Hello,
I took the GMAT recently and scored a 660 (Q49, V32, IR 7, AWA 6) after 2 months of prep and working full time. This came as a bit of a surprise, since on my 4 GMAC practice exams I was consistently scoring ~710's (Q49, V40). I accepted this as test day nerves or a verbal fluke, and quickly rescheduled another test for 3 weeks later. I just took that test yesterday, and walked away with a 710. I would normally be very happy, but the uneven breakdown is a bit concerning (Q45, V42, IR 8), and I would greatly appreciate any advice you can offer.
Will this low of a quant score (60th percentile) seriously hurt my chances if i'm only applying to top 15 schools? I believe i've proven my quantitative proficiency through my consulting work experience, engineering undergrad background, and the Q49 I got on my first attempt (although I understand school's only consider the highest score you submit), but i've read some programs have informal 'cutoffs' of 70th percentile.
It hurts to even ask this question, since the thought of more studying while working and traveling transcon every week is miserable, but do you guys think I should consider another re-take to get a Q score closer to the 80th percentile, if i'm only applying to top 15 schools?
For context:
Gender: Male
Age: 27
Work experience: 4 years @ well known mid tier strategy consultancy
Undergrad: 3.3GPA, Industrial Engineering honors graduate
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Does a 710 GMAT score, but with a Q45 look bad?
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Donna@Stratus
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mzuberi wrote:Hello,
Hi @mzuberi, I feel your pain- you should be so happy to get that 710 and in general schools look more at the overall number than anything else. But yes- this is not the best scenario. However, when schools see your GMAT scores they should be able to see that prior q49 score so you can remind them of this in an optional essay if you'd like. I still think you are better off with the 710 Q45 and being able to remind them of the prior q49. Congrats on the V42!!! If you can't bear to do this again then I would just remind them somewhere- not in the actual main essays- but somewhere remind them of the q49.
I took the GMAT recently and scored a 660 (Q49, V32, IR 7, AWA 6) after 2 months of prep and working full time. This came as a bit of a surprise, since on my 4 GMAC practice exams I was consistently scoring ~710's (Q49, V40). I accepted this as test day nerves or a verbal fluke, and quickly rescheduled another test for 3 weeks later. I just took that test yesterday, and walked away with a 710. I would normally be very happy, but the uneven breakdown is a bit concerning (Q45, V42, IR 8), and I would greatly appreciate any advice you can offer.
Will this low of a quant score (60th percentile) seriously hurt my chances if i'm only applying to top 15 schools? I believe i've proven my quantitative proficiency through my consulting work experience, engineering undergrad background, and the Q49 I got on my first attempt (although I understand school's only consider the highest score you submit), but i've read some programs have informal 'cutoffs' of 70th percentile.
It hurts to even ask this question, since the thought of more studying while working and traveling transcon every week is miserable, but do you guys think I should consider another re-take to get a Q score closer to the 80th percentile, if i'm only applying to top 15 schools?
For context:
Gender: Male
Age: 27
Work experience: 4 years @ well known mid tier strategy consultancy
Undergrad: 3.3GPA, Industrial Engineering honors graduate
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99Colleges: MBA Admission
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Hi mzuberi,
Your test score was a joy (710)
and despair (Q45) 
at the same time.
Your Quant score is subpar, especially when you're considering top-15 schools. Although most schools are silent on the minimum Quant and Verbal scores that make them comfortable with the academic quotient of an applicant, it's a common knowledge that lopsided scores don't help an applicant's cause. (Few schools, however, are open about it. INSEAD, for example, advises applicants to aim for at least 70-75 percentile in both Quant and Verbal in GMAT.)
With Q = 45, ideally one should retake the test to push the Q score in 80+ percentile territory. But unfortunately, it's the real world. As you said, it's not easy for you to squeeze out time for the prep, and who knows the next time Verbal may go down (V = 32, a case in point).
So, if you want to submit your applications with your most recent score, you can take few mitigating steps. Make use of the optional essay to highlight following:
Your test score was a joy (710)
and despair (Q45) at the same time.Your Quant score is subpar, especially when you're considering top-15 schools. Although most schools are silent on the minimum Quant and Verbal scores that make them comfortable with the academic quotient of an applicant, it's a common knowledge that lopsided scores don't help an applicant's cause. (Few schools, however, are open about it. INSEAD, for example, advises applicants to aim for at least 70-75 percentile in both Quant and Verbal in GMAT.)
With Q = 45, ideally one should retake the test to push the Q score in 80+ percentile territory. But unfortunately, it's the real world. As you said, it's not easy for you to squeeze out time for the prep, and who knows the next time Verbal may go down (V = 32, a case in point).
So, if you want to submit your applications with your most recent score, you can take few mitigating steps. Make use of the optional essay to highlight following:
- 1. Your earlier score in Quant
- 2. Mention 1-2 projects where you played with numbers and did lots of analysis in your consulting work. Needless to say, focus on the quant analysis (in brief and in a way that a layman can understand) you did and not much on the project itself. (Although, adcom understands that consulting work requires juggling with numbers, there is no harm in citing specific instances.)
- 3. Can you provide evidence from any of your engineering/ math quant-heavy courses in which you did well?
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Edison@VeritasPrep
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Thanks for sharing.
Agree with the advices given above, the overall score is not bad. If you don't have enough time to go for a retake, you may address them in your essays. You may highlight an analytical and quantitative accomplishments, and also address it through your optional essay. As you mentioned, you undergraduate background, consulting experience, and first GMAT take would help show your academic potential on the quantitative areas.
All the best!
Agree with the advices given above, the overall score is not bad. If you don't have enough time to go for a retake, you may address them in your essays. You may highlight an analytical and quantitative accomplishments, and also address it through your optional essay. As you mentioned, you undergraduate background, consulting experience, and first GMAT take would help show your academic potential on the quantitative areas.
All the best!
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MargaretStrother
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Depending on the school, I think this might be a "holistic" question: if you can submit both tests on your application, some schools may be inclined to look at the best score in each category, particularly if they are already inclined to want to accept you (see what I mean by holistic?). So for example, if you have terrific grades in undergrad with lots of quant courses they will be less worried about a low score on the GMAT; similarly, if you have demonstrated verbal skills both in university and in the workplace, they may be inclined to take the best view of your scores. By the way, recommendations are a great place to support this: having recommenders discuss why you're their go-to guy for number crunching, formal writing or presentations, will help create the impression of an all-over strong applicant.
That said, your competition might have the same strengths and a GMAT that is more balanced, so it's up to you to decide how much risk you want to take on by applying with the scores you have.
Good luck!
Margaret Strother
That said, your competition might have the same strengths and a GMAT that is more balanced, so it's up to you to decide how much risk you want to take on by applying with the scores you have.
Good luck!
Margaret Strother
