650 GMAT - Profile Evaluation Needed

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bkd2: Newbie | Next Rank: 10 Posts; Posts: 1; Joined: Mon Sep 08, 2014 6:09 am

by bkd2 » Mon Sep 08, 2014 6:56 am

Despite scoring higher on practice tests, I got a 650 on the GMAT after guessing the last 5 verbal questions. I'm much more verbal but managed to increase my math and then lose control of timing. Here are my key profile details and I'm hoping to apply Round 1:

GMAT: 650
GPA: 3.8 magna cum laude from Boston College w/ a double major in honors philosophy & communication
MBA concentration: Marketing/Marketing Management
Work experience: 2 years at a small marketing agency w/ big clients, including CPG and healthcare brands, 3 years of experience at a large global advertising agency working on major pharmaceutical brands.

Schools I'm Considering:
1) Northwestern - Kellogg
2) MIT - Sloan
3) Duke - Fuqua
4) UVA - Darden
5) UMichigan - Ross
6) UPenn - Wharton
7) UCLA - Anderson
8) Georgetown - McDonough

What do you think my chances are at these schools? I'm hoping my GPA can offset the lower than average GMAT score. Would love to hear your thoughts!

Source: Beat The GMAT — The Application Process | Mon Sep 08, 2014 6:56 am

PathToMBA: Newbie | Next Rank: 10 Posts; Posts: 5; Joined: Mon Sep 01, 2014 4:37 am

by PathToMBA » Thu Sep 11, 2014 5:46 pm

Hi there,

You have a decent profile. Your GPA and work experience are good but your GMAT is on lower side. But yes, a strong application can definitely offset your GMAT.

The list of B-Schools you have mentioned is good. I have added couple of more B-Schools where you can apply:

Safe B-Schools - Kenan Flagler, Georgetown McDonough, Emory, Indiana Kelley
Stretch B-Schools - Cornell Johnson, UCLA, UVA Darden, Michigan Ross, Kellogg, Duke

Hope that helps. You may also try your chances of getting admission in above mentioned B-Schools by trying this amazing tool https://bit.ly/1rRCod5

Cheers!

AdmitPitch: Senior | Next Rank: 100 Posts; Posts: 50; Joined: Mon Aug 04, 2014 7:49 pmFollowed by: 4 members; Location: US | UK | China | India; Thanked: 2 times

by AdmitPitch » Sat Sep 20, 2014 12:54 am

Hi BKD2:

As long as your GMAT score is in the ball park range of 20% of the class average, you should be fine. In addition to GMAT, what is important is to admissions process is your pitch (story why schools should look at your profile), what makes you unique - career plan, leadership/team skills, why MBA now, why specific business school?

Dream schools: Kellogg, MIT - Sloan, Fuqua, Ross
Best fit schools: McDonough, UNC, Kelley, Emory

Applying to leading business schools is a fairly time consuming effort. It requires efforts to selecting the right schools and developing pitch which helps you stand out from the crowd. You need a consultant who can understand your profile and offer personalized perspective to help you succeed.

In addition to GMAT, what is important is to admissions process is your pitch (story why schools should look at your profile), what makes you unique - career plan, leadership/team skills, why MBA now, why specific business school?

Admitpitch is a MBA consulting firm which provides unbiased views. We are a team of MBAs from top 40 business schools from US, Europe and Asia. Do reach out to us for a free profile assessment or any queries related to MBA admissions, do email us at [email protected]

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CriticalSquareMBA: Legendary Member; Posts: 1088; Joined: Thu Apr 18, 2013 3:29 pmFollowed by: 52 members; Thanked: 171 times

by CriticalSquareMBA » Mon Sep 22, 2014 11:31 am

The GMAT is the number one reason schools ding applicants. That said, you have some great things in your profile. You have hard marketing experience which is at least a bit different. You also have a great GPA. But your GMAT isn't exactly going to knock the socks off anyone. You haven't mentioned what you want to do post MBA but if it's anything marketing / brand / product related, I'd say keep Kellogg and Ross in the mix (both will be stretches) and then diversify a bit lower. Think UCLA, McCombs, Duke, etc. range. And then throw in a couple of safeties. I don't know when you're applying or to how many programs so I'm not advocating you apply to 7 programs. But that's the type of diversification you should be targeting.

Bhavik

Critical Square | MBA Admissions Services

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interviewbay22: Master | Next Rank: 500 Posts; Posts: 162; Joined: Tue Aug 19, 2014 11:45 pmFollowed by: 8 members; Thanked: 23 times

by interviewbay22 » Wed Oct 01, 2014 4:52 am

Hello

GPA along with distinction is very good. Unfortunately, your GMAT score is low by at least 50 points for the schools you are planning to apply to. This coupled with a low quant score could seriously hurt your chances. There are students who make it to these schools with this GMAT score, but they usually have a high quant score. Your High GPA can offset your GMAT score only to some extent. How many math courses did you take in your under-graduation? You will be judged on your performance in these to some extent.

Tell me more about your work experience; the projects you were part of, any promotions in five years; any success stories you could share would be great. Unless you have an excellent profile, I would advise you to retake GMAT before applying. If you were scoring well on practice tests before, there are good chances that retaking GMAT could get you a much higher score. After that you can apply to round 2. Get your profile evaluated by alumni before sending out your final application.

You can check out this e-book to help you prepare your business school applications: https://www.interviewbay.com/mba/how-to- ... -ebook.php

All the best
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interviewbay22: Master | Next Rank: 500 Posts; Posts: 162; Joined: Tue Aug 19, 2014 11:45 pmFollowed by: 8 members; Thanked: 23 times

by interviewbay22 » Wed Oct 01, 2014 4:52 am

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