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While hovering Google I ran into the consulting company Aringo. They have a page about their client GMAT scores, and they claim there that one of their clients got into Harvard MBA with 580 GMAT.

I contacted Aringo asked to get the client's name and email address to verify. The gave me the first name, they say it's a privacy problem to provide contact info.

Mine is 590, and initially I wasn't even considering HBS. Once I saw this, I contacted HBS admission office and asked them if it's true about 580. They responded vaguely, that GMAT score is just one factor, and it wasn't clear from their answer whether they deny it or not...

Anyone here get into HBS with GMAT under 600, or heard such cases?
I have really strong leadership, should I even bother?

Thank for any responses.
blessu

As has been said many times in these forums, GMAT is not the only factor for deciding whether an applicant is accepted but the averages speak for themselves. I don't doubt that Harvard has accepted people with a very low GMAT but I'm sure it is a rare occurrence. There are many factors that are taken in to consideration by the adcoms, some of them are obvious to us and some are not so obvious. I wouldn't assume that just because it's been done before you have any kind of a reasonable chance if you apply with a 590 unless you have other extra-ordinary qualifications. These could be such ungovernable particulars as country of origin and related experience or other unusual associations that the adcom finds worthy. You never know. If you have a fascinating story, go ahead and apply. Failing that, make a concerted effort to substantially improve your GMAT score.

Thanks for the comment, and I'll probably try to improve my score first, as I don't believe in miracles...

You won't be able to get personal contact information either from acceptance consultants or from the schools themselves. It's classified information, as funny as that sounds. But there are stories in these forums going back a ways. Not that you have to go back... I bet you can find find something in this months' acceptance posts which are starting to come out now.

Although an acceptance with a GMAT below 600 or 620 is a rare occurrence at all the top schools nevertheless it does happen regularly. There will always be a small number of applicants, usually from outside the USA, who have extraordinary life stories that show intelligence and tenacity but who have been unable to succeed in the GMAT (I would think that the Verbal sections would be the biggest stumbling block for these people). It's a tricky point. The schools want a wide representation of students and are willing to take an occasional risk with the GMAT score to get a student who is superior in other ways. As for the applicant, he or she would have to assess himself very highly and also have some pretty terrific recommendations from highly placed persons.

blessu wrote:While hovering Google I ran into the consulting company Aringo. They have a page about their client GMAT scores, and they claim there that one of their clients got into Harvard MBA with 580 GMAT.

I contacted Aringo asked to get the client's name and email address to verify. The gave me the first name, they say it's a privacy problem to provide contact info.

Mine is 590, and initially I wasn't even considering HBS. Once I saw this, I contacted HBS admission office and asked them if it's true about 580. They responded vaguely, that GMAT score is just one factor, and it wasn't clear from their answer whether they deny it or not...

Anyone here get into HBS with GMAT under 600, or heard such cases?
I have really strong leadership, should I even bother?

Thank for any responses.
blessu

590 is way low for HBS, almost off the screen. Maybe if you manage to make a huge jump to say 680 that might be seen to be beneficial. Don't rest on 590 if there's any chance you can improve a lot. There are schools, good ones, that you'd have a chance with, but not HBS.

Note that Aringo is a consulting company. They 'have ways' of helping people like yourself with a low GMAT to have a decent chance of getting accepted to a top school. It's what they do. Maybe you should think about going this route if you are at all able to, moneywise. Without that kind of help your chances are extremely small, to put it kindly.

arnasol78 wrote:Note that Aringo is a consulting company. They 'have ways' of helping people like yourself with a low GMAT to have a decent chance of getting accepted to a top school. It's what they do. Maybe you should think about going this route if you are at all able to, moneywise. Without that kind of help your chances are extremely small, to put it kindly.

I have to agree with this, if you are unable to vastly improve your GMAT. If you can afford it, a good consultant can help you in ways that will make a difference not just in your application to B School but further on down the road in your studies as well. They teach you a lot about how to determine what is being asked for, what is essential and what is not, and how to express yourself succinctly. I found it to be invaluable.

I've heard this from many people. Basically if your stats are low (and you can't improve them) you need help with the rest.

blessu wrote:While hovering Google I ran into the consulting company Aringo. They have a page about their client GMAT scores, and they claim there that one of their clients got into Harvard MBA with 580 GMAT.

I contacted Aringo asked to get the client's name and email address to verify. The gave me the first name, they say it's a privacy problem to provide contact info.

Mine is 590, and initially I wasn't even considering HBS. Once I saw this, I contacted HBS admission office and asked them if it's true about 580. They responded vaguely, that GMAT score is just one factor, and it wasn't clear from their answer whether they deny it or not...







Anyone here get into HBS with GMAT under 600, or heard such cases?
I have really strong leadership, should I even bother?

Thank for any responses.
blessu

I just saw this. Let me understand.... you called Harvard and asked them if they had ever admitted anyone with a 580 GMAT? What did you think they were going to say? How did you represent yourself? I'm astounded. I can see calling Aringo but they wouldn't be eager to give you any details - they're running a business not a self-help group. It's just obvious that whoever got in to HBS with a 590 GMAT (and it is on record), did so with a lot of help.

