low GPA

($) Got a glitch with your grades? TAKE ACTION NOW!

March 28, 2023 by EssaySnark

The perennial question we get around here is “What can I do to improve my chances?” Let’s open up that sometimes sensitive subject of academics. Premium content starts here… If you’re reading this in email, click through to get the full ‘Snark! ———– ———– Premium content ends. Continue reading......

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($) The very best messaging for handling an issue with low GPA

November 15, 2022 by EssaySnark Leave a Comment

One of the most common statements that MBA admissions committees hear from applicants who have rocky academics is, “My GPA does not reflect my ability.” We have cautioned against this before as not quite the ideal. So then, what is? Premium content starts here… ———– ———– Premium content ends.

($) Optional essay for low GPA: “I have proven myself since then by excelling at my job.”

August 8, 2022 by EssaySnark 3 Comments

We see statements like that quite a bit in optional essays about poor academic performance in college. We covered something similar recently in this post on “making excuses for low grades” and it’s a perennial topic here on the blahg. However this angle deserves a post of its own. Premium content starts here… ———– […]

($) MBA app strategies: Making excuses for low GPA in college

August 1, 2022 by EssaySnark Leave a Comment

Err, actually, that title is inaccurate; making excuses is never a “strategy.” We need to talk about what works, and what doesn’t help at all, when dealing with a low-grades situation when you’re applying for a top MBA. Premium content starts here… ———– ———– Premium content ends. An optional essay about grades should […]

($) All schools do a “holistic review.” But…

June 29, 2022 by EssaySnark

So we just spent 1,000 words yesterday telling you that the schools look at everything. And they do. In every chat, webinar, and info session, you’ll hear admissions directors of top MBA programs tell you that they do a “holistic review” of their candidates, that they don’t weight any particular component of the profile, that...

Changing coursera?

November 17, 2021 by EssaySnark Leave a Comment

Schools used to really only consider formal education as part of their evaluation of candidates — meaning, that type of educdation that is captured on an official transcript from an accredited university. That started to shift, very slowly, when the schools themselves partnered with MOOCs like Coursera, however traditionally, if you were aiming for one […]

($) Should you get a graduate certificate?

May 10, 2021 by EssaySnark Leave a Comment

A trend that was already well underway before the pandemic upending higher ed was the proliferation of certificates. You can now get a Master’s degree in a whole bunch of different flavors of business-related topics, and there’s a veritable explosion of availability of certificates. Certificates are offered by many top universities, and they are mostly […]

($) What’s a good undergrad GPA?

July 2, 2018 by EssaySnark Leave a Comment

First: We just published our MIT 2018 MBA essay guide — overhauled for the Class of 2021 to include the org chart requirement! For today: We recently talked about What’s a good GRE score for getting an MBA and we’ve done plenty of those “good enough?” posts on the GMAT — like, is a 710 […]

($) Low GMAT? Low GPA? Please don’t say these things in your essays.

August 17, 2017 by EssaySnark Leave a Comment

First of all, if your GMAT is low, then we don’t recommend writing an optional essay about it at all. The optional essay is meant to explain, and thereby neutralize, issues and weaknesses in your app. If your GMAT is low, there is no amount of explaining that will neutralize it. The only thing that […]

Plea for Help! “Maybe I’m not as qualified as I thought…”

March 6, 2017 by EssaySnark Leave a Comment

A couple months ago, this came in through our HALP ME PLEEZE ESSAYSNARK!! query system: Hello You already gave me access to the military site. I really appreciate it. After going through quite a bit of material and consultants, I have come to realize that your site is the truth. I really don’t think there […]