I just Beat The GMAT!

Hello Beat the GMAT,

This is my first post! I hope it's in the right section!

I've been a passive Beatthegmat'er so far. I love the articles and hearing everyone's story, but I could use some advice on how to move forward. I just finished the 8 week bookend course by Veritas Prep (highly recommended!) and took my GMAT test on Saturday. I am super conflicted about whether or not to take it again before round 2 applications since I'm down to 1 month before applications are due. I got a 690, Q43 V41, and I feel super excited about this, but also really bummed that I didn't break 700. I ended Quant with about 5 minutes to spare and Verbal with about 10. 690 was the bottom of the scores that I would have been really happy to have. I'm looking at Tepper, Booth, Wharton, Yale and Johnson in order and while I'd feel more comfortable with a 700+ in my application, round 2 is January 3rd for the first three of them and I've got to get cracking on applications.

This was my breakdown in practice tests (all full Veritas tests with AWA and IR unless noted):

10/27 - q37 v39 s620
10/29 - q31 v32 s540 (took this at 8pm after work to see how fatigue affected me)
11/03 - q43 v39 s650
11/11 - q40 v33 s600
11/18 - q38 v42 s640
11/23 - q47 (just Quant section)
11/25 - q45 v44 s720 (Full GMAC official practice test)
12/01 - q43 v41 s690 (GMAC official test)

If I hadn't taken the 11/23 or 11/25 practice tests I'd be ecstatic about the 690. I'd love to hear if you think a retake in January would be worth the effort this month. I'd be signing up for the 1/2/12 GMAT test to get in before round 2.

In case my background plays into the retake, I've got 3 years of progressive experience in corporate nonprofit (national office and headquarters for a very large Non-Profit), a bachelors degree in Quantitative Sociology from a mid-to-top public university, and a certificate in Project Management from the University of Chicago. 3.41 undergrad GPA and 4.0 certificate GPA (does that matter?). I'm looking for an MBA program where I could focus on quantitative organizational design and transition post-MBA into human capital consulting with a major management consulting firm.

I appreciate your help and support! Thank you everyone!

RichardRosenow wrote:I'm looking at Tepper, Booth, Wharton, Yale and Johnson in order and while I'd feel more comfortable with a 700+ in my application, round 2 is January 3rd for the first three of them and I've got to get cracking on applications.

This really depends on how far you are in your applications. Are you putting the finishing touches on your essays? If yes, go ahead and take the GMAT again before the R2 deadline. If you haven't started the essays, you don't want to be writing those and prepping for the GMAT at the same time.

Here's another thought: if you think the GMAT is the weakest spot on your application, you can always apply with a 690 (which I think is in the mid 80% of your target schools) and re-take the GMAT after the deadline...this is useful even if the school won't accept an updated score in case you get wait-listed and you think the GMAT was the reason - you'll have an improved score to try to sway the Adcom to admit you off the WL.

Best of luck on the apps!

Congratulations on your score..
Your quant score might raise some doubts with some of the schools in your list. If you do not retake the test, try to alleviate some of those doubts in your essays. From what i have gathered, most top programs like atleast 75 percentile score on the quant section, and most of the top 10 prefer 80 percentile.. Your Quant score is not all that off (2-3 points) but it may be better for you to work on your application especially if you have more then adequate quant background.