Dear Ryan,

Whether or not it is worth your time (and money) to retake the GMAT greatly depends on what the rest of your application looks like and which school you want to attend. If the rest of your application is quite strong (i.e., high GPA, good work experience, great recommendations, outstanding essays), then you are probably in a position to "roll the dice" and see what happens.

However, if your GMAT is more than 20-30 points below the school's average GMAT, and you feel you need to have a higher score to be competitive, then it could be worth it to retake the test. Please note: it is only wise to retake if you are pretty sure you will increase your score because you are committed to preparing.

Good luck,
Lisa

Dear Ryan,

While it is possible schools might put applications into "piles" based on GMAT, I doubt that is the only criteria determining the pile. Most schools review applications holistically and do not put more weight on one application component than another. That is not to say that schools do not have a minimum GMAT score, but that when they review applications they look at the elements as a whole before making any decision.

I think you have a solid foundation for the schools you are targeting with your 690, 3.23 GPA, and work experience. If you put together a strong package, you should be competitive for those programs.

Best of luck,
Lisa