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I Have A Low GPA—Will I Still Be Accepted Into The MBA At HEC Paris?

Director of MBA admissions at HEC Paris, Benoit Banchereau, answers your Applicant Question of the Week

Thu Oct 11 2018

BusinessBecause
It's time for another Applicant Question of the Week at BusinessBecause.

Every week, we give you the opportunity to ask one of our chosen admissions experts anything you want to know about getting into business school. One question each week is chosen for our expert to answer.

This week, our question comes from Ira Kamble. 

Ira is in her pre-final year of engineering at a university in India, and having experienced managerial challenges in her extracurricular activities, thinks an MBA could be the best way to get a head start in her career.

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Despite only being in the initial stage of MBA research, HEC Paris has already caught her eye as a potential school.

Her question is answered by Benoit Banchereau, director of MBA admissions at one of Ira's top target schools, HEC Paris. Benoit has previously worked as a director of marketing and communication at consulting firm AT Kearney and has been at HEC Paris for three years.


Applicant Question of the Week:

Dear BusinessBecause,

I have a low GPA, and I'm worried about being accepted. What can I do to offset low test scores to be accepted into HEC Paris?


The Answer:

The GPA is surprisingly unimportant in our admissions process—the only time it comes into play is when we see low quant scores in the GMAT or GRE.

To offset test scores and/or to enhance your application, I recommend the following:

1. Be clear in your CV and careers goals

Have you demonstrated excellence and leadership, or have you progressively attained more senior positions? Be genuine in your career goals; please don’t tell us what you think we want to hear! Don’t forget to include the languages you speak and any interests or hobbies that are important to you—they make you memorable and share a little bit of who you are.

2. Demonstrate your open-mindedness

Let us know if you have lived/studied/worked outside of your home country and what this experience meant to you. If you haven’t lived/studied/worked outside of your home country, tell us about your personal travels, or work experiences wherein you had dealings with those in other countries. 

3. Take time in your essays to show us the real you

This is a place where you can stand out and share your experiences and ideas with us.  We advise you to read over the essay questions, and then take some time to really think about the answers. Once you know what you want to share, it will come from the heart, and we can feel this in your application.

4. Choose the right references

Where possible, you should select professional references, rather than friends or professors. It’s ideal if your referee worked with you as your manager. If you cannot ask your current manager, it’s okay to ask past managers—we understand. Feel free to chat with your references ahead of time to ensure that they understand your goals and give you a good reference.

5. Study for the GMAT or GRE

We accept both and have no preference between the two tests. Take several practice tests, keeping in mind that the real-life experience is always a little more stressful so your scores might be less than in practice. 

6. Impress our alumni

Those who move forward to the pre-selection round will meet two HEC Paris MBA alumni. It is your opportunity to meet members of the community and to be inspired by them. It’s their opportunity to determine if they would want you as a classmate.

So, indeed, there is so much more than a good GPA to get into an MBA! I also encourage you to get in touch with your regional marketing and recruitment manager for a phone call. She would be happy to get to know you and your MBA goals and she can coach you along every step of the application process.


Ask an Admissions Expert a Question!

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Next week, we're giving you the chance to ask independent admissions expert Betsy Massar anything you want to know about getting into business school!

Betsy is the founder of Master Admissions, an admissions consulting firm. Betsy received her own MBA from Harvard Business School, and after graduating worked on Wall Street for both Goldman Sachs and Deutsche Bank. 

She has also worked as a sales director for Barclays in Asia and has coached MBA students at Stanford.

Got a question for Betsy? Simply head to our Facebook, Twitter, or LinkedIn pages, comment below, or send an email to info@businessbecause.com! 

 

Student Reviews

HEC Paris

Student

Verified

7/07/2022

On Campus

Cultural experience

I have met the most competent and diverse batch in this school. These people not only thrive on their own but also makes sure that you are doing it with them. The professors will take your had and walk you through all milestones and make sure you are not left behind. I have found their extracurriculars extremely engaging. There was always a room to have social life after academic life. The only hindrance is the location of the school, it is slightly outside city and living in city is expensive.

Sarah

Verified

18/03/2022

On Campus

Internationality and diversity of opportunities

About my programme I would say it is very international and flexible: we have the opportunity to choose exactly the courses we want. But at the same time, the frame of the campus is crucial in students' life and enable us to create friendships.

Student

Verified

29/10/2021

On Campus

Great selection of people

While HEC's MBA is highly selective, I really enjoy the type of people HEC's selects to make sure everybody gets the best out of their MBA experience and networking opportunities. Not only it's an incredibly diverse pool of people (~60 nationalities) but most importantly they make sure to let in friendly empathic and curious people.

Veronique

Verified

28/10/2021

Blended

Best in France for Grande ecole

A prestigious business school. Languages ​​are important. It is better to have a scientific baccalaureate with excellent grades in high school and good assessments. The courses are well designed as per the latest trends and practicality of learning in stressed upon. Overall, a very good experience.

