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by santiago11 » Thu Jul 31, 2008 2:23 am
Hello,

Just took the GMAT and didn't do as well as I had hoped....680(Q42 V41). At my best, I realistically think I can improve this score by 20-40 points. I am planning to apply only to schools in the top 5 (Stanford, Harvard, etc). I realize it's going to be a long-shot either way, but do you think I should study more and retake the GMAT or just work on applications (I am going to apply in the first round)?

Other info:

Undergrad:
B.S. in Electrical Engineering (GPA: 3.1) from a U.S. Top 15 university

Work:
Engineering project manager with considerable leadership experience (that I believe can be shown well in the essays). Currently project manager in an overseas office.

Extra:
Started up one company (not successful).
Currently starting up a second company.
Actively engaged in foreign community (self-taught fluency through language exchange work/volunteering).
Current soccer team leadership positions (continuously, dating back to undergrad and high school).

So what do you think?

1) Work on applications?
2) Retake GMAT, then work on apps?
3) No chance at all?

Thank you in advance for your help. Your advice is greatly appreciated.

Best Regards.
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by Lisa Anderson » Thu Jul 31, 2008 6:25 am
Dear santiago11,

I have to agree with you--you are in a precarious position as your 680 is a great score (congratulations!) but the GMAT averages of these programs are in the 700s so you feel like you are at a disadvantage. Honestly, I'm not sure if you should retake the GMAT as you are within the mid-50% range of these programs. As such, increasing your score only 20-30 points might not change the decision at all. Without actually reading your application, it is hard to make a determination on whether or not you need a "stronger" GMAT score.

You do have a chance at these programs with your current score. Based on your post, I think you have some interesting professional and personal experiences. You basically have two options:

1) Put your energy into your applications, apply in the first round, and see what happens. If you get waitlisted, you can always retake the GMAT then if that seems to be the concern.

2) Retake the GMAT and try to get your score up at least 20 points. Worst case scenario--out $250 and your time. Best case scenario--get your score up 50 points! :D

I think you need to go with what your gut tells you. If you believe the rest of your application will be strong, then perhaps go ahead and apply.

Best of luck,
Lisa
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by janamal » Thu Jul 31, 2008 3:35 pm
Hi Lisa and Santiago,

I have a very similar background to Santiago:

GMAT: 690 (lower than expected - scored over 700 on practice exams :()
Undergrad: Computer Engineering (Top 3 school) and 3.0 GPA
Work Experience: 6 years (Consulting, Sales, and Biz Dev for technology companies)

My question is regarding retaking the GMAT - will schools see both scores? Do they average your scores? Do they only take the highest one? What if (by some fluke!!!) I were to score lower on the retake?

Thanks so much!
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by tolmar » Fri Aug 01, 2008 2:35 am
Just to add a small question:

Lisa, do you think there is a huge difference between a good application with a 680 score to the same application with a 720 score? this 40 points can be the deal breaker?

let's say we are talking about a school where the average is 700-705.
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by Lisa Anderson » Fri Aug 01, 2008 9:49 am
Dear janamal,

Schools will see the scores for your last three GMAT tests. However, they only use the test with the highest total score for evaluation purposes. Thus there is no averaging scores or using the quant score from one test and the verbal score from another test.

Dear tolmar,

Unfortunately, there is not a definitive answer to your question as it varies be school and by year. A school's applicant pool does have slight variances each year, so in one year that 40 points will make the difference and in other years it will not make any difference. There is no way to predict when it will or won't, so you have to take the gamble and either apply with the 680 or try to retake the test to increase the score. Remember, GMAT is not the definitive decision-maker on any applicant--it is important to be strong overall and a good match for a program.

If the school's average is 700-705, I would probably apply with the 680 IF I was confident the rest of my application was outstanding. Likewise, if I know that I am in a demographic that the school is trying to increase (like women, African-Americans, Europeans, etc.), then I would feel more comfortable applying with the 680.

Best of luck to both of you,
Lisa
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Thanks!

by janamal » Fri Aug 01, 2008 1:08 pm
Hi Lisa,

Thanks for the assistance. How do you determine which demographics these schools are looking for? I've seen demographic breakdowns on their websites but it seems to be pretty consistent that most top biz schools are 30/35 women and 70/65 men.


Thanks!
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by Lisa Anderson » Sat Aug 02, 2008 8:48 am
Dear janamal,

You will never find an explicit statement from a school on what demographic they are looking to increase. However, you can make some assumptions based on the market demands for MBA graduates. For instance, U.S. recruiters of MBAs generally seek common traits, skills and abilities in MBA graduates but there is a smaller population of women in this pool. So women are usually in demand by schools to meet the demand by employers for women MBA talent. Another example would be looking at the international population for a school, specifically the breakdown of countries in this subset. If the school's international population is predominantly from Asia, then it would probably be seeking more qualified applicants from Latin America or Europe to broaden the class.

Regards,
Lisa
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