Not everyone can afford the services of a good consultant and it's a big decision. I would say that if your GMAT is below 600 and if English is not your mother-tongue or you are not good at essay writing, it should be a serious consideration if you hope to get accepted to one of the top 10 schools. Think about how much it costs just to apply to several schools and you might reconsider using a consultant.

You don't need a consultant to improve your GMAT if that's the main thing holding you back. There are excellent workouts available online and lots of advice on the forums. But you have to be determined and dedicated - there are no shortcuts to a high GMAT.

First, this person who got in with a 580 is obviously a very special case, and I'm sure he/she has a remarkable resume and personal story. So unless you accomplished something truly remarkable (Rhodes scholar, saved a village, escaped a war torn country, NFL player, founded a startup worth $10 million+, etc.) don't expect to get into HBS with a 590. Study hard, and try your best to raise it to at least 680+.

Second, be very skeptical of Aringo or any other consulting firm when they brag about clients with low GMAT scores who got into top b-schools. Now I'm not accusing them of lying. However, unless you know the exact background and experience of the candidate in question, you're not getting any useful information that is relevant to YOU. After all let's be honest. A white/Asian guy in banking is not getting in with a 580 or some other subpar score. The ugly truth is that admission consultants actually can't help you that much with getting into top schools.

LastChanceMBA wrote:First, this person who got in with a 580 is obviously a very special case, and I'm sure he/she has a remarkable resume and personal story. So unless you accomplished something truly remarkable (Rhodes scholar, saved a village, escaped a war torn country, NFL player, founded a startup worth $10 million+, etc.) don't expect to get into HBS with a 590. Study hard, and try your best to raise it to at least 680+.

Second, be very skeptical of Aringo or any other consulting firm when they brag about clients with low GMAT scores who got into top b-schools. Now I'm not accusing them of lying. However, unless you know the exact background and experience of the candidate in question, you're not getting any useful information that is relevant to YOU. After all let's be honest. A white/Asian guy in banking is not getting in with a 580 or some other subpar score. The ugly truth is that admission consultants actually can't help you that much with getting into top schools.

When you hire a consultant you don't need to know anything about any other client of theirs. Everyone is a unique case. In my experience, though I didn't have such a low GMAT, only a good consultant can help you to make the most of the rest of your application. Money is the main drawback and it's a big one, but if you are applying to the top schools the consultants have the first-hand experience to make you sound worthwhile.They know what the adcoms are looking for.

josbilou wrote:

LastChanceMBA wrote:First, this person who got in with a 580 is obviously a very special case, and I'm sure he/she has a remarkable resume and personal story. So unless you accomplished something truly remarkable (Rhodes scholar, saved a village, escaped a war torn country, NFL player, founded a startup worth $10 million+, etc.) don't expect to get into HBS with a 590. Study hard, and try your best to raise it to at least 680+.

Second, be very skeptical of Aringo or any other consulting firm when they brag about clients with low GMAT scores who got into top b-schools. Now I'm not accusing them of lying. However, unless you know the exact background and experience of the candidate in question, you're not getting any useful information that is relevant to YOU. After all let's be honest. A white/Asian guy in banking is not getting in with a 580 or some other subpar score. The ugly truth is that admission consultants actually can't help you that much with getting into top schools.

When you hire a consultant you don't need to know anything about any other client of theirs. Everyone is a unique case. In my experience, though I didn't have such a low GMAT, only a good consultant can help you to make the most of the rest of your application. Money is the main drawback and it's a big one, but if you are applying to the top schools the consultants have the first-hand experience to make you sound worthwhile.They know what the adcoms are looking for.

I respectfully disagree. It matters because you are competing against those with similar background, whether demographics or industry. The former NFL cornerback who is a first-year at HBS and scored 570 on the GMAT or ex-Navy Seals, do not tell me anything about my chances because they are in their own unique groups and competing against those who are similar. It is a well-known fact that the admissions bar is higher for white/Asian males in finance/consulting or Indian males in IT. It's not politically correct to say this, but it's true.

Now back to Aringo and consultants in general. I had free consultations with many companies including Aringo. The Aringo lady brought up how a lot of their clients with sub-700 GMAT scores got into elite b-schools. I asked her, "Ok that's nice, but how many of them were Asian males in finance?" (my background). She hesitated for a few seconds and replied "Well, we are not allowed to divulge any information about our clients." I then made the points that I made in the preceding paragraph, and she was unable to provide a good response.

I'm not saying that consultants can't help. I'm sure some of them are good. But by and large, I think they are vastly overrated and provide a service whose value is questionable and cannot be empirically verified. If someone gets into a program of their choice they may say that a consultant helped make it happen. But how do we know that? This is pure conjecture since we don't know what the outcome would have been if he had not used a consultant. He may be a superstar who would've gotten in anyways; we just don't know.