Ghadi

Verified

11/06/2022

On Campus

Diversity and quality of fellow students

Very international and interesting place to be and opens a lot of opportunities, however the administration is very french and facilities are subpar (gym, classrooms) meaning the academic affairs is pretty much useless and lastly we are graded on a curve which can create a toxic environment because of the competition. With that being said the pros outweighs the cons by far.

Student

Verified

27/03/2022

On Campus

The quality of the teachers, the campus, the clubs

The school is very international indeed, we have courses with international students and share things with them within the extra academic life (in the social clubs especially). We have great career prospects if we prepare ourselves well - however, the global curriculum is still very finance-oriented, which is a pity for other interesting domains of the company world, which does not rely on finance only. The social clubs are good practice for the management and for now, are quite independent.

Lb

Verified

26/03/2022

On Campus

HEC Paris awaits you

HEC Paris is really a nice place to do a master's in business. Many classes are useful and interesting (corporate finance, financial accounting, contract law…), some are less - but the curriculum is to be reviewed in the year to come. Regarding the student life, it is incredible, with about 130 clubs, lots of great parties with even greater people. The Jouy campus offers a lot of opportunities to do sports, and you can breathe fresh air every day. HEC also helps a great deal to find an internship or a job.

Rajarshi

Verified

28/10/2021

Blended

A dream institute

Enrolling in the HEC MBA was by far the best decision I made for myself. The people and faculty are great, with lots of opportunities to meet people and expand your horizons. Very nice campus where I have had some good running sessions. The alumni network is superb and very helpful. It also has a good support system for entrepreneurs. Would definitely recommend it!

Student

Verified

19/10/2021

On Campus

Good choice for a career boost

The classes were extremely practical and relevant to the current challenges that businesses are facing. You have access to a wide range of professionals and good career prospects once you leave the university.

Student

Verified

7/07/2022

On Campus

Cultural experience

I have met the most competent and diverse batch in this school. These people not only thrive on their own but also makes sure that you are doing it with them. The professors will take your had and walk you through all milestones and make sure you are not left behind. I have found their extracurriculars extremely engaging. There was always a room to have social life after academic life. The only hindrance is the location of the school, it is slightly outside city and living in city is expensive.

Sarah

Verified

18/03/2022

On Campus

Internationality and diversity of opportunities

About my programme I would say it is very international and flexible: we have the opportunity to choose exactly the courses we want. But at the same time, the frame of the campus is crucial in students' life and enable us to create friendships.

Student

Verified

29/10/2021

On Campus

Great selection of people

While HEC's MBA is highly selective, I really enjoy the type of people HEC's selects to make sure everybody gets the best out of their MBA experience and networking opportunities. Not only it's an incredibly diverse pool of people (~60 nationalities) but most importantly they make sure to let in friendly empathic and curious people.

Veronique

Verified

28/10/2021

Blended

Best in France for Grande ecole

A prestigious business school. Languages ​​are important. It is better to have a scientific baccalaureate with excellent grades in high school and good assessments. The courses are well designed as per the latest trends and practicality of learning in stressed upon. Overall, a very good experience.

Ghadi

Verified

11/06/2022

On Campus

Diversity and quality of fellow students

Very international and interesting place to be and opens a lot of opportunities, however the administration is very french and facilities are subpar (gym, classrooms) meaning the academic affairs is pretty much useless and lastly we are graded on a curve which can create a toxic environment because of the competition. With that being said the pros outweighs the cons by far.

Student

Verified

27/03/2022

On Campus

The quality of the teachers, the campus, the clubs

The school is very international indeed, we have courses with international students and share things with them within the extra academic life (in the social clubs especially). We have great career prospects if we prepare ourselves well - however, the global curriculum is still very finance-oriented, which is a pity for other interesting domains of the company world, which does not rely on finance only. The social clubs are good practice for the management and for now, are quite independent.

Lb

Verified

26/03/2022

On Campus

HEC Paris awaits you

HEC Paris is really a nice place to do a master's in business. Many classes are useful and interesting (corporate finance, financial accounting, contract law…), some are less - but the curriculum is to be reviewed in the year to come. Regarding the student life, it is incredible, with about 130 clubs, lots of great parties with even greater people. The Jouy campus offers a lot of opportunities to do sports, and you can breathe fresh air every day. HEC also helps a great deal to find an internship or a job.

Rajarshi

Verified

28/10/2021

Blended

A dream institute

Enrolling in the HEC MBA was by far the best decision I made for myself. The people and faculty are great, with lots of opportunities to meet people and expand your horizons. Very nice campus where I have had some good running sessions. The alumni network is superb and very helpful. It also has a good support system for entrepreneurs. Would definitely recommend it!

Student

Verified

19/10/2021

On Campus

Good choice for a career boost

The classes were extremely practical and relevant to the current challenges that businesses are facing. You have access to a wide range of professionals and good career prospects once you leave the university.

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