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lowest lows of verbal scores?

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lowest lows of verbal scores?

by SparrO » Fri Jul 16, 2010 8:19 pm
I must say: This is a wonderful platform and reaching out to all the MBA pundits has never been easier.

I need some advice. I took GMAT for the second time and scored 670.My Quant score is 50 and my Verbal score is a rather dismal 29. My first attempt at GMAT (640) got me 46 in Quant and 34 in Verbal,but this score is about 2 years old.

I plan to apply to a few MIS courses, such as ones from IU,CMU.

Is there a possibility that these schools reject my application because of my low verbal score? I am aware that its the whole application that counts and GMAT scores are just a part of the successful application.

I think I could do better in the verbal section of the test,so should I retake it for the third time?



Thanks!
-SparrO appreciates all the valuable advice! :)
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by Tani » Sun Jul 18, 2010 7:44 am
Certainly a higher verbal score would be helpful. Admissions committees look hard at both elements of your GMAT score. This is not arbitrary. Communicating your thoughts is as important as formulating them. If your command of English is not clear, you will be hampered in tihe classroom and your ability to contribute will be limited. This lowers the quality of everyone's learning. Equally important is your ability to read information (often very dull information) and make sense of it. These are skills the GMAT tests. A good GMAT course will not only raise your score, but also build skills needed in the B-school classroom and the business world.

You say you believe you can get a higher verbal score. Have you gotten higher scores on practice tests? Did you neglect to prepare for the verbal portion? If you simply plan on sitting down and taking the test again without improving your preparation, it is unlikely that your score will improve significantly. A few hours with a seasoned GMAT tutor should be a tremendous help. One-on-one work could point out key areas in which you are going astray in dealing with the questions. Finding trends, rather than just dealing with individual problems, is the best approach to permanently raising your command of the language and, consequently, your score.
Tani Wolff
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by SparrO » Sun Jul 18, 2010 9:17 am
Thank you Tani! Feels good to get a reply! :)
Regarding your question about my verbal scores on GMAT practice tests: I did take about 8-9 Full length practice tests,and was averaging about 36 on the Verbal portion.As a matter of fact till the real G-Day,I never scored less than 34.

I just think I ran out of steam when I was attempting the Verbal portion,and the whole time I was thinking what my final scores would be. I can't believe I really did that!

Should I take the test again?I believe I can fare much better than the last time,but then I'll be taking the test the third time.Is it a wise decision? Or should I take a chance and apply with this score?

Thanks again for showing me the light ! :)

-SparrO
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by Tani » Sun Jul 18, 2010 2:19 pm
It sounds as though you had a good dose of "test day stress". I recommend taking a few weeks to go back over your verbal skills and relax. If you can even build confidence in a couple of key skills that would help. Are you doing a passage map and identifying topic, scope and purpose in your reading sections. Spending time working to see a clear improvement in even one area should build your confidence and help you avoid a meltdown on the next verbal section.
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by Tani » Mon Jul 19, 2010 4:44 am
Although your verbal score will be less important than your quantitative score, given that you are applying to MIS-based programs, you don't want to leave a hole in your application if you don't have to. Top schools have so many candidates to choose from that they are not inclined to take a chance on someone who shows what they consider a risk factor. Try a couple more weeks studying - analyzing the areas in which you are faltering and seeing if you can correct a couple of them. Then try another practice test. if you verbal score goes up significantly (and your quant stays high) then take another test. You don't want to take another test and get an equal or lower score, so be confident that you can improve before you sign up. Remember, when you do apply, the schools will see all scores earned within the last five years.
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