Remedy for low GPA from '70's hangover

I'm Canadian and have been working in the US since 2000. My spouse is NOT allowed to work until I have a green card, and that is, for many reasons, taking much longer than we could ever have foreseen. He has over 2 decades of owning and operating successful businesses to his credit, but has been trying since we arrived to gain even probationary admission to an MBA program.
His 3 year Canadian B.A. is an issue, but looming even larger is a GPA<2.5.
Reason would seem to indicate that a 30+ year-old GPA should be a minor consideration, and that a decent GMAT should offset it, but he's had several immediate rejections based on that GPA. The small state university where I work was eager to have him until they saw his transcript, and now they have rejected him flatly, a bitterpill for us to swallow because I know the academic standards here, and they're not high! Most Pre-GMAT courses also seem to carry GPA stipulations, and at his age (56), he's reluctant to take filler courses to perk up his average.

Can anyone suggest MBA schools (online or in SoCal) flexible enough to weight life experience and GMAT more heavily than GPA?? What would you do???

Thanks.

 

Find a for-profit school with an open admissions policy. There must be several.

The 3 year degree might be more of an obstacle.

Here's a couple hundred distance MBAs from Jonnie's Distance Learning Page:

http://www.geocities.com/liu_jonathan/dlmba.html

Knock yourself out.

If DETC accreditation is enough, check out Columbia Southern, Aspen, or Andrew Jackson.

 

I had this problem (I'm Canadian, and my wife couldn't work in the US until I got my Green Card). But I don't think you do. Under current regulations, you don't have to have the Green Card: you just have to have applied for it.

"On July 31, 2002, the INS implemented a long-awaited interim rule allowing the filing of the employment-based immigrant petition (I-140) simultaneously with the Adjustment of Status (Green Card) application (I-485). This new system is being called concurrent filing. Previously, the I-140 had to have been approved before the I-485 could be submitted [...]. The new system is also great news for spouses and children of I-140 applicants who can now file their own Green Card applications sooner, enabling them to get work authorization much more quickly."
http://www.immigrationoptions.com/new_news8.htm

 

Did you check out Athabasca University in Canada ? They have a MBA program, bit expensive though but its worth checking them out.

 

Yes, we're aware of the simultaneous filing you mention.

However, "most employment categories require that the U.S. employer complete a labor certification request (Form ETA 750) for the applicant, and submit it to the Department of Labor's Employment and Training Administration. Labor must either grant or deny the certification request... nothing else can be filed until the certification is granted".

We've recently retained a lawyer to handle the Labor Cert. process, but as there's a huge backlog in California, we're probably in for another couple of years' wait before my immigrant petition and green card application can be submitted.

 

First of all, I know nothing.

I don't know what applies in this case, but if someone is working in the US under provisions of the North American Free Trade Act don't they normally get the boot if they apply for permanent status?

 

But not all. It might be to your advantage to file an Extraordinary Ability or National Interest Waiver petition now, even if it's ultimately denied.

I filed a National Interest Waiver petition, even though many of the lawyers I consulted said it was a long shot. I eventually prepared the documents for an Extraordinary Ability petition and a labor certification as well. But before I filed those, the National Interest Waiver was approved.

 

"Normally" is an overstatement.

The TN visa under NAFTA implies intent to stay temporarily in the US, and the immigrant petition implies intent to stay permanently. After one files an immigrant petition, they can technically refuse to renew the TN visa on the grounds of "dual intent". But they renewed mine, and it's not a problem for most Canadians.

 

Just out of curiosity, what was the reason that you claimed for filing the National Interest Waiver?

 

The software that I write is used by biochemists, thus accelerating the process of drug discovery and benefiting the health of the nation.

 

Just a thought in regard to some of the rejections you have received. You may want to write back to the schools asking them what courses or additional requirements they would need to be satisfied in order to be (re)considered for admission. This would serve several purposes, such as:

1.) Demonstrate to the school the desire to get into their MBA program

2.) A willingness to do what it takes to get in and succeed in the program. This may include retaking some courses to improve the overall GPA.

3.) Working with the school more one on one and not just let their process take over.

Schools want students who they believe can succeed in their program. By taking a few additional step you may be able to get past the rejection point. Don't give up.

John

 

Found this on www.colsouth.edu/una

Conditional Admission

For students to be considered for conditional admission, they must meet one of the following criteria:

1. Overall undergraduate GPA of 3.0 or higher on a 4.0 scale with no admission test score.

2. Overall undergraduate GPA of 2.5 or higher and one of the following: GMAT 350 or higher; GRE 800 or higher; MAT 35 or higher.

Conditionally admitted students must earn Unconditional Admission status by the time they complete their 4th course. The student must earn a “B” (3.0) average (with no more than one grade of “C”) as well as satisfy any other conditions listed on the student’s admission summary sheet.



Hope this will help.

 

Yet another option that you may want to consider is Edinburg Business School. The EBS MBA can be completed without a bachelors degree.

Cy