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
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Help pls: Harvard summa. McK BA w/ 680 on GMAT
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Lisa Anderson
- MBA Admissions Consultant
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Dear ksadhah,
While I realize you wanted a higher score, a 680 is pretty solid and in the competitive range for most MBA programs. You certainly have a high GPA and a successful professional record to mitigate the GMAT, just be sure to highlight your analytical/quant skills on your resume and in your essays. Likewise, it would be helpful for your recommenders to do the same. At this point, you want to submit for R2 deadlines, so you have to determine whether or not a retake is even feasible and worth the resources. You don't want to sacrifice the quality of the rest of your application, and it is not worthwhile if you are not confident your score will go up. If you believe you have enough evidence of your quant skills in other application components, then it might be best to focus on the essays and other app pieces. From what you have posted, it seems you have interesting experiences to add to the class discussions and the skill set desired in MBA applicants.
Best of luck,
Lisa
While I realize you wanted a higher score, a 680 is pretty solid and in the competitive range for most MBA programs. You certainly have a high GPA and a successful professional record to mitigate the GMAT, just be sure to highlight your analytical/quant skills on your resume and in your essays. Likewise, it would be helpful for your recommenders to do the same. At this point, you want to submit for R2 deadlines, so you have to determine whether or not a retake is even feasible and worth the resources. You don't want to sacrifice the quality of the rest of your application, and it is not worthwhile if you are not confident your score will go up. If you believe you have enough evidence of your quant skills in other application components, then it might be best to focus on the essays and other app pieces. From what you have posted, it seems you have interesting experiences to add to the class discussions and the skill set desired in MBA applicants.
Best of luck,
Lisa
