The Application Process

Hi,

The first time I took GMAT, I scored 530 (Q39, V25). I know I messed up on the verbal because I didn't time myself well.

I decided to retake it and I focused both on verbal and quant while preparing again. However i put more emphasis on quant since I knew I wasn't doing really good on it from what I saw on my practice exams
My second attempt- I scored 610 (Q39, V34).

Now I'm a female electrical engineer, with an undergrad GPA 3.9/4.0. I was among the top 5% percent of my graduating class and I got As on all of my calculus and statistics courses back on school.

So, I'm really confused- why am I performing so badly on quant??
I just don't understand, despite going through all the prep materials, focusing on my weak areas and frequently taking practice exams, I continue to score bad on my quant.

My target schools are Rotman, Schulich, Rotterdam. Their average GMAT is around 650 and I'm 40-60 points lower.

I was wondering, if my good performance on my undergrad calc and statistics courses will help to leverage the low quant GMAT score?

Thanks for sharing your profile.

Strong undergrad grades, especially on quant courses and quant accomplishments at work can help mitigate the impact of your low GMAT scores. You would need to present them clearly in your applications to address potential concerns about your academic potential to keep pace at the program, as your current GMAT score is at the lower end to the range.

All things equal. getting a higher score on the GMAT would help boost your chances for admissions and even scholarships. Thus, it may still be a good idea to invest more efforts or even engage a GMAT test prep company to potentially unlock your ability to excel on the GMAT, just as you have done with calculus and statistics courses at school.

Wish you all the best!

Thank you for your reply. I really appreciate it.

How are you on the basics? Can you do the times tables through 15 in your sleep? Square numbers through 25 instantly? Have you practiced prime factorizations through 100 a bunch of times?

When you're doing a problem are you solving the right problem? I found that explicitly writing WHAT a problem was asking and limitations in domain/range helped a lot. (e.g. X = ? where X exists in Z+ & W <= X)