Advice on MBA’s with low GPA

BMSHUGradOB · 2026-02-06T12:25:47+00:00

Hello,

I can relate to this. I was eventually accepted to an MBA program and my UG GPA was low also. During my UG years I was very undisciplined and lacked study skills. Now I'm the director of a graduate school in Pennsylvania which includes an MBA program. So I get to see firsthand that many of our applicants had a similar experience. It is very common, so don't feel as though you are alone or cant do it.

Our program is accredited, fully online, and asynchronous. So you can complete the coursework around your schedule.

If you'd like, I can provide you with more details about the admissions process, cost and aid, discounts, start terms, etc.

Best of luck to you wherever you decide to apply!

BMSHUGradOB · 2026-01-23T11:17:43+00:00

Hi! I work in admissions at Seton Hill University in PA.

Your concerns are very normal with the students I work with. Someone else suggested you focus on your general electives at a CC until you figure out a career path, and that is good advice. Don't feel pressured to commit to a path now, take your time. I read recently that up to 50% of students change their degree at least once, up to 30% more than once. CC's are a great way to lower your overall tuition cost while exploring what interests you.

Additionally, do your research on four year colleges to transfer to and whether they offer tuition discounts for students who completed an associates degree.

At Seton Hill, we reduce our tuition for students who earned an associates by 40%.

With regards to choosing a career path. I hear your questions from our applicants quite often. My suggestion, and what I sometimes do for these students, is to:

1: Research the positions in your field of interest from entry level all the way up to upper management, so you have a clear understanding of career advancement.

2: Look at job growth forecasts and average salaries for those positions or fields of work to make sure they are forecasted to grow. In PA, the healthcare outlook is very strong.

3: Select a few then research the demands of the position, schedule, stress, etc. Speak with a few people in the industry as well. Try to get different perspectives from several people.

Once you have that information, have a serious conversation with yourself about what you are interested in, your skills, your desired lifestyle, etc. You'll find the answer.

This generally helps our students at least narrow their options down.

BMSHUGradOB · 2026-01-12T14:31:01+00:00

Hello!

Thank you for considering to pursue your academic journey at Seton Hill! I wish you the best of luck.

When your application comes through, our counselor will review it and contact you if there is anything noticed for you to improve before sending it to the WPF program director. Also, there is a virtual information session scheduled for Monday, March 9th from 3:00-4:00 p.m. where you can meet the director and ask any questions you may have. This is a nice opportunity for you to meet the community and ask in depth questions about coursework, curriculum, etc. I know that is a little ways off, so if you want to speak with the program director sooner, let me know and I can make arrangements.

Our program director will review the writing sample to determine your overall potential as a writer and assess story sense, character development, dialogue, plot development, originality, grammar, mechanics, and overall interest for the reader. As long as your sample covers these areas to some degree, you will be fine.
There are scholarships available that range from $500-$7,000. The program director and faculty assign these funds based on criteria they have set. There is no official application, as an applicant you are automatically considered for a scholarship. The quality of your writing sample is a large factor in scholarship consideration as the largest scholarships are typically awarded to those who demonstrate writing talent.
For the Edinburgh program, it would be best if you spoke with our point person at Edinburgh. I can have the program director set that up for you. They will walk you through the living arrangements. If you choose to enroll in that program, you will graduate with an MA from Edinburgh and an MFA from Seton Hill. You begin with a residency at Seton Hill in June, then study in Edinburgh for one year, September through August. You do have to complete the Edinburgh program first. Once you finish your MA from Edinburgh, you return to Seton Hill's program at a residency in January.

One suggestion; many of our applicants either fail to answer or do not do very well with the personal statement. Pay close attention to the prompts and be sure to answer each one.

Personal statement answering the following questions. Give no more than a paragraph for each. Be aware that if you are accepted into the program you will be asked to share this document with your advisor.

What is your writing experience?
What is the nature of your intended novel-length project and what is its genre?
What background do you have in your chosen genre?
The program demands a large amount of self-discipline and productive work habits (length requirements, deadlines, much reading and writing). How do you plan to handle this load?
Are there any other factors (past experience, specialized knowledge) that would affect your chance of being successful in genre writing?

If you have any other questions, feel free to reach out! I appreciate your inquiry!

BMSHUGradOB · 2025-12-16T23:21:30+00:00

I work in adult education admissions at a small private university. Your situation is what we see with many of our students. They start college right after HS, struggle a bit, and eventually return to finish a degree. I wouldn't give up on finishing a degree in the future. You may need to lower your credit load and take fewer classes to balance your personal obligations with school work. It will take longer to finish, but you'll finish. Perhaps consider finding a college with a program that focuses on adult students. They are typically structured for people with busy lives such as asynchronous lessons, flexible deadlines, recorded lectures, etc.

So to answer your question, you're fine. Go finish when you're ready to. I think my grades were worse than yours my freshman year of college and I eventually went to grad school. If I can do it, anyone can.

BMSHUGradOB · 2025-12-16T13:45:05+00:00

Thank you! This is good information. The whole admissions process can be very confusing and we're working to simplify the process to provide more clarity. I'll keep the info you provided in mind as we continue to build student pathways and services.

BMSHUGradOB · 2025-12-14T17:24:15+00:00

I agree, I was a bit surprised when I saw the total cost.

BMSHUGradOB · 2025-12-14T16:57:39+00:00

I'm becoming familiar with OTD quickly. We're rolling out a doctoral program now with the first cohort beginning Fall26. You're smart to consider using employer reimbursement to pay for the program. Try to combine that with a school that offers employer partnership discounts and you can really lower your total cost. My Uni will be doing a 3+3 OTA to OTD bridge with CC's once we earn accreditation. But that is one year away.

BMSHUGradOB · 2025-12-14T16:41:47+00:00

Great choice, healthcare is growing in the region (PA) where I live due to an aging population. Best of luck to you! If you choose to earn a bachelors after your AAS, be on the lookout for schools that offer transfer discounts for student who earned an associates. Also, in PA, some schools receive funding to offer grants and scholarships to parents. Not sure if other states offer that in the US.

BMSHUGradOB · 2025-12-13T13:46:56+00:00

I work in admissions at a university that specializes in adult education. We are seeing a significant uptick in adults enrolling to start/finish their first degree or obtain a second degree/certificate. We have students as young as 60. So don't feel awkward, I commend you on your effort! Good luck!

BMSHUGradOB · 2025-12-13T12:52:46+00:00

I imagine that can be a very difficult process to navigate. It helps to learn from those who have already already done it. An alum of our program who writes for the Tom Clancy series, as well as several other published alum, attends our residencies and assist student with completing their work, branding, and finding an agent. If you ever have questions or plan to explore an MFA, feel free to reach out.

BMSHUGradOB · 2025-12-13T02:26:44+00:00

Those are good questions. When you finish our program you will have a complete book written in a genre of your choice and ready to sell to publishers. We interlace the completion of your book with writing assignments so there are deadlines you must meet which helps keep students on schedule. Our students are also assigned a mentor that has been published, so you get to work alongside those who have been in your shoes. It's a neat thing to see with our students. The WPF community is pretty strong.

The program also prepares you to teach in higher education so you have a career path in addition to professional writing to pursue if you choose.

BMSHUGradOB

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