AboutJay Cutts Expertise Preparation for LSAT, GRE, MCAT, GMAT. Personal statements, letters of recommendation, graduate application process, practice tests.
No Questions about Undergrad Admissions Please (unless you are planning to go to law, business, medical or grad school eventually).
Note that I change private questions to public so they are available to others. If you have something that is truly private, let me know.
Experience Over 18 years full time graduate entrance exam prep with over 1500 students nationally and internationally.
Education/Credentials BA, Linguistics with Honors and Distinction, University of Michigan
MA, Special Education with an Emphasis in Learning Disabilities and Giftedness, with Honors, University of New Mexico
Question QUESTION: Hello,
I am an international undergraduate student at the University of Minnesota and will be graduating with a bachelors in electrical engineering. My current GPA is 3.5 and I wish to apply to a good business school for a PhD in finance or marketing. However upon looking at some of the top schools profile, it looks like their minimum GPA requirement is 3.7, strong recommendations and research.
I think it is very difficult for most engineering students to even maintain a 3.0+ and most of the engineering students are fairly smart. Also because I go to a state university, most professors do not get to know students on a personal level and are reluctant to give them strong letters of recommendations except that they will say that he got an A in my class.
So my question is what should I do to get into good school? I am certain that by working hard on GRE for 2-3 months, I can easily ace it.But I am worried about the GPA and recommendation part.
Looking forward to your help.
Thanks
Piyush
ANSWER: Hello, Piyush.
You may also have some concerns from the admissions committee that you are applying for a PhD level program in finance or marketing but don't have undergraduate work in these areas.
I wouldn't worry about the GPA. Most programs look at a combination of your GPA and GRE score, along with experience. It is rare for them to have an absolute cut off for the GPA and also it is widely recognized that it is harder to get high grades in technical areas.
You will want to get as high as possible on your GRE. Some schools may require the GMAT instead, so you should check on that first.
Depending on your ultimate goals, it is often not necessary to go to the absolute best business schools. There are many good schools that you can get into more easily.
You are welcome to get some free information about the GRE or GMAT and other ways to be more competitive from my website:
I may be giving a free seminar on admissions at UMN on 4/4. Not sure yet about the schedule. If you sign up on my site, I will be able to let you know.
Also, you are welcome to get in touch with me directly about your plans.
Best,
Jay Cutts
Cutts Graduate Reviews
---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------
QUESTION: Hello Jay,
Thanks for the reply. How much do you think they value an undergraduate background in related field? For instance my interest in quantitative marketing and finance was developed through my past internships in a firm. During my internship I noticed a huge amount of involvement of finance and marketing, and later during my senior design project in engineering we were again made to focus on the marketing aspect of our design. I am also planning to start preparing for CFA at the end of the semester.
That is why I wish to do a PhD directly after my BS. I went to several B school websites and was looking at the PhD candidates' resumes who are pursuing their degree currently and a lot of them had done either a BS or both BS-MS in engineering. The only thing that bothers me the most is my GPA. It is very difficult to do well in engineering , especially electrical and in state universities' grades are lower than private schools.
Where exactly would you be giving your seminar in UMN and in what ways can you help me with my B school PhD plans?
Thanks
Piyush
Answer It might be good to talk directly with some of the programs you are thinking of applying to. They can give you a better idea if you have enough experience in business to apply for the PhD.
I know a lot of engineers become project managers, so business is helpful. You might also want to talk with your professors to see what they think. It is possible that a PhD might overqualify you for some positions. I don't know but it is something you might look into.
I don't think your GPA would disqualify you, even at strong schools. If they say their average GPA is 3.7, that means they are still taking people with GPA's around 3.5. If they do say the minimum is 3.7, then it might not be worth applying.
I don't know the location of the seminar yet, or even if I will be able to do it. I am hoping to but I may need a student organization to sponsor it, otherwise it is quite expensive to rent a room. I do not charge anything for the seminar so I want to be a little careful about the expense. If you are a member of a qualified student organization that might be interested in sponsoring the seminar, please let me know right away. I will provide the organization with a free prep course which they can auction off.
I usually help people with the GRE or GMAT, with their personal statement and letters of recommendation and with general planning for a strong application.
