Welcome! Check out our free B-School Guides to learn how you compare with other applicants.
Login or Register
 

Harvard summa, McKinsey BA, gay female with 680 in GMAT

This topic has 1 expert reply and 0 member replies
Bookmark
Previous Topic Next Topic
ksadhah Just gettin' started! Default Avatar
Joined
23 Oct 2011
Posted:
15 messages
Followed by:
2 members
Harvard summa, McKinsey BA, gay female with 680 in GMAT Post Mon Nov 21, 2011 9:03 am
Hello,

I wrote on this blog earlier before taking my GMAT. Took the GMAT last week and was disappointed with my final score. I landed a 680 (85%) though my practice tests were in the 730s, with the following split: 44 in Quant (66%) and 39 in Verbal (87%). I'm stressed b/c I know the quant is low.

Here is my overall background:


EDUCATION
- Summa cum laude from Harvard College (GPA 3.92), studied History
- Won award for best History senior thesis, best LatAm-related thesis, and Hoopes Prize for senior thesis
- Was President of the largest student group on campus for students interested in politics, and drove several initiatives to the Board of Overseers at Harvard

WORK EXPERIENCE
- Business Analyst (and former summer BA) at McKinsey & Company in Dubai, distinctive (top 1%) performance rating in last review cycle
- Have served clients in all over the Middle East (including Bahrain, Yemen, Saudi Arabia, Dubai, and Israel) as well as in Mexico, London, India, and the US

PERSONAL BACKGROUND
- From Argentina and grew up all over Latin America
- Currently living in the Middle East out of Dubai
- Gay

Thoughts? should I retake the GMAT or focus on essays instead and hope my GPA/McK track record will overshadow my GMAT?

Thanks in advance

Need free GMAT or MBA advice from an expert? Register for Beat The GMAT now and post your question in these forums!

GMAT/MBA Expert

Jon@Admissionado MBA Admissions Consultant
Joined
01 Apr 2011
Posted:
1962 messages
Followed by:
208 members
Thanked:
376 times
Most Active Expert Most Responsive Expert Most Thanked Expert
Post Wed Nov 23, 2011 1:48 am
Really tough call here. With your academic record, and work at McKinsey you are exactly the type of candidate that schools adore. I would say overall, your academic/work will likely be more important than your GMAT, but on the other hand it also seems silly to not apply with the best package possible. I think the final decision could come down to specific timelines: i.e. when exactly you propose to take the GMAT, what schools you are applying to, when their deadlines are, etc.

I would say: sign up for a new GMAT, but spend most of your free time on your applications. If you have been testing in 730, just study a wee bit and hope for better luck, but from now on it's those essays that matter.

_________________
Jon Frank
Harvard MBA, 2005
Founder and CEO, Admissionado

Ask us a Question!
Get a Free Consultation!

Best Conversation Starters
1 varun289 42 topics
2 greenwich 25 topics
3 guerrero 20 topics
4 sana.noor 19 topics
5 killerdrummer 19 topics
See More Top Beat The GMAT Members...

Most Active Experts
1 image description Brent@GMATPrepNow

GMAT Prep Now Teacher

 196 posts
2 image description GMATGuruNY

The Princeton Review Teacher

 143 posts
3 image description Anju@Gurome

Gurome

 121 posts
4 image description Jim@StratusPrep

Stratus Prep

 86 posts
5 image description David@VeritasPrep

Veritas Prep

 41 posts
See More Top Beat The GMAT Experts