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Success Story! “For you low-GPA types, there is hope!”

November 18, 2016 by EssaySnark Leave a Comment

Maybe it’s time for some celebration and a happy post, given all the challenges in the admissions world (and the political world) that many of you have been navigating lately? Here’s an email we received a few weeks back from an early-bird Brave Supplicant who is now all locked up with their MBA admit. In their own words…

Hello!

I just wanted to send you the notes from my success story!

To recap:

Military guy, super low GPA, applying to dream school. Totally lost, google to the rescue, hooray Essay Snark! Hours of reading later, revised application strategy then hours of writing, rewriting, editing. Paid my deposit and going to dream school next year! Woohoo!

I’ll let ES handle the application advice but for some lessons learned:

  • Take the GMAT early. I started “studying” for the GMAT in December 2014. I flipped through the Official Guide and the Manhattan Prep Books and was convinced that I could easily score above a 700. I took my first diagnostic test a few months after my half-hearted attempts at studying and scored in the mid-500s. Ouch. I spent the next two months diligently reviewing core quant concepts and sentence correction and hit my target score before essays were released for the season. Having the GMAT out of the way was a major stress relief and allowed me to take a three-week break before diving into applications.
  • There is no substitute for essay writing, rewriting and editing. Along the same lines, share your essays with people who know you well. Be careful about trying to incorporate all of their feedback into revisions. In the end, I totally scrapped one of my essays after my friend told me that it was totally incongruent with my personality. My rewritten essay was a total hit according to my interviewer!
  • For the military applicants, connect with the Veterans Club at every school you are applying to. They are more than willing out to help out with every aspect of your application. Also, don’t be afraid to reach out to veterans working at the companies that you think you may want to target. I was able to connect with employees at each firm that I thought I might want to work at and it helped provide perspective on what to expect after the transition. It also helped tremendously during the interview when I was asked “Why XYZ?”
  • For you low-GPA types, there is hope! I was accepted to my top choice with a GPA that is almost a full point below the class profile. Own your undergraduate mistakes, don’t dwell on them and offer the admissions committee evidence that you are more than just a number.
  • Enjoy the process. It is a lot of work but along the way, I got to take some serious time to do some introspection and met some really awesome people. The introspection helped me define my career goals and the people I met ultimately drove my school selection.
  • Finally, ES knows what they are talking about – listen to them! I scrolled through way too many of the blahg posts while procrastinating. From the short-form application questions all the way through the interview, the website has every answer that you could possibly be seeking. They won’t do the work for you but they give you all of the tools! Thank you squirrels!

Thank you so much for all of your help.

Best,

[Brave Supplicant]

 

CONGRATULATIONS! Love getting these reports. For the record, this was a Brave Supplicant who navigated this mostly on their own – we did a Comprehensive Profile Review for them under our military pro bono program back in the summer, but then they took the ball and ran with it (with some of our MBA application guides and the blahg of course). We’re happy to have played a small part but this is another example of a do-it-yourselfer who did it themself, and all turned out just grand! It’s not necessary to pony up for expensive consulting services to make this thing happen. We are always available to help those who do want more hands-on guidance (often, yes, it can make a real difference in the process) but please don’t get sucked into the notion that you “must” enlist the services of a consultant to get into bschool. You’ve got proof right in front of you that it can be done under your own power. Congrats again!

 
 


 
 


YOU GOT IN!

Now what? 🙂
EssaySnark's Admitted Student's MBA Readiness and Celebration Guide

Filed Under: low GPA, Success Stories

« Previous: ($) Renegging on an Early Decision offer
Next: ($) Why MBA and why now. »

So who the heck is EssaySnark, anyway?!

We're the snarky experts in MBA admissions!

Sometimes amused and often appalled by what candidates write in their MBA applications to top bschools, EssaySnark created this little blahg to share common mistakes. Learn from them and avoid making admissions directors laugh (or want to hurl) when they read your essays. If you are hoping to have your essay reviewed anonymously on the blahg for free, submit it for consideration.

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CLASS OF 2023 MBA APPLICATION STRATEGY GUIDES

     
    The 2020 Berkeley-Haas MBA Application Guide - updated for the Class of 2023 application!
SnarkStrategies Guide for Berkeley Haas - refreshed and updated, with brainstorming exercises and structured maps to help you focus your stories!
   
    The 2020-2021 NYU Stern MBA Application Guide that covers the main essay, the EQ Endorsement and Pick Six!
SnarkStrategies Guide for NYU - discusses your requirements for the Class of 2023 essays!
   
    The 2020-2021 Columbia MBA Application Guide
SnarkStrategies Guide for Columbia Business School for 2020-2021 applications
   
    The 2020 Harvard MBA Application Guide - completely overhauled and updated for the coronavirus era!
SnarkStrategies Guide for Harvard Business School!
   
    The 2020-2021 Duke Essay Guide - covers the 25 Random Things essay and all the rest too!
SnarkStrategies Guide for Duke Fuqua - up to date for the current season!
   
    The 2020-2021 MIT Essay Guide covers the org chart, the contacts for two references, and additional tips for the cover letter and 'introduce yourself' video -- and everything else you need to know!
SnarkStrategies Guide for MIT Sloan MBA - totally revised for the Class of 2023!
   
    The 2020-2021 Tuck Essay Guide has been refreshed with latest insights and advice for your essays about "investing generously" and "why Tuck"!
SnarkStrategies Guide for the Dartmouth Tuck MBA - completely overhauled for 2020, to help you demonstrate how you are nice, aware, etc stuff!
   
    The Yale SOM MBA Application Guide for Class of 2023 candidates!
SnarkStrategies Guide for Yale SOM - updated for 2020-2021
   
    The 2020-2021 Chicago Booth MBA Application Guide - ready to go to support your Class of 2023 essay strategy!
SnarkStrategies Guide for Chicago Booth for this year's MBA app!
   
    The 2020 Wharton MBA Application Guide - even more advice on how to get to a win with those essays!
SnarkStrategies Guide for The Wharton School - with new tips for 2020!
   
    The 2020 Kellogg Essay Guide - with a full methodology to identify your 'lasting impact' and your 'values' -- plus tips on 2020 world events and applicability to your essays!
SnarkStrategies Guide for Kellogg MBA - updated and revised for the new realities of 2020!    
      The 2020 Stanford MBA Application Guide - for "what matters most" in your MBA application!
SnarkStrategies Guide for Stanford GSB for the Class of 2023
   
    The 2020-2021 UCLA Anderson MBA Application Guide - updated for Class of 2023 on "impact"!
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UCLA
   
   

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What were we snarking about at this time in past years?

  • 2020: ($) Updating the admissions office on changes to your profile post-submit: GMAT/GRE/classes
  • 2020: ($) The reality of applying to external scholarships for your graduate education
  • 2019: Harvard Business School is....
  • 2017: Military Candidate Question: "Why does Stanford have a smaller percentage of Vets?"
  • 2016: Success Stories that never materialized
  • 2016: Used to be, the waitlist meant you had a real chance.
  • 2016: ($) The biggest reason why Round 3 is not worth it.
  • 2015: The BSer's Quiz!
  • 2014: ($) Writing essays for MBA scholarship apps
  • 2014: Consider broadening your horizons.
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