Your Academic Record

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No matter how long ago you graduated from college, graduate business schools look carefully at your academic skills and record.

It probably comes as no surprise that most schools gauge your academic skills by looking at both your GMAT® score and your previous academic record, including grade point average (GPA). If one is weak, make sure the other is exceptional to compensate. If you think your undergraduate record does not accurately reflect your academic ability, be ready to explain why.

If your school did not use a 4.0 GPA scale, use the table below to determine how your school’s grading scale translates to a GPA.

GPA conversion table

Undergraduate Degrees
Most MBA programs require an undergraduate degree (or first university) from a four-year college or university and will ask for transcripts from all the schools you attended as an undergraduate.

Most graduate business schools consider all aspects of your academic experience, including:

  • Where you received your degree
  • The difficulty of the degree/major requirements
  • The competition you likely faced as an undergraduate
  • Your academic performance or GPA, both cumulative and within your primary area of study
  • Any trends in your grades (if they improved or worsened)
  • Any academic study after your undergraduate degree

International Students
If you plan to apply to programs outside your home country, check to see if you meet a school’s minimum requirements, both in terms of grading system conversions and the number of credits earned as an undergraduate.

For those applying to US schools, be aware that all records must be submitted in English. If your school does not provide records in English, original-language records usually may be submitted if accompanied by a notarized English translation (be sure to confirm that with the admissions office).

Recent Academic Work
Admissions staff will consider recent graduate work, including coursework taken outside a degree program, so feel free to include transcripts. On the plus side, your recent work may be weighed more heavily as a measure of your aptitude and maturity as a prospective student.