700 (Q44, V41) - Should I attempt again?

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beatingit: Junior | Next Rank: 30 Posts; Posts: 14; Joined: Sun Apr 04, 2010 11:15 am

by beatingit » Sat Jul 24, 2010 1:21 pm

Hi,

I am an engineering grad working in the Management Consulting industry in Canada. I have about 6 years of work experience.

I am unpleasantly surprised by my quant score of 44 (68 percentile) - I was scoring 49 to 51 on quant in my practice exams. The verbal score is in the realm of what I was scoring on practice exams. Realistically, I was expecting a GMAT score of 730~740.

I am planning to apply to INSEAD, Harvard, Booth, Wharton, and maybe Stanford. Should I bother to write the exam again? I would have definitely written it again if I had scored below 700, but 700 puts me on the fence.

Would really appreciate some advice.

Thanks.

Source: Beat The GMAT — Ask Stacy Blackman | Sat Jul 24, 2010 1:21 pm

GMAT/MBA Expert

Lisa Anderson: MBA Admissions Consultant; Posts: 3845; Joined: Wed Feb 06, 2008 8:57 pmFollowed by: 148 members; Location: Houston, TX; Thanked: 442 times

by Lisa Anderson » Mon Jul 26, 2010 2:36 pm

Dear beatingit,

A tough predicament, indeed, as a 700 does put you on a fence. I think you have to assess how strong you feel the rest of your application will be and whether or not you have the resources to invest in a retake without sacrificing the rest of your application components. If you have only taken the GMAT once, and you have the time and money to retake without affecting the quality of your essays, etc., then it might be worth it if you can get your score up 30+ points. If you don't feel like you can invest the resources or an increase of at least 20 points is not possible, then I would say focus on the applications at this point. Being an engineer, you should have strong quant coursework from college where you (hopefully) did well. Additionally, you have honed your analytical and problem-solving skills in consulting. Think about your current resources and what will work best for you--then you will know what to do.

Good luck,
Lisa

Lisa Anderson
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Stacy Blackman Consulting

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beatingit: Junior | Next Rank: 30 Posts; Posts: 14; Joined: Sun Apr 04, 2010 11:15 am

by beatingit » Mon Jul 26, 2010 3:14 pm

Thanks for the response Lisa. This was my first try.

Reading various forums, it seemed like INSEAD, and some others, like to see the 80/80 break down. My percentile is more like a 68Q/92V breakdown. I strongly feel that I can do better on quant, and that is why I think I should rewrite it. However, I am afraid that there is a possibility that my verbal will go down. The question is, if I were to get a lower verbal score, or, worse, a lower GMAT score, but improve my quant somewhat, is it still a win for me?

I am most likely not going to apply for B-school this year. So timing is not a big concern. And I can also cough up another $250 (I obviously would love to keep the money

Having said that, if I do end up deciding to write it again, I will most likely do one practice exam every weekend for the next 4 weekends and do some practice OG questions, focusing on Quant. That in a nut shell will be my study plan that I can feasibly commit to kill the 31 calendar day policy for retakes. Do not want to forget everything I know.

Thanks again

GMAT/MBA Expert

Lisa Anderson: MBA Admissions Consultant; Posts: 3845; Joined: Wed Feb 06, 2008 8:57 pmFollowed by: 148 members; Location: Houston, TX; Thanked: 442 times

by Lisa Anderson » Tue Jul 27, 2010 3:13 pm

The schools will use the test attempt with your highest total score. Just prepare and do your best--see what happens. Worst case scenario is you apply with your 700 which is not too shabby.

Best of luck!
Lisa

Lisa Anderson
Consultant
Stacy Blackman Consulting

Learn more about me

beatingit: Junior | Next Rank: 30 Posts; Posts: 14; Joined: Sun Apr 04, 2010 11:15 am

by beatingit » Tue Jul 27, 2010 4:10 pm

Thanks again Lisa

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