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GMAT score advice

by Chris525 » Mon Nov 01, 2010 9:26 am
Hi all,

I need some honest feedback here. I just took the GMAT for the first time this past weekend, and got a 660. My Verbal was 42 (95th percentile) and my Quant score was 39 (52nd percentile). I have a 3.7 GPA from UC-Santa Barbara, with distinction in my major Communication, and an English minor. UCSB has an extremely well regarded Comm program, ranked first in the country in some publications. I have 5 years of experience as a retail buyer for well known national chains.

I want an MBA to get into consulting, marketing or general management, and am definitely not looking to get into finance or accounting. My question is whether or not to re-take the GMAT. I've read that many schools average scores. Simply, put if I retake it and stay at a similar level for Verbal, and improve Quant to a 41 or 42, is that going to make any practical difference in my applications?
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by Kaneisha Grayson » Wed Nov 03, 2010 9:45 am
Hi Chris525,

Your 660 GMAT isn't bad. It's just "meh". I can tell that you really don't want to retake the GMAT, so let me just share some information about myself that might put you at ease (or have you run to take it again!).

When I applied to HBS, I had a 620 GMAT (heavily weighted toward Verbal like yours), a 3.6 GPA in a liberal arts degree from Pomona College (also in SoCal!), and 0 years of full-time work experience. Now, putting my 0 years of full-time work experience aside, we have a similar numerical background. I share all of that to say that you "could" get in to a top 10 school with a 660. That's completely disregarding our unique stories and experiences--which in my professional and personal opinion, are what matter most in your application (after you've met certain hurdles--which I believe you have).

In making your decision to retake your GMAT or not, ask yourself:

1) Am I going to diligently study, focusing on maintaining my strengths and improving my key weakness areas? (This usually involves NOT studying the exact same way you did the first time.)

2) If I take the time to study for the GMAT, will I give myself enough time to actually study enough to make a significant improvement in my score (30 points or more)?

3) If I take the time to study for and retake the GMAT, will I still have adequate time to write, revise, and polish outstanding essays?

If you can answer yes to all 3, I say retake it! If you can only say yes to 1 or 2 of them, I would consider toughing it out with your current score.

Good luck, Chris!
Kaneisha
Harvard Business School MBA 2010, Harvard Kennedy School MPA 2010
Founder, The Art of Applying
Admissions Consulting for MBA, MPP, Joint Degrees, and Fellowships
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by Chris525 » Wed Nov 03, 2010 5:39 pm
Thanks for the feedback Kaneisha.

I've decided to take it again in early december in an effort to get my quant score higher. I do think I can devote the time, while still leaving ample room for application essays. From everything I read, schools place a higher emphasis on quant score than verbal, so if I can get my quant up a few points I feel that could be the difference in making the cut at some of the top schools.
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by rb90 » Fri Nov 05, 2010 12:09 am
Hello Kaneisha,
I just took my GMAT and scored a 710 ( 48q(82 percentile), 40v( 89 percentile) . I am a college senior at the moment a month and a semster left . I also have the same interests that you had. Ive got a 3.4 GPA(till now) majoring in Finance at a reputed college in India. I want to apply for b-school without any work experience. I have , however, been working and training under my father in my family business. I wanted to know what you think of my chances into getting into the ivy-league colleges. I also have found out that Stanford, UCLA , Darden, Carnegie Mellon , Yale, MIT Sloan and Chicago Booth are among the colleges that have been in favour of college senior applicants. I know there is very limited information in this message, but i just wanted a sort of " overview" regarding these schools before i begin my apps.

Please give me your input.
Thanks in advance!
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by Kaneisha Grayson » Fri Nov 05, 2010 7:35 am
Sounds like a plan, Chris!

RB90: I'm interested to know what motivates you to apply to b-school with no work experience. I was admitted to HBS as a college senior, but with a 2-year deferral--one of which I spent volunteering in Ghana, West Africa and one of which I spent as an MPA degree student at Harvard Kennedy School. I don't mean to discourage you from applying to school as a senior...

Actually, yes I do! However, I am not going to give you the same old spiel about how full-time work experience makes business school a richer experience. My friends and I who entered HBS without full-time work experience had a great time in business school, made great grades, had no problem securing top internships, and were happy with our decisions.

HOWEVER, after you graduate from business school, you are VERY expensive to hire and usually have a lot of debt. This combination severely lessens the probability/possibility that you can/are willing to enter the lesser-paid professions such as small start-ups, non-profits, international companies, etc. HBS and other schools offer great loan repayment assistance options, which I definitely appreciate, but that's simply not the same as not needing the loan repayment help at all.

Use your youth to try out riskier, lesser-paid jobs (such as working full-time with your family's company and consulting to other small business owners on the side) before going to business school. You'll have even better stories to write about in your essays (I do have to concede that one) and when you graduate, you can take that fat-paying job with full knowledge that you lived your wild days in the world of work.

If you INSIST on applying to college as a senior, one great thing is that if you don't get in, you won't be looked upon too poorly as a reapplicant since when you reapply several years later, you will have basically a completely new application worth of stories and experiences.

I know I didn't give you the overview you asked for of those various schools, but I did want to give you SOME advice.

Great job on being so ambitious and forward-looking!
Kaneisha
Harvard Business School MBA 2010, Harvard Kennedy School MPA 2010
Founder, The Art of Applying
Admissions Consulting for MBA, MPP, Joint Degrees, and Fellowships
https://theartofapplying.com

Want free advice that actually works? Sign up for my weekly MBA, MPP, and JD newsletter here: https://theartofapplying.com/newsletter/


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by rb90 » Fri Nov 05, 2010 9:20 am
Thanks for such a quick reply Kaneisha,.

Can you please check out this link:
https://www.beatthegmat.com/help-confuse ... tml#314330

Ive given an outline of my profile here.Maybe this might give you some useful info.

Thanks again!
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