Admitted in two PhD programs with 600 on GMAT!

Congrats! Tell us how you did it
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Dear all,

I would like to share with you my success story. This post is not for those ones who target top 10 schools, and who would find this post irrelevant. I would like to give a little hope to the people who wants to apply to a good business school for a MBA or even a PhD.

I decided to apply for PhD programs in supply chain management and international business last August. Most of the deadlines were around December 15th or early January. Thus, I knew that I had only three months max to take my GMAT exam and that I will only have the time to take it once. While studying for it, I was holding a full time job as an Operations Manager which was very stressful and of course time consuming.

I will obviously not spend too much time talking about the GMAT, as due to my score I will not dare giving anyone tips about strategies. All I can say is that beat the GMAT has been very useful. I followed the two months study plan which gave me a strict plan and some motivation in order to achieve the best score on the first attempt. I tried to spend 2 to 3 hours per day studying for it, even if I had to skip for weeks time to time due to professional reasons. I also found myself struggling to find time to study for GMAT when I had to write my admission essays, gather the transcripts, etc. I am telling this for all the new applicants, DO NOT underestimate the time to write your admission essays, and go through all the administration tasks (especially if you do not live in the U.S).

Due to time constraint and my first attempt (540), I wanted to get as close as possible to the 700 mark. My lowest goal being a score of 650. I was making constant progress until I took the exam in December. I even reached a score of 670, but I think that score was inflated because I was retaking the free exams and got familiar with some questions.

On the real exam I scored 600 (62 per) as follow: verbal 34 (69 per) quantitative 38 (46 per) AW 6 (90 per) IR 6 (67 per). Therefore, I was really far away from my initial goal and thought that my chances to get into any PhD programs that I had applied to were doomed. The total score was really far away from the average GMAT scores from the schools I applied for (usually in the 670-690 range). My quantitative score was a bummer, as I knew that it was the most important one for admission committees in business schools.

In spite of the deception, I decided to keep on applying and tried to finish my application package the best I could writing great admission essays, gathering meaningful recommendations letter, and contacting personally programs' directors or specific professors.

Around mid March, I was stunned to receive an offer for a PhD program with tuition waiver and 20K stipend per year for four years from a reputable second tier US University! I decided to push other Universities by calling professors in the field of my research interests. I had two interviews and got accepted in another second tier US University with a similar financial package.

I am today of course very happy, and still have a hard time to realize that my application was chosen among about hundred of others for only four spots in the programs. The message I want to send to all the future applicants is not to be too desperate if you do not score as high as the program is requiring. Other features of your application are also very important. I would say that the admission essay or personal interview you will have might be even more important than the GMAT score. I had a MBA from a regional university with a 4.0 GPA, 5 years work experience (not all of them related in the field of study), I guess good admission essays and recommendation letters. My GMAT score was then the weak point of my application.

I heard from a Dean that GMAT scores might not be as important for PhD programs as they are for MBAs. The reason is that schools build their brands on their GMAT scores for MBAs, while they are really looking for good researchers for PhDs. I do not know if that is true, but it might explain my situation.

Good luck for your future applications and keep in mind to work hard on your admission essays as well as pushing the programs' Directors, so they will remind you when they have to make a decision. Having a low GMAT score is definitely disappointing, but it should not prevent you to reach your goals! I got accepted into two programs over the four I applied for!

All the best!

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by phamthuyha » Mon Sep 23, 2013 11:17 pm
Dear Remsfu

Congratulations!

I am in the same boat. My Gmat score is only 600.

Could you pls. tell me the two schools that accepted your application?

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by jenl2881 » Sat Dec 28, 2013 10:43 pm
You said you contacted individuals in the program. Who did you contact and about what?

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by sanobar » Sat Jan 04, 2014 5:11 am
Even I am applying for admission in PhD program & my GMAT score will be the weakest part of my application package.
I am not looking for the best PhD programs in Canada. Infact, I have about 5 years teaching experience in a University in Middle East & have published 4 research papers as well.
I have scored 105 on the TOEFL but the GMAT verbal, I cant go higher than 21.

so is there any one out there applying for PhD FOR SEPT 2014 Intake??

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by GMAT99user » Mon Apr 20, 2015 11:44 pm
Dear Remsfu

Congratulations!

Could you pls. tell me the schools you have applied and schools that accepted your application?

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by aishwarrya » Mon Sep 19, 2016 12:39 am
Hi,

I am applying for PhDs in management and accounting too - could you tell me the two schools you applied to? I have a GMAT score of 690

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by salem » Sat Sep 02, 2017 10:04 pm
hi,
my wife looking for admission phd accounting
she has
undergraduate GPA 4
Master 3.92
gmat 520
and fully funded scholarship for 4 years

if you can help let me know
best regards
Sam
[email protected]

Congratulations!

I am in the same boat. My Gmat score is only 600.

Could you pls. tell me the two schools that accepted your application?[/quote]

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I am today obviously extremely glad, and still experience considerable difficulties to understand that my application was picked among around hundred of others for just four spots in the projects. The message I need to send to all the future candidates isn't to be excessively edgy on the off chance that you don't score as high as the program is requiring. Dissertation Lounge

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Despite the trickery, I chose to continue applying and attempted to complete my application bundle as well as could Dissertation Labs be expected written work awesome confirmation expositions, gathering important proposals letter, and reaching by and by projects' executives or particular educators.

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by Weettertur » Thu Jan 25, 2018 5:33 am
What a successful story! Thank you for sharing it and my congratulations to you, of course!