Andrea got into MIT with a GPA of 2.6

Andrea was interested in applying to the top schools where the average GPA is 3.5+. She faced a problem that we see a lot - she did not have a particular reason for a low GPA. So our team had the challenge to not only justify the GPA but also dig deep in her life stories to bring out appropriate stories of strong analytical rigor. 

Acknowledging shortcoming through the optional essay‍

Most of the candidates try to hide or manufacture a story around their low GPA. With the AdCom’s extensive experience of seeing through thousands of applications every year, they catch these things very easily. 

While working with Andrea, we helped her acknowledge her GPA while also providing strong examples from her recent years on how she has been able to grasp new skills and perform well on those. She had learned French as a new language and also mastered SQL, clearly showing her ability to grasp new concepts and learn difficult skills.

Doubling Down On Her Strengths

Through our in-depth persona analysis, we dug deep into Andrea’s life story and found multiple places where she came back from tough situations to seize opportunities. We helped her weave those stories together under a common theme. 

Whether it was learning from her early days of working at a job while at college or her experience of leading a team at her consulting firm when her engagement managed abruptly left his position, Andrea had many examples of rising to a challenge. By connecting these experiences, we were able to craft an application that showed the AdCom Andrea's ability to lead teams and execute under high-pressure situations.

Andrea had applied to MIT Sloan, Kellogg School of Management, and Columbia Business School. She got admits from MIT and Kellogg and was waitlisted at Columbia.