Is not having a GPA going to keep me from a good grad school?

[bamafan98]

I am planning to get my BSBA from TESU. I planned to do it all through the alternative credit process (CLEP/DSST/SL, etc). When I look at most graduate programs it says you need a degree from a regionally accredited school but they don't all specify a required GPA. I was recently told that if I don't have a GPA I won't be able to get into one of the top MBA programs. I thought I just needed the degree from the regionally accredited school and a great GMAT score.

What are your thoughts? Will the graduate schools look down on my transcript if it is all just pass / fail?

[cookderosa]

Can you get into grad school without a GPA? Yes.

Can you get into every grad school without a GPA? No.

So, in your case, does the grad school you want to attend require a GPA? If so, you'll have to work in some courses or choose another grad school. I did a blend of courses and credit options, you just have to plan your degree according to what you want to do in the future.

[Yanji]

What are your thoughts? Will the graduate schools look down on my transcript if it is all just pass / fail?

Yes, they will. I would not have gotten into my MBA program (let alone get a scholarship) if I did not have a GPA at all. Even with my situation of having around a 50/50 mix of graded and pass/fail credits, I still relied heavily on my GMAT. You don't need a TESU GPA, but you do need an undergraduate career GPA. You can get it through coursework towards your degree, supplemental coursework afterwards, a second degree, or another Masters program.

[bamafan98]

Thank you both for the feedback. My dream is to attend the MBA program at the University of Michigan's Ross School of Business. The admission requirements do not specifically address GPA. It only says.

"You must have the equivalent of a US bachelor's degree from an accredited institution by the time of application. You may submit an unofficial copy of your transcripts (and degree documents if applicable) with your application. If accepted, official transcripts will be required."

"The Admissions Committee seeks to bring together talented students from a broad range of academic and professional backgrounds. Applications are reviewed holistically; no single factor – e.g., GPA, GMAT/ GRE score, or years of work experience — determines the outcome. Applications are reviewed with three broad criteria in mind."

I like the idea of taking some regular classes to make sure I have at least some sort of GPA.

[Yanji]

I will also add that P/T MBA admissions operate quite differently from F/T admissions. P/T programs are less competitive and generally place more emphasis on work experience than GMAT/GPA.

I didn't apply to Ross, but I got F/T admits from several schools that Ross applicants commonly apply to. I'm not that active anymore, but if you need some pointers down the road, feel free to send me a PM.

[bamafan98]

Thank you so much. I will do that!

[dfrecore]

I would also say that you could look at the prerequisites for the MBA program, and think about taking some of those as graded courses. One school I looked at placed more emphasis on the GPA of the 9 prereq's than the overall GPA - so things like econ, accounting, management, stats - those are what they looked at.

[bamafan98]

I would also say that you could look at the prerequisites for the MBA program, and think about taking some of those as graded courses. One school I looked at placed more emphasis on the GPA of the 9 prereq's than the overall GPA - so things like econ, accounting, management, stats - those are what they looked at.

Great idea. Thank you!

[cookderosa]

Thank you both for the feedback. My dream is to attend the MBA program at the University of Michigan's Ross School of Business. The admission requirements do not specifically address GPA. It only says.

"You must have the equivalent of a US bachelor's degree from an accredited institution by the time of application. You may submit an unofficial copy of your transcripts (and degree documents if applicable) with your application. If accepted, official transcripts will be required."

"The Admissions Committee seeks to bring together talented students from a broad range of academic and professional backgrounds. Applications are reviewed holistically; no single factor – e.g., GPA, GMAT/ GRE score, or years of work experience — determines the outcome. Applications are reviewed with three broad criteria in mind."

I like the idea of taking some regular classes to make sure I have at least some sort of GPA.

I like your plan, and if I may....
for some reason, we skip over writing and research here on this forum- not writing like I'm doing right now in this thread, or research like using Google- but academic research writing. Using style from your field (APA, MLA, Chicago, etc.) Academic writing is required in grad school, and "most" students learn it in English 102, then practice it in the classes they take. Furthermore, many students do a lot of research and writing in their field when they take the courses in their major. When you test out of *everything* you miss an opportunity to develop your academic writing and academic research muscles.
I took classes in my major when I attended TESU, and even though I didn't do a ton of academic writing in my classes, it helped a bit. My hubby is in an MBA program now and while he has writing assignments, they aren't as strict regarding academic style/research, so I'm not sure if that's just true of his program or if it's true of MBA programs in general.

[Prloko]

Check out poets and quants. There are a lot of people on there that discuss getting into top schools. You might be able to find a student profile for Ross. Also, check out the link below.

Full-Time MBA Class Profile | Michigan Ross