Candidates who have an obvious weakness—such as a low GPA or GMAT score or a prolonged gap in work experience—often worry that they are destined to attend a virtually anonymous business school. Whenever such applicants inquire with Admissions Officers about how their weakness might affect their candidacy, they hear the straightforward and common refrain: “We look at applications holistically.”
While this may sound like a cliché, it is certainly the truth; at mbaMission, we have seen dozens of candidates with sub-600 GMAT scores and GPAs under 3.0 find their respective ways into top-ten programs. The key to overcoming an academic weakness—or indeed any weakness—is to address it in the optional essay, not with excuses, but by taking responsibility:
Example 1:
“In my first year in college, I had the flu the day before my midterms and did quite badly on my first batch. You will notice that my grades dip in my first term. Then, I was quite engaged in extracurricular activities with my fraternity and again, my grades suffered in the second term. Still, if you were to look at my grades in my major, from my second year forward, I would have a GPA of…”
Some who read the paragraph above may have laughed at the absurdity of the excuses; others may not have even noticed. While solid explanations for a dip in a candidate’s grades certainly exist, a temporary flu and overinvolvement in extracurriculars are not among them.
Example 2:
“As a freshman at XYZ University, I was unable to appreciate the rather awesome educational opportunities before me and my grades were, quite simply, lower than they should have been. However, by my second year, when I discovered my passion for English literature and chose this subject as my major, I pursued my studies with vigor and completely turned my academic performance around, earning a consistent stream of A’s in…”
In the second example, the excuses are cast aside and replaced by a contrite discussion of the candidate’s experience. With this, the candidate establishes credibility, explains the change and infers that he/she will continue to perform as an MBA.
Admissions Boards, like corporate America, don’t like excuses. Don’t make them.
Read the full article: Monday Morning Essay Tip: Taking Responsibility
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