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  • "Weak" Quant Classes?
    From: eMBA  Nov 20, 2011 Posts 2

    I have a 3.75 GPA from the top Ivy League University in USA with concentration in Economics.  However, my quant scores (Calc, Stats, Accounting, etc) are all in the 3.0-3.33 range (B's and B+'s).  I know that the answer is it depends, as the whole profile is taken into consideration, including GMATs (taking them now).  With that caveat out of the way, will those quant classes hurt my chances?  

    Thanks in advance!

  • Re: "Weak" Quant Classes?
    From: victormlee  Nov 20, 2011 Posts 2,553
    In reply to

    "The" top Ivy? :) Is there such a thing? I went to Harvard, as well (I assume you went to Harvard based on your use of the term "concentration"), but I'm not sure I would call it "the" top Ivy....

    Anyway, all kidding aside...

    Not to be facetious, but I think you already know the answer to your question, since you correctly noted that "the whole profile is taken into consideration."

    AdCom is sophisticated enough to realize that a given grade (e.g., a B) will have different meaning/significance depending on how much the specific course and school are known for their rigor and competitiveness. There is a big difference between, say, getting a B in MIT's Stochastic Calculus course and getting a B in Pre-Calculus at a small, unaccredited community college (to provide an extreme example). There is also a difference between grades across the Ivies, depending on which course is taken.

    This realization, and other contextual elements, are factored into the bigger picture evaluation of how capable and ready a candidate is for the Wharton MBA program. Thus, I cannot say, at this stage, whether or not the quant scores would hurt your chances. What I will point out, though, is that if your transcript suggests a general trend of relative weakness in quantitative subjects, it cannot hurt to be proactive and make clear in the rest of your application that you can still be quantitatively strong and rigorous. 

    At this stage, since the classes are already completed and are thus moot, I wouldn't worry about them and just concentrate on doing well on the GMAT (and especially on the Q subsection). Once you have your GMAT subscores, there will be a bit more information available to draw a sharper picture.

    Good luck,

    Victor

    WG '11

     

  • Re: "Weak" Quant Classes?
    From: eMBA  Nov 20, 2011 Posts 2
    In reply to

    Thanks for the response Victor, it's encouraging!  Getting more specific, other than doing well on the Quant portion of the GMAT, which I know I'll do fine, are there other areas I can touch upon to shore up the Quant section of the application?  All the emails going out to some of this years applicants telling them to shore up thier Quant is worrying me.

    Have a great holiday break!

     

    X

     

    p.s. You guessed correctly :)

  • Re: "Weak" Quant Classes?
    From: victormlee  Nov 20, 2011 Posts 2,553
    In reply to

    There are indeed several ways through which one can enhance their standing as "quantitative-ready." They include, but are not limited to:

    - college and post-grad coursework;

    - professional experience of a quantitative nature;

    - relevant certifications (e.g., CFA, CPA, etc.);

    - volunteer experience of a quantitative nature; 

    etc.

    Hope this helps!

    Happy holidays, too!

    -Victor

  • Re: "Weak" Quant Classes?
    From: Fanaticalfan  Nov 21, 2011 Posts 1,159
    In reply to

    A lot is going to depend on the context of your GMAT scores. A strong quant component score will have adcom comfortable with your quant abilities, and a few lower grades seen as an aberration.

    A lower quant score may have adcom concluding that there is a broader pattern of quant weakness here.

    FF

     

     

  • Re: "Weak" Quant Classes?
    From: Rach0051  Dec 14, 2011 Posts 1
    In reply to

    Hi Victor,

    I'm in a similar (though perhaps more extreme) situation.  The only relevant quant class I took in college was stats.  I'm planning on taking a class this spring to help--would you recommend that I prioritize Finance, Accounting, Economics, or Calculus?

    Thanks so much,

    Rachel

  • Re: "Weak" Quant Classes?
    From: Fanaticalfan  Dec 14, 2011 Posts 1,159
    In reply to

    Rachel,

    If your Q GMAT score is 80% or above, adcom will be pretty comfortable about your quant skills, even if your transcript doesn't contain many quant classes.

    However, calculus is one piece of assumed knowledge that is not taught in the Wharton curriculum - if you haven't previously taken calculus, then it makes sense to make that your priority. Finance, accounting and economics are of course taught at Wharton by some of the best professors in the world, so why take these classes elsewhere?

    FF

  • Re: "Weak" Quant Classes?
    From: victormlee  Dec 14, 2011 Posts 2,553
    In reply to

    Rachel,

    I completely concur with FF, who has used great logic, as usual. Of the options you propose, assuming all are of equal quality, I would think calculus would be the most useful. There is an expectation that people will have been exposed to some basic form of calculus by the time they start at Wharton. This is because some very elementary concepts in calculus form the basis for some concepts taught in required classes like Managerial Economics 621. 

    Students with no prior exposure to calculus and/or who are unable to demonstrate in a pre-test that they understand some basic calculus concepts may be asked to take a calculus class at UPenn, anyway. It probably wouldn't hurt to get a good calculus course underneath your belt. Something that introduces the basic concepts behind derivative and integration should do the trick. Nothing crazy needed.

    Regards,

    Victor

    WG '11

     

  • Re: "Weak" Quant Classes?
    From: rockymtnvik  Aug 17, 2012 Posts 1
    In reply to

    Victor/FF,

    This discussion brings together a couple thoughts I have regarding my quantitative profile into focus.

    My GMAT Q percentile is just under 80% at 78% (overall percentile of 98%).  In college, my major's math required courses were waived by my high school AP and IB exam scores.

    Regarding calculus, in particular, I got a 5 on the AP Calc BC test my junior year. Should I mention this to the Adcom? How so?

    Thank you,

    rockymtnvik

     

     

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