P&Q’s Must Reads: Undergraduate GPA: What It Takes To Get Into A Top-50 U.S. MBA Program

Hello everyone  — Welcome back to Poets&Quants’ Must Reads, a quick, digestible recap of the top business school news, sponsored by CentreCourt, P&Q’s virtual admission events.

I’m your host, Kristy Bleizeffer, and I’ll be highlighting the most important P&Q stories you might have missed. So, let’s get to it. 

No. 1: Undergraduate GPA: What It Takes To Get Into A Top-50 U.S. MBA Program 

Contrary to popular belief, a low undergraduate GPA doesn’t necessarily mean that your dreams of a top MBA school are dead in the water. 

In 2023, more top schools started reporting wider GPA ranges, showing that at least some candidates with scores on the lower end gained admittance to top schools. 

Still, achieving a GPA in the mid to upper ranges certainly won’t hurt ones application to their dream school. 

Poets&Quants has gathered the GPA averages and ranges at all of the top 50 business schools to show where you fall in the mix. You can find the full data now, on our homepage.

No. 2: Harvard Business School Will Now Update Its MBA Essay

For more than a decade, Harvard Business School has asked candidates to respond, in 900 words or less, to the following essay prompt: “What more would you like us to know as we consider your candidacy for the Harvard Business School MBA program?”

But, when it opens MBA applications to the Class of 2027 on June 25, it will ask applicants to respond to a new essay question altogether, according to a school blog post. 

You can find out more about the change in this story, now posted on our trending tab.

No. 3:  How A Second Trump Presidency Could Impact B-Schools

For U.S. business schools seeking to attract international talent to their MBA and other programs, Donald Trump’s first presidential term was an especially difficult time.

Now, as the U.S. enters the summer of another presidential election year, polls show that a Trump return to the White House is a distinct possibility. If he defeats incumbent Joe Biden this November, what would a second Trump term mean for business education in the U.S. — and around the world?

Poets&Quants posed this question to some of the world’s leading MBA admissions consultants. We synthesize their answers in this story, now up on our homepage.

No. 4: Our Weekly Round Up of  News You Can Use

No matter where you are in your MBA journey, we bring several helpful stories for you this week.

First up: 2024-2025 MBA Application Deadlines. This story, which you can find on our admissions hub, tells prospects when to apply to all the top business schools.

Next: How To Ace The INSEAD Video Questions. Learn the purpose of INSEAD’s video requirement, how it’s used, and tips for success in this story on our homepage.

Finally: Applying In Round 1? Here’s A Checklist For June. This article also offers tips for getting a job in investment banking. You can find it on our homepage.

And, that’s it for this week’s Must Reads recap. 

I also want to alert school seekers to our events tab from our main menu. There, you’ll find all the upcoming admissions events for a range of degrees and programs including full-time and online MBAs, specialized masters, entrepreneurship and more. Registration is free.

Again, I’m Kristy Bleizeffer, and you can join me next week, right here, for a recap of what’s important in the world of business education. Thanks for listening.