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Applying for your MBA with a low GPA?
I graduated from Penn State within English degree and a 2.89 GPA. However, I graduated in 3 years. I never took summers off and just trudged forward with my degree. I graduated in 2009, at the height if the recession, and was unable to find a job in my field.
I am currently working in retail and have been for the past 3 years. I have been promoted within and now am working on the floor in a position that puts me in charge when a manager isnt on the floor.
I feel because of the area I live in (Allentown, PA) I am not going to get out of retail unless I have my MBA since I don't have the work experience. However, most MBA programs require 2 years professional work experience, which I was unable to find.
I feel like I'm stuck between a rock and a hard place.
Any suggestions?
Re: Applying for your MBA with a low GPA?
First, my SO is from the Allentown area (technically, Whitehall). Anyway, depending on the job you want, you may not need an MBA. Also, depending on the program you want to enroll in, you could look at the "Professional" track for individuals with singificant management/leadership experience. Those programs will sometimes give more weight to work experience and a little less to your GPA. Make sure you study really hard though and do a great job on the GMAT or GRE to make up for the low GPA.
Good luck!
At this point, anything that doesn't involve retail will do. My experience is mostly retail with an internship at a State Theatre in the PR department and working as a freelance writer for a direct-mail magazine.
I feel that with my English background, adding a MBA will give me the business advantage that I didn't learn on the job or in college. Plus, I love to learn.
I'm starting an MBA program this fall! Look into programs and see what the entry requirements. At the Uni. I'm going to, they have a formula using your under grad GPA & GMAT that they use to determine admission. (U.GPAx200+GMAT=__________) The score determined by the formula is what they use to determine admission. Some schools will also allow you to enroll on a conditional status, where you may have to take a certain number of hours and maintain a certain GPA (sort of to "prove" yourself) and once that's done you will be updated to a regular standing.
I disagree with the poster above me re: English. My degree is in teaching and I taught Language Arts for 3 years before deciding that teaching wasn't for me and that I wanted to return to school. I met with an advisor before even applying and she said that they have a lot of students from all different educational and work backgrounds. Because my undergrad wasn't in business, I was required to take some pre-requisites (which I took care of this summer) before being able to be fully admitted. Think of how being an English major could be beneficial and play it up if you need to (like you can effectively communicate in writing, it's amazing how many people I know who can't write a coherant email, yet communication is vital in business).
If it's what you want to do, then go for it, or at least research it and email a few professors at a potential school to see if you can come in and talk to them. IMO, the last thing you'd want is to end up with a lot of "what ifs" because you just shrugged it off.