Application weakness: GPA

[fastrack]

Hi everyone,

I am in my final semester in Columbia's Quantitative Studies for Finance certificate program. My GPA (3.0) is rather low for admission to a competitive Financial Engineering program. I was wondering if anyone had any helpful suggestions on how to compensate or remedy this application weakness.


Thanks for reading this.

 

[AV-Wolverine]

I'm applying with a GPA around that range and am quite anxious to find out myself.

But, if you look in the tracker you will see some people have gotten into top programs (including Columbia MAFN) with a 3.1.
They seem to have strong GREs (Q 800) and perhaps a few years of solid work experience.

 

[Umnik]

The same for me: my GPA is around 3.3, and I am interested whether 4-year experience in several companies + LoR from General Director of one of world's leading uranium mining companies can fix it out.

So far I have just one result - reject from Princeton

 

[kpy]

I got in a similar program with a GPA in that range. I wrote an additional short essay that frankly and honestly explained the circumstances of my low GPA and provided solid reasons that I wouldn't be making the same mistakes if admitted.

Of course, your application needs to be strong in all other areas. Make sure the admissions committee knows that your GPA doesn't mean you won't be able to handle the work and have an absolutely clear idea of why you're applying to the program and what you would do with the degree.

 

[robinson]

I'm applying with a GPA around that range and am quite anxious to find out myself.

But, if you look in the tracker you will see some people have gotten into top programs (including Columbia MAFN) with a 3.1.
They seem to have strong GREs (Q 800) and perhaps a few years of solid work experience.

I graduated from Michigan with a Cumulative GPA of <3.4. I guess most would consider that bit too weak to get into a strong program, however admissions committee never simply look at one number in making the decision. Whether you are capable of handling the program course work should show on your transcript, even if the GPA suggests otherwise, and it is the former that ad com focuses on. In my case, I graduated in 4 years with two degrees in EE and Math, and more importantly most of the classes I got B below were from general electives like religious studies, whereas I did well in my engineering and math classes. In the end I got into a similar program which was my first choice.

So if you have good reasons to believe that you are a good fit for the program, don't be discouraged by a low GPA, especially if you are strong in other areas. And as kpy wrote above, try to address your shortcomings honestly in your essay, and provide solid reasons to how you will avoid making the same mistakes.