they exactly mean by 2 years managerial experience.
4) Do Indians really get into Canadian universities for MBA? Or am just on a wrong track about my career?
5) What typical credentials do people have for MBA in Canada?
Looking forward to hear from you. Your help is highly appreciated.
Thank you
I am Tofique Noorani, B.Pharm graduate, 2015. I am currently planning to do my MBA from Canada and am frequently visiting the universities website for details.
So I have few questions regarding MBA in Canada.
1) I am a fresher right now and currently looking for some job. I am planning to my MBA in marketing field, so for an MBA in marketing what kind of job should I prefer? Strictly into marketing or other jobs might work like bpo, kpo or any other job in MNC’s?
2) If I go for a marketing job then will I get more preference?
3) Many universities have mentioned that they require 2 years of managerial experience. Getting into a managerial post with just graduation can take years. So I wanted to know what they exactly mean by 2 years managerial experience.
4) Do Indians really get into Canadian universities for MBA? Or am just on a wrong track about my career?
5) What typical credentials do people have for MBA in Canada?
Looking forward to hear from you. Your help is highly appreciated.
Thank you
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Re: Role of pre-MBA academic performance in MBA applications
Post by MBACrystalBall » November 26th, 2015, 3:34 pm
Anything where you can build skills that are related to your post-MBA plans would be good.tofique wrote:1) I am a fresher right now and currently looking for some job. I am planning to my MBA in marketing field, so for an MBA in marketing what kind of job should I prefer? Strictly into marketing or other jobs might work like bpo, kpo or any other job in MNC’s?
To some extent, it'll help. Bu keep in mind that marketing is very culture dependent. Being a successful marketing professional in India may not translate into the same impact in a new country.tofique wrote:2) If I go for a marketing job then will I get more preference?
By two years they may be referring to the minimum experience. The average experience in the class is higher - around 5 years. That's sufficient for many to get some managerial experience.tofique wrote:3) Many universities have mentioned that they require 2 years of managerial experience. Getting into a managerial post with just graduation can take years. So I wanted to know what they exactly mean by 2 years managerial experience.
Yes, many do. Here's the story of an Indian student in a Canadian MBA.tofique wrote:4) Do Indians really get into Canadian universities for MBA? Or am just on a wrong track about my career?
Here's what Admissions Officers of top business schools look for in MBA applicants.tofique wrote:5) What typical credentials do people have for MBA in Canada?
Sameer Kamat | Founder
Connect with me on LinkedIn | Youtube | Email: info [at] mbacrystalball [dot] com
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