G. Graham Van Hook: Kellogg School of Management (Class of 2016)

Unfortunately, my test scores, GMAT in my case, were extremely low compared to the average applicant at Northwestern University’s Kellogg School of Management. Through peer reviews, and talking with the admissions staff it was clear it was going to be large hole in my application to overcome.

I took the GMAT a total of three separate times within a period of two years. Test prep was an investment that I made (classroom, book, and online), but contrary to glossy brochures filled with guarantees, I was the outlier whose score did not increase appreciably. It was devastating; the time, the study, and the money invested did not move the needle in my favor. I remember vividly sitting outside a testing center in a suburban Memphis strip mall frustrated and alone in my 1996 Ford Ranger, “What is wrong with me?” was repeated until I composed myself and drove home. That was my Scarlet O’Hara moment with regards to Business School Admissions.

In the cycle of grief, my sadness, anger all turned to motivation and I developed a new strategy to present the best version of myself to the Admissions Committee without a solid GMAT score. I had been given the advice to take graduate level finance and accounting courses in order to show the board that I could handle the academic riggers and complexity of a top business school education. I enrolled myself into the University of Arkansas satellite campus in Memphis, TN. The University offered a unique one-year degree in Operational Management. The course work included a finance and accounting course - bingo. I am not a dumb person despite what my GMAT indicated, and I knew I could succeed in a classroom environment. I dedicated myself to each course and through a lot hard of work and time commitment in class and out of class I was able to achieve high marks across all my classes.

Instead of hiding from the GMAT, I addressed it head on in my application. Several schools give you the ability to add any additional comments that you feel the Admissions Committee should know upon the review of your application. Northwestern University is no different. I wrote the following to committee

“There is only one reason why I obtained my Masters in Operational Management from the University of Arkansas. It was the next step I had available to prove to you, the Kellogg Admissions Committee, that I have the aptitude, desire, and resolve to handle graduate level business courses. I have been attending night class for the last year and a half, Monday through Thursday, 7pm to 10pm, to prove to you that I can handle: finance, accounting, and management courses. I have dedicated the last couple of years to get to this point – hitting the submit button.”Did this get me into Northwestern? Who knows? The admission’s board does not provide feedback on applications, whether you are accepted into the program or not. Nevertheless, it validated to me that my drive was worth it. It also gave me faith in the system that schools are looking for the best applicant regardless of potential or perceived holes.