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[psaporito16]

So I want to get into a reputable business school and my undergrad GPA is terrible a 2.6 to be exact. I want to improve this but I have already received my Bachelors degree. I want to get into a good business school maybe even Ivy league, my practice GMAT scores are very good in the 600 range. I have work experience in management at enterprise. The question here is can I improve my cumulative GPA by taking non-matriculated courses if I already have my bachelors degree? Will the credits count towards a degree I have already received?

[untenured]

A few thoughts:

- taking more courses to raise four years worth of weak GPA seems difficult.  If you get an "A" or two you might raise your cumulative GPA to 2.7 or something.
- some MBA programs let you take courses in their program without enrolling.  Perhaps you can do well there and show you have matured
- work experience is key to MBA programs.  You say you have some.  I hope it is experience that has significant supervisory, leadership, or strategic roles.  Being the desk manager at a rental car stand won't help you very much.
- explain in your essay the GPA.  Maybe it would help.

[hegemony]

You can get a second BA, which if earned from your home university may take as little as one year -- if from another university, probably two years.  You will have to enroll specifically for a second BA.  I have known two people who did this, successfully, to raise their GPA and get into grad school.  They also took the opportunity to do a major closely related to their chosen field for their second BA.

However, no offense, the fact that you had an unpunctuated run-on sentence ("I have a bad undergrad GPA how can I improve it if I already have a bachelors?") as your title, and another in your first sentence ("So I want to get into a reputable business school and my undergrad GPA is terrible a 2.6 to be exact") suggest to me that you do not the the level of skill at the mechanics of written sentences and attention to detail that would be necessary for good GPA.  You may protest that that's formal writing and this is informal, and really you don't punctuate badly in formal writing.  In my experience people at this level don't understand how badly they're punctuating, and therefore do not understand that they can't do what's required in formal writing.  You may think it's unfair, but being able to write correct sentences 100% of the time matters in education, and I am not seeing that you have this skill. In my estimation you'd be better off trying for more work experience and ascending the ladder that way.

[pigou]

You'll also want to score much closer to 800 than 600s if you're aiming for the top business schools. Fortunately, the GMAT is an exam you can study for - so keep working on it. Scoring close to 800 is one way to show you have matured since you got your BA.

[snowbound]

THe answer to your specific question is No.  At my university, and I think at most American universities, once you have been officially awarded a degree, it is cast in stone.  Your GPA for your BA is 2.6, and there's nothing you can do about it. (I believe Untenured is mistaken regarding this, though the rest of his/her advice is good.) Taking more classes at the same institution and getting As might show a grad school that you have belatedly become a serious student, but it will not affect the GPA that you earned while you were doing your BA.  That is, and will always be, 2.6.

First of all, I would suggest that you think long and hard about the skills and knowledge that you should have learnt in your undergraduate days but didn't.  Getting into a graduate business program is just the first step.  Grad school is much more intensive than undergrad and if you don't maintain good grades (I think it was B+ average in my old grad program), you will be kicked out.  Despite your best efforts, you may find that a virtually impossible task if you don't have the skills that your fellow grad students acquired as undergrads--things like being able to read and understand large amounts of text, produce clear well-organized writing, think critically, and construct arguments.  You'll also need to have whatever mathematical skills someone is business needs.  Some well-chosen classes could be useful in helping you bring some of these skills up to scratch.  Whether or not you end up going to grad school, these skills will serve you well in your career.

One option is to do another BA, as Hegemony suggests, and get a high GPA for the second BA.  THat is a big investment in time and money, but it might be worth thinking about.  You would get through quicker because you wouldn't have to re-take the various general education requirements--but for the reasons mentioned above, you may decide to take some of them anyway.  (Most schools have special regulations about someone who already has a BA--or a special "post-baccalaureate" status--so there may be some complications or extra red tape to deal with.)

ANother option is to take graduate classes at whatever business school will accept you (and the school will be far down the pecking order, let's face it).  After a year of doing outstanding work and winning the enthusiastic support of your professors, you could try to transfer to a stronger school.  Getting A grades won't be enough; you'd have to go above and beyond normal good-student performance in order to get recommendation letters     that would plead forcefully that you are a special case.

Then again, you could try to work your way up in the business that you're already in.  Not everyone who is successful in business has an MBA.

[zharkov]

Chime in to what most others say.  About GMATs, I'd think the 80th percentile or above would be respectable, which is about a score of 650.  I would not call it very good, but passable.  Obviously, over 700 would be better.

OP, was your major in business?  Did you ace business courses and slack off on the rest?  That might matter.  Or to put it differently, if you got As and Bs in all your business and math courses, then that would be in your favor.  Or if you screwed up for the first two years, then became a stronger student as a junior or senior.

Expand your experience beyond Enterprise.  Leadership experience in retail is fine, but only a couple of years of that "count." Move on to something more analytical, using your brain, not just people skills.  The idea job for a would-be MBA is as an analyst in a consulting firm.  Banking, insurance, financial services, or working for a start up are also options that come to mind.  Be willing to move to gain experience.

You don't need to go to an Ivy League school for a decent MBA, but only consider programs that are AACSB accredited.

[polly_mer]

As others have written, you can't fix a bad GPA in an already awarded degree, but you can show that you are serious now by having good grades in a second degree or in a graduate program for which you pay yourself.

[untenured]

How about this.  Take a few courses in a 'certificate' or non-degree program and earn good scores that way.  You could list this separately and show your emerging seriousness for graduate education.

[zharkov]

How about this.  Take a few courses in a 'certificate' or non-degree program and earn good scores that way.  You could list this separately and show your emerging seriousness for graduate education.

Super idea.  I think my school has grad certificates in accounting and HR, which are basically MBA level courses in a given area.  Maybe 4 or 5 total?

In any case, let me emphasize only considering an AACSB certified school for grad level study in business, including certificate programs.

[psaporito16]

Thank you everyone for the great advice. I like both the second bachelors degree idea and the certificate ideas. I will do some more research in the school I graduated from about these specific programs, as well as continue to study for my GMAT. 

[snowbound]

School you graduated from is fine for the 2nd BA or certificate, but there's no particular advantage to be gained by going to the same school.  Another well-regarded (and appropriately certified!--see zharkov) school would be as good--maybe better as it would be more of a clean break with your previous record.

[psaporito16]

Yeah, I went to school at St. Joseph's College in New York. I am going to apply as a transfer to Baruch College now for Finance. This should be a better move.

[zharkov]

Yeah, I went to school at St. Joseph's College in New York. I am going to apply as a transfer to Baruch College now for Finance. This should be a better move.

Baruch is AACSB accredited, so a very good move from that angle. Best of luck!