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Hi all,

I'm in need of figuring out where I stand. I am accepted into the full time MBA program at Baruch this year but am contemplating whether to drop the idea and go for a better school next year. I haven't applied anywhere else this year because I took the GMAT way past the deadlines for most schools (March).

Undergrad = Baruch College, BBA in Finance with a 3.5 GPA (graduated in summer 2009)
GMAT = 600 (47Q, 27V)
Work experience = 3 years of operations department for a marketing firm (nothing to do with finance).
Career goal = corporate finance, asset management, or equity research. However, I'm open to various opportunities.
Age = 27 years old

I'm not sure if I'll be able to improve my GMAT as I've taken it 4 times within a year (580, 590, 580, now 600). I'm a native English speaker and the verbal is just hieroglyphics during the exam. I've also taken online courses. Should I drop Baruch this year and aim for NYU/Columbia instead?

bond10 wrote:Hi all,

I'm in need of figuring out where I stand. I am accepted into the full time MBA program at Baruch this year but am contemplating whether to drop the idea and go for a better school next year. I haven't applied anywhere else this year because I took the GMAT way past the deadlines for most schools (March).

Undergrad = Baruch College, BBA in Finance with a 3.5 GPA (graduated in summer 2009)
GMAT = 600 (47Q, 27V)
Work experience = 3 years of operations department for a marketing firm (nothing to do with finance).
Career goal = corporate finance, asset management, or equity research. However, I'm open to various opportunities.
Age = 27 years old

I'm not sure if I'll be able to improve my GMAT as I've taken it 4 times within a year (580, 590, 580, now 600). I'm a native English speaker and the verbal is just hieroglyphics during the exam. I've also taken online courses. Should I drop Baruch this year and aim for NYU/Columbia instead?

To be honest, without your current GMAT, you're a long shot at Columbia/NYU. Adcoms will say that they accept folks with a wide range of scores, but the reality is, you really need a 700 or greater at these top 16 or it's a no go. Those who are outside the ranges are exceptions for a reason: they are special circumstances and therefore aren't evaluated in the same way as other applicants. In your case, you are a pretty traditional applicant (corporate professional) so in order to be competitive, you need a GMAT that is in range for the schools you're applying to.

I don't know how you've been prepping for the exam, but if you're in New York, consider hiring a private tutor (I'm sure there's tons in NYC) to focus in on your verbal, or enroll in whichever GMAT prep course that you feel will help boost that verbal.

Good luck

Go to Baruch. It is a fine school and why put your development on hold given you hou have made your best run at the GMAT. Do well there and network to secure a great post MBA job. And that's what most gets your career going----performance.

The other thing I have noticed it that at times the alumni networks outside of the top 20 schools can be quite strong. Grads really like to help fellow grads get ahead, and give them hiring preference. So use that Baruch alumni base!