Average Undergrad GPAs At The Top 50 Business Schools

USC Marshall boasts the biggest jump in undergraduate GPA average for its full-time MBA students over the last five years. USC photo

There are several ways of addressing a lower than average GPA in an MBA application, according to Stacy Blackman, CEO of Stacy Blackman Consulting. In 2018, Blackman warned applicants against highlighting that they struggled in a course because they disliked the topics.

“We discourage ‘I under-performed because the subject didn’t interest me’ explanations, because the admissions reader might assume that she or he will have the same problem with less interesting classes in MBA studies,” she told U.S. News. Rather, she suggested that applicants who have lower-than-average GPAs should focus on highlighting positive characteristics or traits that compensate for lackluster GPAs.

With a low GPA, it’s best for an MBA applicant to illustrate that “he or she has become a productive, self-starter with high standards of performance,” Blackman said.