Mr. Corporate Engineer

Hi Mr. Corporate Engineer, Julie-Anne Heafey here from mbaMission. I love that you’re approaching the MBA process thoughtfully and asking the right questions about determining your list of schools given some hurdles. The truth is, it *IS* a hurdle to have a GPA that far below the school’s average (3.6)…happily, when you look at the full range of scores, it starts at a 2.5, so it’s not IMPOSSIBLE, but it’s also not at all the norm. Super low GPA candidates who get in are often bringing incredible business leadership (something it sounds like you are looking to build) or high test scores (where your combined GRE looks slightly below average), so an admit to Kellogg is likely to be a reach. It’s hard to tell about your leadership/team skills from the above profile, but if you apply to MBA schools, make sure to highlight these business-friendly skills… schools get a lot of engineers, and within that group, they are looking for more than just technical competence but your ability to drive decisions and align and motivate others (I’m hoping your COVID ramp up story can demonstrate that but it’s hard to tell from the above how YOU took a role in that?). For the best chance of success, I recommend expanding your list to include other schools (UNC? Duke? Emory? Vanderbilt? Cornell?)….or even thinking about part-time programs! Wishing you the best of luck!

Hi Mr. Corporate Engineer, Melisa here from Stratus Admissions. Based on your goal of positioning yourself to move up within your organization, I am going to suggest that you strongly consider part-time programs. To answer your question, your lower GPA will make an application to the full time program at Kellogg a reach. We generally see a wider range of scores in part time programs. Your GRE is also below Kellogg’s full time average, but would most likely be more in line with the part time program. Also, part time programs give the fantastic opportunity to practice your learnings in real time. Your years of experience (close to 6 years at matriculation) is close to the average for Kellogg’s Evening & Weekend MBA. With either approach, Kellogg is a school that significantly values community involvement – and I would want to dig in more here and see what you might have done outside of your role at work as well. Highlighting your leadership experiences will be important. As well as explaining your goals in terms of your growth potential – why do you want to move up in your organization? What problems do you hope to solve there? Healthcare is and will continue to be an ever expanding and innovating field in the future. What skills do you need from an MBA to help you get there. Other part time programs to consider in the mid-west are Booth and Ross. More part time programs are very interested in students coming from other geographies – and with the virtual learning advancements with Covid may become more prevalent. My odds assessment is based on part time. Wishing you the best of luck!