Yes you read that right! I beat the GMAT with a 590 and got accepted into USC Marshall's MBA PM Program. 590 is a horrible score nothing to be proud of, but this is proof that they DO look at your entire package. So if you are struggling at the GMAT, do not worry, you still have hope.

I've been studying on and off for the past few years and it has been hell. The GMAT is definitely not for me. I would study and cram in the fall and apply during late spring. I've taken both Manhattan GMAT and Veritas Prep and my best and most recent score was a 590. This last time, I studied non-stop 5-7 days a week, 2-3 hours a day, and 4-5 hours on weekends. I was going to retake it again this year but decided against it last minute since I've already taken it multiple times and my additional studying wasn't improving my score significantly.

My background:

I have 11 years of management in health care, currently Regional Manager of my company, started two small companies (1 failed and 1 just started as of this year) and had a 2.97 GPA during my undergrad

I applied last year to both USC PM and UCLA EMBA and was wait-listed to both programs and then denied.

This year I applied to USC PM - Accepted, Michigan Ross EMBA -Los Angeles - Interviewed, UCLA EMBA -Wait-listed.

Also to address concerns from my low GMAT quant scores I took the MBAMath.com course. I believe this is what helped me get accepted to USC.

I remember when I had a low score I was devastated and searched for hope in these forums. I hope this will give a few of you hope that you can still get in even with a low score. GOOD LUCK!