The Application Process

I am in the process of selecting a date to take the GMAT. I'm considering taking it one week later to get some more study time, but if I do that, my schedule won't allow me to take it again a month later if I do poorly. Hence, my question:

How do HBS and Stanford generally perceive applicants who take the GMAT more than once? I suppose all else equal, the student who "beats the gmat" after one attempt with a 720 is probably stronger than one who takes it once, gets a 670, studies for a month, then gets a 720. Is that the case? How about cancelling scores? Is that viewed negatively?

Would appreciate if someone could refer me to a source with a discussion on this topic or let me know what they have learned. Thanks!

AdCom will always take the higher score. They will not consider how many times you took the test, unless it is excessive - which I most believe to be more than three times.

NP

HBS seems to state they only review the single GMAT attempt you report on your application? If this is true, do they look for excessive attempts?

"Can I list only my best GMAT score?
Yes. We review only the score from a single test sitting that you present in your application. "

https://www.hbs.edu/mba/faq/#gmat

Yes, they will consider your highest score.

However, on the GMAT score report, it will list the dates and scores of each attempt you took, whether you like it or not. That way, the Adcom can see how many times you took it.

As long as you do better on your second try, it really doesn't matter if you score a 720 on your first try or second try. In fact, re-taking the GMAT and then scoring higher shows that you really care about getting into bschool. So it's def. not viewed negatively.

Good luck!

I agree with tmimo and VP_GMAT_Guru. Your highest score will be all that matters unless you take 4+ tests