MBA Abroad: How to explain Backlogs in the Statement of Purpose?

Endeavor Careers Posted on October 28, 2021

Are backlogs sabotaging your plans to study abroad? Or are they undermining your confidence to show up in the university interview? If the answer to both or any of these questions is Yes, Do not worry, we have got your back. Getting backlogs is not the end of the world. You can still study and do an MBA abroad.

Backlogs hit students either because they didn’t take the exams, or simply couldn’t measure up to them. However, instead of holding back, students should know and understand that backlogs in courses like Engineering, Medicine, and Computer Science are common. In fact, backlogs are accepted in almost every country.

We at Endeavour Careers have brought together some tips to justify your backlogs and turn your MBA Abroad vision into reality.

Stages That Might Require You To Justify Backlogs

For your education abroad, there are 3 stages wherein you will have to justify your low scores or backlogs. Let us understand them, one by one, and see how you can spin these backlogs to your advantage.

1.Statement Of Purpose (SOP)

The Statement of Purpose is an essay that states the reason for applying to a particular university. It highlights your educational background, achievements, and goals. The SOP is also the decision-maker of your application. Whether or not you are able to impress the admission committee, depends upon your SOP.

Since it is this important, choose whether you want to talk about your backlogs in your SOP or not. You should ask yourself – Whether including an explanation for your backlogs strengthens or weakens it. If justifying the backlogs puts you in a better light and allows you to showcase your excellence, go for it. However, if you don’t have anything supporting, omit the backlogs and focus on other parts of the application.

2. University Admission Interview and Visa Interview

If you have skipped mentioning your backlogs in the SOP, then you cannot escape them in the next stage. Or if you have mentioned the reason in your SOP, your answer in the interview must be in line with it. Since university interviews are one-on-one, you can’t dodge the interviewer about your backlogs.

Tell them why you have these backlogs? And in which subjects? Whether you had a family problem, such as health issues or a personal commitment. Or any other reason. Let the admission committee know that you’ve taken efforts to overcome your challenges and have purely professional goals now. For instance, if you have taken the GMAT exam, tell them about your perseverance and dedication towards the GMAT.

If the university interview is cleared, then the backlogs can definitely not affect the Visa processing and the visa interview for any country.

Top 5 Tips To Justify Your Backlogs

1. Be Honest

To start with, if you have poor grades or backlogs, be honest and upfront about them with the admission committee. Denying it or hiding it only works against you. In fact, this is your chance to turn your backlogs into positive outcomes. Tell them the real reason for not clearing the exams and back it up with the proof of the initiatives you took to clear them.

Additionally, refrain from forming hypothetical stories, stick to the reason you mentioned earlier in your SOP.

2. Highlight Extracurriculars

If you have any extracurriculars, showcase them in your SOP. Universities are looking for multitalented students. Moreover, they just don’t look at your grades, they consider your whole profile. Extracurriculars are a great way to divert their attention from backlogs. If you do not have any, then start working on them as soon as you plan to go abroad for higher studies.

This list of extracurricular activities is extensive and improves the value of your application.

3. Relativity to your Majors

Another thing to focus upon is – Does your backlog relate to your major? For instance, your backlogs in electrical or mechanical don’t matter if you are a Computer Science major. You can simply stress upon your lack of interest in the subject. You can also mention that the subjects you are opting for your MBA abroad are different. So, the backlogs will not hamper your future performance.

However, if the backlogs pertain to your chosen subjects, the next tip will come in handy.

4. Projects and Internships

Having a backlog in an important subject can jeopardize your plans of studying abroad. And, there is not much you can do about it. However, You still can opt for industrial training, take projects, or internships to build your skillset. A lot of institutions offer the same. Undertaking new projects gives you a hands-on experience of the subject and works as the best explanation in this case.

5. Seriousness towards Academics

Backlogs in your SOP can question your seriousness towards academics. The universities need to be convinced that you take academics very seriously. This can only happen if you score exceptionally well in exams like GMAT, IELTS, TOEFL, etc. Additionally, highlighting the subjects in which you scored well can also make an impact on them.

To Sum Up,

Certainly, you cannot go back to the past to clear out your records. However, you still can cover up those mistakes by drafting an exceptional SOP and preparing well for your university and visa interview.

Endeavor Careers is one of the leading study abroad consultants in India that can help you in setting the right foot towards the career of your dreams. Get in touch with our experts to kick-start your MBA abroad.

FAQs

How do you write a good statement of purpose for studying abroad?

A good SOP should talk about your career path, interests, professional achievements, vision, and the driving force behind pursuing a particular course. It is the key part of your application wherein you can compensate for your weak background by highlighting your future goals and ambitions. Our skilled counsellors can guide you in writing an incredible SOP to help secure admission to the university of your choice.

Should I mention my backlogs in SOP?

Mentioning backlogs in the Statement of Purpose depends upon your reasons for having them. If you have had extraordinary situations such as illness or other personal reasons you can mention them. Additionally, if your reasoning behind your backlogs strengthens your application, justifying them will position you as a better candidate.

Do foreign universities accept backlogs?

Yes, backlogs are quite a common phenomenon amongst students and are accepted in almost every other country. The major countries that allow backlogs for students who want to study abroad are: UK, US, Canada, Ireland, Germany, Australia, and New Zealand.

Can I get a job if I have backlogs?

Yes. As long as you have cleared all your backlogs before stepping into an organization for your job you are good to go. However, different companies have different criteria for backlogs. Some organizations allow only 1 active backlog while some require you to clear all.