The Application Process

How strictly do the Top MBA programs follow the 80/80 rule? I have been surfing the web and found many sites that claim the top 10 like to see 80/80.

I got a 710 (Q 50/ 94%, V 36/ 78%) and AWA 5.5

Is 78% close enough for say Duke?

And, is it also true that schools look at the Quant as more important?

Experts opinion?

I would say a 75-75 would be a good yard stick to measure your performance. But hey i'm no ad-com member. But this is considering that all other aspects of your profile have no serious flaw.

Say if you are a non-native english speaker and have lived in a country where speaking in english is not the norm, and if you have no other proof of your english skills then maybe a Q51 V21 would not be an effective score. But i think if you are atleast over the 75percentile range in verbal then its probably fine. Atleast i wouldn't bother about it, if it was the case with me.


Disclaimer: This is truly my Opinion!!!!

What I've read is that over 700 is good for many top schools but the GMAT score is only one aspect of the admissions process.

Hey Mike,

You already applied to Fuqua this year?

I think you'll be set with your breakdown. 78% is close enough to 80%.

But you killed the Quant. But yeah, if I were in your shoes, I would say to myself that I can probably really improve my V score.

Because I think V section is like the only section that you can significantly improve just by answering SC and CR questions over and over again. With a 36 on that section you have some significant upside and I can see you getting a score over 750 if you got say even 42 or so on the V (which is not that hard or great of a score honestly IMO).

But I know studying for a GMAT is a major ordeal and also a b****h so I can understand.

Anyways, I think the schools dig the Q score more than the V score anyway, so I think you're good to go . Just a matter of working on those essays, getting good recs, volunteering, and showing promotions and leadership and a strong career track now.

Your score should be fine for Fuqua (or any b-school for that matter), your application will not be discarded on the basis of sub-80 %tile in Verbal.
What these b-schools are looking for is consistent performance in both sections.

The Quant score has more value than Verbal but thats not a selection criteria in application process. (some i-banking firms during the campus-recruitment check your Q score in GMAT)

moving the thread to b-school application area.