Hey mmgmat - congrats on that great total score!

You probably know that 2+2 in particular has a very high bar in terms of averages on who they usually accept. Your stats would put you in the running for these programs, though as you probably expected we'd say, that quant is a little low considering your engineering background. It's going to be more important to explain your career goals in a concise way and show why these uniquely-structured programs are the best strategy for you to get where you want to go. You need to give them reasons to believe you're a high achiever in all areas of your life. Generally those accepted to these programs do have a somewhat higher GPA even than your 3.5. It's certainly possible for you to make it into one of these tracks but they're insanely competitive and it now will come down to what stories you can present to them about your achievements etc.

Another to consider, in case you hadn't already researched them, is the IESE Young Leaders Program in Spain (you don't need to speak Spanish to go through that MBA program but it wouldn't hurt to know the language in Barcelona). There's also, of course, a gazillion "pre-experience" Master's programs that you might be interested in - not MBAs, but teaching many of the same core subjects. LBS, Duke, and a slew of other top schools offer these, and they tend to be less competitive than the HBS program.

Hope this helps!
EssaySnark

essaysnark wrote:Hey mmgmat - congrats on that great total score!

You probably know that 2+2 in particular has a very high bar in terms of averages on who they usually accept. Your stats would put you in the running for these programs, though as you probably expected we'd say, that quant is a little low considering your engineering background. It's going to be more important to explain your career goals in a concise way and show why these uniquely-structured programs are the best strategy for you to get where you want to go. You need to give them reasons to believe you're a high achiever in all areas of your life. Generally those accepted to these programs do have a somewhat higher GPA even than your 3.5. It's certainly possible for you to make it into one of these tracks but they're insanely competitive and it now will come down to what stories you can present to them about your achievements etc.

Another to consider, in case you hadn't already researched them, is the IESE Young Leaders Program in Spain (you don't need to speak Spanish to go through that MBA program but it wouldn't hurt to know the language in Barcelona). There's also, of course, a gazillion "pre-experience" Master's programs that you might be interested in - not MBAs, but teaching many of the same core subjects. LBS, Duke, and a slew of other top schools offer these, and they tend to be less competitive than the HBS program.

Hope this helps!
EssaySnark

Hi essaysnark,
Thanks a lot for your valuable advice.

Actually I was hoping that my engineering background would offset the low quant score.

I am aware of the fact that HBS is a very competitive program, and that is why I wanted to know whether retaking the GMAT would be a good idea? You see, throughout my preparation I was getting scores of 770 and 780 on my practice tests and was expecting the same on the final exam. However I screwed up my quant section by wasting time on 2 questions and ended up with a 740.
So should I retake the exam??
Please help me out.

Hi again mmgmat!

Our standard advice is, if you think you can score better, take the test again.

The way that 2+2 candidates are evaluated relies heavily on the stats of the profile - GMAT and GPA matter a lot (probably more than they do for a regular MBA). Your engineering background actually sets the bar higher for you! A 740 is a very strong score and it is not necessary to retest by any means - but it's also one area you have control over. If you think you can do better, then go for it!

You also need to balance this out with the fact that essay-writing is very time-consuming, much more so than most people expect. Doing that plus test prep at the same time can be tough. It's not critical that a 2+2 candidate apply in Rd 1, so tackle these things the way you can make the most of them.

Grades are probably more important than GMAT - don't let your focus waver academically!!!

(And we're still chuckling at your question: "I am aware of the fact that HBS is a very competitive program, and that is why I wanted to know whether retaking the GMAT would be a good idea?" -- retaking the GMAT is *always* a good idea when the competition is this fierce!!!! )

Hope this helps!!!!!
EssaySnark