Good total GMAT score but low AWA

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hanpin17: Newbie | Next Rank: 10 Posts; Posts: 1; Joined: Sat May 25, 2013 2:43 pm

by hanpin17 » Sat May 25, 2013 2:54 pm

Hi All,

I took the GMAT a month ago and got 750, but AWA was very low - 4.0 (20th percentile). I'm not a native speaker and I have engineering degree from an Ivy League college (very technical background). My goal is Top 5 US schools (e.g. HBS, Wharton, etc.) or a couple in Europe (i.e. LBS, INSEAD).

Should I retake the test? I'm confident that my AWA will improve and total score will not be too low, but I may not get 750 again.

Any opinion / advice will be helpful!

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Source: Beat The GMAT — The Application Process | Sat May 25, 2013 2:54 pm

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CriticalSquareMBA: Legendary Member; Posts: 1088; Joined: Thu Apr 18, 2013 3:29 pmFollowed by: 52 members; Thanked: 171 times

by CriticalSquareMBA » Sun May 26, 2013 7:55 am

Hi there,

This is a tricky question and I'm sure people who post after me will both agree and disagree. Personally, I would say yes, retake it. One question I would ask, however, is what was your Quant / Verbal breakdown outside of AWA?

Even if you don't get a 750, you'll have a more balanced score. The GMAT is looked at so extensively by schools because it provides a standardized platform to assess academic capabilities. Along with your GPA and undergraduate institution, this allows programs to determine if you'll be able to handle their MBA coursework.

A 20th percentile AWA score will raise more questions than a 750 will answer in my opinion. AND - schools will still SEE all your scores. So they'll see the 750 with the 20th AWA, and then they'll see a maybe slightly lower score but a higher AWA and that'll give them a good understanding of where you're coming from and your dedication to the process.

Just my $0.02. Hope it helps!

Bhavik

Critical Square | MBA Admissions Services

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bingo: Junior | Next Rank: 30 Posts; Posts: 20; Joined: Wed Oct 24, 2012 10:44 pm; Thanked: 1 times

by bingo » Sun May 26, 2013 8:02 am

That's a tough one... how is your toefl score?

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ErinaApphelp: Senior | Next Rank: 100 Posts; Posts: 60; Joined: Tue May 21, 2013 11:30 pmFollowed by: 5 members; Location: New Delhi; Thanked: 6 times

by ErinaApphelp » Mon May 27, 2013 1:01 am

Hi,

I feel that you should apply with the present scores. The chances of selection in b-school depend on how well you frame your application essays and showcase headship qualities, professional achievements, maturity and ability to work with others during final interviews. Essays and interviews are the most important elements for admission in b-school(s) and would suggest you to focus on them rather than spending time in GMAT preparations. What if you score less??

Feel free to post any further queries you may have. You may PM your details for school selection or free profile evaluation.

Regards
Erina

hanpin17 wrote:Hi All,

I took the GMAT a month ago and got 750, but AWA was very low - 4.0 (20th percentile). I'm not a native speaker and I have engineering degree from an Ivy League college (very technical background). My goal is Top 5 US schools (e.g. HBS, Wharton, etc.) or a couple in Europe (i.e. LBS, INSEAD).

Should I retake the test? I'm confident that my AWA will improve and total score will not be too low, but I may not get 750 again.

Any opinion / advice will be helpful!

GMAT-720
Undergrad- Top 5 college in India
MBA- Top 15 FT ranking b-school
Free Profile Evaluation- https://www.apphelp.co.in/

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