Ms. Kellogg Bound Ideator

Hello Ms. Kellogg Bound Ideator! This is Talon Rindels, Sr. Admissions Consultant at the MBA Exchange and proud Kellogg alum. I am intrigued by your creative nature that would be an asset to many aspects of the Kellogg community – from the Kellogg Marketing Club to Special K! However, your GPA and GMAT, especially when compared against the more competitive pool you are up against as an Indian applicant, are real inhibitors. You are still young vs. the average age of a Kellogg admit at 27/28, so you have plenty of time to continue to build your candidacy. I’d definitely recommend taking the GMAT again (likely with further prep support), as a strong GMAT and a well-crafted story may be able to offset a less than favorable GPA (I also recommend not converting your GPA since the systems often differ). But, both the quantitative figures and qualitative story are critical to a well-rounded school like Kellogg. When I applied (and was accepted) to Kellogg , it was my well-crafted qualitative story that got me in, as my sub-700 GMAT certainly wasn’t doing me any favors. While I hope you are happily enrolled this fall, if you should find yourself looking to reapply next year, working with myself or another qualified admissions consultant could greatly increase your odds of acceptance… especially if we started well-before the application deadline so we can identify new leadership opportunities you could partake in that would really set you apart!

Hi there! Kate Richardson, Senior Admissions Consultant here. I have to agree with the P&Q community members here. Unless you’re reporting your GPA on a different scale or converting it to a US scale, that is quite low, and will present a challenge at any top 10 US program. In my experience, the best way to counteract a low GPA is to get a high GMAT, and your score is below Kellogg’s average. Supplemental courses could help, but a higher GMAT is going to make the most difference. You also seem to be on the young side, so I wonder whether waiting a year would be best. That would give you time to raise your score and take a course or two (a quant subject would be best) and maybe get a promotion too? On the positive side, I like the way you describe your mix of skills, the cross-functional work is a plus, and the startup project sounds interesting. I’m just not certain those positives are enough to outweigh the GMAT/GPA challenges.

Hi Ms. Kellogg Bound Ideator—this is Donna Bauman, Senior Admissions Counselor at Stratus Admissions. With your advertising background I could see you participating and adding value to Kellogg’s annual Super Bowl Advertising Review! You certainly bring a creative background that would be valued at Kellogg. However, I do see some substantial challenges with your current profile. With a 2.4 GPA you have a large hurdle to overcome in showing that you have the academic background to thrive at Kellogg. While your 710 GMAT is solid, it is still under Kellogg’s average of 730 and does not help you get over the bar and you could use another year or two of work to be a stronger applicant. You need to demonstrate quantitative readiness to begin an MBA program – whether through a stronger GMAT or solid grades in quantitative courses such as economics, calculus, statistics or accounting—or both. And if there are reasons to give some context to why your GPA was so low, address this in the optional essay. I suggest you spend the next year or so gaining further work experience while also improving your testing and demonstrating your ability to excel in quantitative courses. If you do these things you will increase your odds of success for Kellogg.