Did I beat the GMAT or just gave it a stern talking to?

Find out how Beat The GMAT members tackled GMAT test prep with positive results. Get tips on GMAT test prep materials, online courses, study tips, and more.
This topic has expert replies
User avatar
Newbie | Next Rank: 10 Posts
Posts: 2
Joined: Sun Aug 19, 2012 9:37 am
Took the test yesterday and scored a 680. Q41, V42

I intend to apply to top 20 schools internationally (I'm American, so schools in Europe and Asia. INSEAD, IE, Said, etc.) I completely eviscerated the verbal section (scored above the 96th percentile), but math was bleh enough to not break the 700s.

I know my essays will be great (my verbal skills are how I earn my living and I've lived in multiple countries and grown my career a ton since undergrad), I will be submitting French fluency as well. I don't know how my references will be compared to my competition, but let's go ahead and assume they simply fit the bill without blowing anyone out of the water.

I want to complete my applications by December. Should I do this GMAT thing over again in an effort to break 700 or will it not make much of a difference, you think?
Source: — I just Beat The GMAT! |

User avatar
Master | Next Rank: 500 Posts
Posts: 174
Joined: Wed May 02, 2012 7:57 pm
Location: San Francisco
Thanked: 35 times
Followed by:17 members
GMAT Score:730

by machichi » Sun Sep 09, 2012 8:37 pm
You gave it a stern talking to all right! :)

Obviously a higher quant score would be really helpful, considering that a 41 in quant puts you around the 50th percentile. In my opinion the quant is really learnable and when I was in your boat, I got a private tutor who specialized in the GMAt and just learned strategies. That boosted me up to Q48 (I had the same verbal as you, so 730 overall).

Are you trying to submit R1? Are you going to have time to devote to studying for another month or so? The GMAT is taxing and painful, so if it's just going to stress you out, know that a 680 is totally respectable and puts within range, especially at European schools that tend to have lower GMAT scores and higher admission rates (despite still being great academically!).

The choice is yours. Can you imagine yourself studying the GMAT anymore? If yes, go for it. If thoughts of studying make you suicidal. Then stop!
Blogging about the MBA application process. Because I need to do something with all this bschool energy.
https://www.mbabreakaway.com/
Recent post: July 12, "Summer"

User avatar
MBA Admissions Consultant
Posts: 2279
Joined: Fri Nov 11, 2011 7:51 am
Location: New York
Thanked: 660 times
Followed by:266 members
GMAT Score:770

by Jim@StratusPrep » Tue Sep 11, 2012 5:45 am
I second the thought of pulling up your quant score for the top universities. Congrats on the score though.
GMAT Answers provides a world class adaptive learning platform.
-- Push button course navigation to simplify planning
-- Daily assignments to fit your exam timeline
-- Organized review that is tailored based on your abiility
-- 1,000s of unique GMAT questions
-- 100s of handwritten 'digital flip books' for OG questions
-- 100% Free Trial and less than $20 per month after.
-- Free GMAT Quantitative Review

Image