Admissions

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Admissions

by DannyMac18 » Wed Mar 11, 2020 9:10 am
Hello,

I just graduated from the University of Miami with a double major in accounting and finance and received a 3.5. I just took the gmat and my score is as follows: 680 overall, 90 % in verbal, 68% integrated reasoning, 50% quantitative, and I believe it’s safe to assume I was at least in the 85% in the written assignment. My question is, since I have shown I can do complex math well by completing an accounting and finance degree( having gotten an A+ in calculus and most of my accounting and finance courses) will my average score in quant be overlooked ?

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Re: Admissions

by Jon@Admissionado » Tue Mar 31, 2020 3:23 pm
Congrats on graduating from a great school with two marketable majors!

If you got an A+ in calc, accounting and finance, my advice would be to retake the GMAT or try the GRE. People with quant chops often can score higher than the 50th percentile with a class or some extra studying (which it seems like you are disciplined and great at given your undergrad quant achievements). You are already quite high in verbal, which schools want, but you’ll need to pull up your math score if you want to be looking at top schools. The GRE is a very different test than the GMAT and some people favor it. Most schools accept both tests now. Before you commit to studying and sitting for the GMAT again, I’d take a practice GRE to see if you perform better on that. Whichever test you choose, make sure that you commit to several months of intense studying AND a test-prep program with analytics behind it so you can gauge where you are missing points and where you are strong. For GRE, I highly recommend Kaplan.

As a general rule, you’ll want to meet or exceed the mean undergraduate GPA and mean GRE/GMAT scores in order to have a shot at the school. Since most top b-schools select for 3-6 years of experience, the good news is that you have plenty of time to study for a retake of the tests given you just graduated undergrad. A 680 score is good enough for many programs, but it will not be a stellar score for top 15-type programs and given your lopsided breakout, I worry that some schools may discount your proven quant ability. Many people take the GRE/GMAT several times so there’s definitely no shame in taking another bite at the apple.

What is it that you do or hope to do for work prior to your b-school application? For top 20 schools, GRE/GMAT and GPA are table-stakes in the sense that it’s expected that you have top metrics and the differentiator will be what you’ve done professionally and a water-tight story about where you’re going post-MBA that’s validated by your prior professional successes. This is the basis of your strategic positioning. You’ll also need to tell the story of WHY you need an MBA and the particular MBA program in particular - especially given your business-focus in undergrad. There needs to be a story about the areas you want to hone (e.g., for you that might be strategy, marketing, analytics, or other disciplines to which you were not exposed in undergrad). The few years that you have between now and applying would also be a good time to demonstrate leadership in extracurriculars you are passionate about (local non-profit work, civic engagement, etc.). Schools want students who are going to make them proud post-MBA by being leaders in their communities and you can demonstrate that that’s the type of leader you’ll be by making sure you have solid ECs outside of work.

It’s good that you are getting such an early head-start on MBA planning. You have several years to ace your exams, hone your resume, and polish your strategic positioning. If you’d like to talk further about how to best position your unique candidacy, feel free to sign up for a free consultation here: https://admissionado.com/free-consultat ... sultation/
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