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speedyb09
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I already know where I want to go to school -- I really, really want to go to Stanford GSB. I think the GSB program is completely perfect with what I want to do and what I want to learn. I have fallen head over heels for GSB... but the GMAT hates me. Should I even try to apply to these schools with a 640?
Schools applying to: Stanford, Harvard, Kellogg, Haas, Yale, Ross
The bad:
640 GMAT (38 Q, 39V)
3.3 GPA
The good-ish:
640 GMAT was a 100 point improvement from before
3.3 GPA was from Ivy League school while also working term-time and being a varsity athlete
Female, African-American, First generation college student
Did a fellowship year in South Africa doing community development work with orphans affected by HIV/AIDS
Work at a big-name company tech company (in HR)
Want to go to b-school to actually change/improve the management of charter schools catering to children from low-income areas
The ugly:
I really want to apply to these schools (there is no question about desire), but I am afraid that I wont even get looked at with a 640. I know that we are all told "the GMAT is just a part of your application," but we also know that getting into Stanford or Harvard is nearly impossible -- and I don't necessarily have the heart-wrenching "story" that could get me past it. I think that there is strength in my essays, but I am not sure what to do with this 640.
Now the decision comes: do I focus on the applications now and just hope for the best, start studying for the GRE and take it instead (which I feel I could do better on), or retake the GMAT? I really don't think I would go up much more if I retook the GMAT, and I would have to wait until R2 for HBS.
Does anyone have any thoughts? I would rather someone be honest and say, "You should probably not apply to HBS and GSB and save your money" than try to sugar-coat. I am a bit crestfallen already by this GMAT, so I just want to make sure I am on the right track. Is it worth applying to these schools, even if I couldn't get better than a 640? If I had to apply to these schools with my GMAT score as is, should I apply to them?
Have you or someone you know gotten in with a GMAT score this low? How did they overcome this? What did they focus on?
Thanks for your help.
Schools applying to: Stanford, Harvard, Kellogg, Haas, Yale, Ross
The bad:
640 GMAT (38 Q, 39V)
3.3 GPA
The good-ish:
640 GMAT was a 100 point improvement from before
3.3 GPA was from Ivy League school while also working term-time and being a varsity athlete
Female, African-American, First generation college student
Did a fellowship year in South Africa doing community development work with orphans affected by HIV/AIDS
Work at a big-name company tech company (in HR)
Want to go to b-school to actually change/improve the management of charter schools catering to children from low-income areas
The ugly:
I really want to apply to these schools (there is no question about desire), but I am afraid that I wont even get looked at with a 640. I know that we are all told "the GMAT is just a part of your application," but we also know that getting into Stanford or Harvard is nearly impossible -- and I don't necessarily have the heart-wrenching "story" that could get me past it. I think that there is strength in my essays, but I am not sure what to do with this 640.
Now the decision comes: do I focus on the applications now and just hope for the best, start studying for the GRE and take it instead (which I feel I could do better on), or retake the GMAT? I really don't think I would go up much more if I retook the GMAT, and I would have to wait until R2 for HBS.
Does anyone have any thoughts? I would rather someone be honest and say, "You should probably not apply to HBS and GSB and save your money" than try to sugar-coat. I am a bit crestfallen already by this GMAT, so I just want to make sure I am on the right track. Is it worth applying to these schools, even if I couldn't get better than a 640? If I had to apply to these schools with my GMAT score as is, should I apply to them?
Have you or someone you know gotten in with a GMAT score this low? How did they overcome this? What did they focus on?
Thanks for your help.
