Applying to ISB with poor or average academics

Academic proficiency of applicants is a significant component that ISB looks at, in the process of evaluating your overall profile. This does make a lot of sense, considering that the one year at ISB is academically rigorous. Hence, ISB wants students with a proven academic record, so that these students can successfully cope up with ISB’s demanding academic curriculum. Consequently, applicants to the PGP at the Indian School of Business (ISB PGP) are concerned about their chances of admission, while applying to ISB with poor or average academics.

This blog hopes to answer questions that ISB Applicants have, about their academics.

What does it mean to not have great academic history?

This generally means average or below average marks in class X, in class XII, or in College. Poor academic record in a particular year may reflect distractions or exigencies in a particular phase of your life. However, the problem compounds if applicants have consistently not had decent academic performance in class X, in class XII, and in College.

So, is poor academic record, a “show-stopper” as far as ISB application is concerned?

No. Firstly, applicants need to understand that the average/below-average academic performance in school/college is your past and you cannot undo your past.

However, as far as academics go, there is still something you can definitely do to compensate for your less than stellar academic grades in school/college; this one thing is a stellar performance in GMAT/GRE. It should be noted that exams such as GMAT/GRE are very prominent indicators of a person’s Academy ability.

What does a good GMAT/GRE score tell the Admissions committee (Adcom)?

By performing well in GMAT/GRE, candidates applying to ISB with poor or average academics are basically telling the ISB Admissions committee that they are not inherently weak in Academics; for various reasons (these reasons could even include distractions or carelessness), the applicant did not score well in school/college, but a great GMAT/GRE score tells the Admissions Committee that the applicant’s average/poor academic past cannot be extrapolated to a general lack of academic proficiency of the applicant.

What is a very good GMAT/GRE score?

Well, if we had to pick a number, we would pick 328 or above in GRE and 645 or above in GMAT Focus edition.

Bottomline

While a good GMAT/GRE score is advantageous to any ISB applicant, a great GMAT/GRE score is a pre-requisite for people who do not have good academic history. So, a good GMAT/GRE score is your redemption, if you are an application who has poor or average academics. So, buckle-up and work significantly hard towards achieving a dream GMAT/GRE score, for this will be a stepping stone for you to realize your ISB dream.