As someone who's gone through the full-time MBA admissions process with 8 different programs (albeit with a lowly 720 GMAT 
), I can confidently say that a 730 GMAT is enough at any school, and it will be everything else that you will be judged on. After getting to know more than a thousand MBA students/recent graduates around the country in the past 1.5 years, I've noticed that there are three types of applicants who have universally higher admissions chances than average:
a) Women
b) People from Latin America, the Middle East, Africa or Eastern Europe
c) Consortium applicants (usually non-Asian minorities) applying to member schools
I know that there's no real delicate way to put this, and I don't want anyone to take this the wrong way, but this is the reality because MBA admissions are always a numbers game, at least to some extent. The majority of applicants are white American males and Indian engineers, so if the admissions process looked at every applicant the same way, there would be very little diversity in the class, which may not be an issue in most programs, but in an MBA program it is important. These applicant pools are a much smaller subset of the total pool, so in order to ensure class diversity, business schools may have to flex on certain admissions criteria more often for applicants in these groups.
As a woman (again, I mean this in a good way, MBA programs need more women), a 730 GMAT will easily mitigate your GPA, and being an enlisted soldier could actually be an interesting differentiating factor if you spin it the right way. Many business schools actually have too many military applicants, but most of them were officers (and male). People like to obsess over GMAT and GPA but essays, work experience and "uniqueness" are probably the most important factors in admissions. So create a story, forget about GPA* and shamelessly play the numbers game where you find opportunities to do so - you will get admitted into at least one program that you'll be happy with.
* I would, however, recommend using the optional supplemental essay that many schools offer to explain your low GPA. If you come up with a decent excuse, they'll let it slide.
), I can confidently say that a 730 GMAT is enough at any school, and it will be everything else that you will be judged on. After getting to know more than a thousand MBA students/recent graduates around the country in the past 1.5 years, I've noticed that there are three types of applicants who have universally higher admissions chances than average:a) Women
b) People from Latin America, the Middle East, Africa or Eastern Europe
c) Consortium applicants (usually non-Asian minorities) applying to member schools
I know that there's no real delicate way to put this, and I don't want anyone to take this the wrong way, but this is the reality because MBA admissions are always a numbers game, at least to some extent. The majority of applicants are white American males and Indian engineers, so if the admissions process looked at every applicant the same way, there would be very little diversity in the class, which may not be an issue in most programs, but in an MBA program it is important. These applicant pools are a much smaller subset of the total pool, so in order to ensure class diversity, business schools may have to flex on certain admissions criteria more often for applicants in these groups.
As a woman (again, I mean this in a good way, MBA programs need more women), a 730 GMAT will easily mitigate your GPA, and being an enlisted soldier could actually be an interesting differentiating factor if you spin it the right way. Many business schools actually have too many military applicants, but most of them were officers (and male). People like to obsess over GMAT and GPA but essays, work experience and "uniqueness" are probably the most important factors in admissions. So create a story, forget about GPA* and shamelessly play the numbers game where you find opportunities to do so - you will get admitted into at least one program that you'll be happy with.
* I would, however, recommend using the optional supplemental essay that many schools offer to explain your low GPA. If you come up with a decent excuse, they'll let it slide.
CPA (WA), CFA Level III Candidate
Currently pursuing: ALM, Data Science - Harvard University, Cambridge, MA (12/48, on hold for CFA/life commitments)
MBA, Finance/Accounting - Indiana University, Bloomington, IN, 2015
BSBA, General Management - Thomas Edison State College, Trenton, NJ, 2012
Currently pursuing: ALM, Data Science - Harvard University, Cambridge, MA (12/48, on hold for CFA/life commitments)
MBA, Finance/Accounting - Indiana University, Bloomington, IN, 2015
BSBA, General Management - Thomas Edison State College, Trenton, NJ, 2012
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