Ask Veritas Prep Admissions Consulting

Hello,

I am about to submit my R2 applications and I wanted to just run something by you guys before hitting the button.

I took the GMAT on Saturday (1/9) and scored a 680...but my breakdown was a 39Q, 44V. I had some extenuating circumstances (basically there was a loud jackhammer running for a portion of my quant section that disrupted my concentration pretty badly). I don't know how much of a difference it made, really, as I was testing in the 42-44Q and a 43-46V...so I wasn't super far off of my averages.

Basically, I will explain this in the optional essay and point to my quant undergrad work, consulting internship that required me to understand fairly complex engineering work, and post grad courses in accounting and finance at Wharton. I want to know how much of a killer you think it will be in my apps or if it will be less of an issue than I think. I'm applying to Stern, Texas, and USC.

Some other background: 3.83 overall GPA (and a 4.0 in my 2 Wharton postbacc classes) in a science major from an Ivy.
2 year internship and 1 year full-time doing business consulting work (energy focus) at NGO.
2 years of cash management operations at top investment management firm.

Also, I am considering an application to UCLA and MIT, but am I too far out of their league to be considered for R3?

Hi hypermeganet,

I don't think a 680 (even with that pretty low quant score) will be an automatic deal breaker that those schools. I think you can also still apply to Anderson and Sloan with a 680. I would just be careful not to come off as sounding too much like you're making excuses in your optional essay. Adcomms can start to lose patience when they're presented with a lot of "But it's not my fault, I can explain, etc., so tread carefully here. I do think you're doing the right thing by highlighting the other parts of your profile that highlight your analytical abilities -- your job and your postgraduate work.

Note that I said ANALYTICAL abilities, not quant abilities... Admissions officers don't just want a number cruncher, but rather someone who can assess a potentially murky situation, pull out the facts that matter, and make a decision based on that information. Your quant abilities will showcase this skill, but they're just part of the story.

It's water under the bridge now, but I have to ask: Did you tell anyone at the testing center abut the noise problem while it was happening?

Scott

VP_Scott wrote:Hi hypermeganet,

I don't think a 680 (even with that pretty low quant score) will be an automatic deal breaker that those schools. I think you can also still apply to Anderson and Sloan with a 680. I would just be careful not to come off as sounding too much like you're making excuses in your optional essay. Adcomms can start to lose patience when they're presented with a lot of "But it's not my fault, I can explain, etc., so tread carefully here. I do think you're doing the right thing by highlighting the other parts of your profile that highlight your analytical abilities -- your job and your postgraduate work.

Note that I said ANALYTICAL abilities, not quant abilities... Admissions officers don't just want a number cruncher, but rather someone who can assess a potentially murky situation, pull out the facts that matter, and make a decision based on that information. Your quant abilities will showcase this skill, but they're just part of the story.

It's water under the bridge now, but I have to ask: Did you tell anyone at the testing center abut the noise problem while it was happening?

Scott

I said something right after the section during the break before the verbal part. I didn't say anything during the exam because I was worried that they would just offer me to take it again another time and I didn't have time to do redo it before the R2 deadline. I was told I had to contact Pearson's customer service...and I did so right after the exam. The email I received back said:

"you did not say anything immediately during the exam and we cannot offer you any resolution. We are closing your case." So, yeah, that was awesome.

We'll see how I do with those schools. I hope I have a good shot at Texas and USC. I think NYU is a bit more numbers heavy...but I think I made my case well with them, too.

That sucks... Sorry to hear it! But I still think that it won't completely take you out of the running.

Good luck,
Scott