Mr. Long Shot

I admire your self-awareness. With a low GPA and a below-average GRE for NYU where the average score is 324 (21 points above your score), there’s little chance that you will get into Stern. Doing video production for a media startup also doesn’t suggest you are managing people or have evidence of leadership skills. I could be missing something here, of course, but you also didn’t write about any big wins, promotions or how selective your employer is in hiring people. All these things matter when you apply to a highly selective MBA program. You have more of a chance at Kenan-Flagler but that, too, would be a reach. Here’s what I suggest you do: Enroll in the part-time program at NYU Stern. The admission requirements are not nearly as tough and you can keep your job and income and still get na MBA from Stern. Otherwise, you would need to retake the GRE, get a better score and probably apply to a wider range of schools that are ranked lower than those you have targeted.

Julie-Anne Heafey here from mbaMission…Mr. Long Shot, I admire your optimism and ambition, but I’m afraid the odds are tough for you. Everyone has weaknesses and strengths, but the more weaknesses you have, the harder the road. I like the idea of a part time MBA, especially because of your age – once you’re over 30, the full time MBA option gets tougher, but if you’re determined to pursue full time, you’ve got to retake the GRE (or GMAT?) and broaden your list of schools. You need a good score to balance out that low GPA. In fact, I’m worried about your undergrad transcript and whether you have some particularly bad grades in courses that might be important to MBA programs. Generally in that situation, I’d recommend enrolling in a graded extension courses to provide an “alternative transcript,” but I don’t know if your time is limited to do that AND a new GRE. if you have to choose one or the other, I’d do the test. Good luck!

Hi, this is Melisa from Stratus Admissions. I feel like there is more to your story that is here in your summary. I’d want to understand a bit more about why you think an MBA is the right next step for you to help you decide the best way to move forward. It would be helpful to understand your experience before video production and how you have gotten interested in politics. Depending upon your desired path, I do think either a part-time program or maybe a local program (which offer full-time, part-time that might not be as highly ranked, but will help you continue to build your business skill set and build ties into your local community and the South Bronx. Your alma mater or Fordham are options to consider – as well as Pace and Hofstra. Best of luck!