Retake GMAT? 680; R1 WL by Wharton/Duke

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Retake GMAT? 680; R1 WL by Wharton/Duke

by chiyuanl » Fri Dec 26, 2008 9:48 pm
Hi Lina,
I am in the middle of application process and urgently in need of your advice on my next application stratygy.

Here is my background:
1) Taiwan; G:680 (M:88%/V:70%/AWA:5.5); T:103; GPA:3.4 (Major: Economics + minor: Biz administration)
2) W/E: 1.5(army)+ 3.5 IT consulting - from project manager to business development manager / worked and lived in 5 emerging countries of Asia
3) Applied R1: Wharton/Duke/Kellogg/Cornell(R2)/NYU
Result: WL - Wharton/Duke
Interview - Kellogg
No result from Cornell/NYU yet.

Since I got WL by both Wharton/Duke, I am wondering whether my GMAT is the bottleneck in my application? However, I took heavy quant courses in university and 2 recommenders are all Indian who talked a lot on my ability to work in English environment.

Do you think I should try more schools in R2 or just focus on retaking GMAT? If try more schools, should I try other 1st tier schools or 2nd tier schools?

PS: I took 4 times GMAT. The latest score is lower than the 3rd.

Thank you!
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by Cindy Tokumitsu » Sat Dec 27, 2008 4:00 pm
Hello,

Given your track record with the GMAT, it doesn’t seem to be a good idea to retake it – only if you are sure you can do better. Since you got waitlisted with the current score, it’s actually not serving you too badly! Getting waitlisted in R1 is an expression of serious interest on the part of the adcom. Really it’s more like a deferral than a waitlist – they want to see more applicants before deciding. Moreover, some programs including

Still, because being waitlisted is no guarantee, if you have the time you would do well to apply to a couple more schools in R2. I suggest targeting slightly less competitive schools to enhance your chances of getting admitted – if you find programs that will meet your needs.

Cindy Tokumitsu
Senior Editor, Accepted.com
www.Accepted.com

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by chiyuanl » Sat Dec 27, 2008 11:50 pm
Hi Cindy,
Thank you for the reply. "Moreover, some programs including ........." here seems lost some words here....?

could you please update,

Thanks!


Happy holiday

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by chiyuanl » Tue Dec 30, 2008 6:38 am
Also, I am wondering the chance of getting to HBS/MIT/Columbia in R2...could you please help evaluate?

thanks!