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680 GMAT...Retake? Everyone telling me something different

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680 GMAT...Retake? Everyone telling me something different

by FutureMBAer » Tue Feb 24, 2009 6:27 pm
Stacy,

I have posted whether I should retake the GMAT given a 680 on a few forums and I think I have gotten a different response from every one.

I was reading through your responses and you seem to be the only person that has said, on a few occasions, that a person should retake and try for 680+. I was wondering if you could give me some advice....

I am seeking admission for Fall 2010. At that time, I will have 3 years full time w/e with a Fortune 100 company (engineering). I graduated with a B.S. in Electrical Engineering w/ a 3.9 GPA and ranked #3 in my curriculum out of 100+ students, graduated w/ Highest Honors.

My extracurricular activities during undergrad are pretty strong
1. Worked (invited by founder who was a professor) at a technology start-up during senior year of college part time (although given a lot of responsibility)
2. Undergraduate teaching assistant (selected by professor due to academic performance)
3. Independent study/research in addition to typical curriculum
4. Tutor at university learning center for mathematics and physics courses
5. President of fraternity (I understand the stereotype associated with this achievement, but I managed to turn this fraternity around in the eyes of university officials and ended up being very successful in this position)

My extracurricular activities post-grad have been strong as well:
1. Nominated to an organization within my company responsible for supporting business decisions (acts as a talent mgmt. organization)
2. I am currently a lead in a "new employee organization" within my corporation

Now, given my quantitative background, I am disappointed with my score. I truly believe I could bring the quant score up. (I am not sure how my verbal score would end up second time around...although, I am confident.) I ended up with the following:

680 (Q46 (77%), V38 (83%), Overall - 86%)

I am considering top schools including the following: Wharton, Columbia, and Stern

Would you recommend retaking the exam given my academic performance and brief profile I provided?

I have been told either "retake it, you might have trouble" or "don't worry about it, you're GPA will compensate". I could truly use your advice.

Thanks.
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by Lisa Anderson » Wed Feb 25, 2009 6:56 am
Dear FutureMBAer,

Both answers are actually right because decisions are made on more than a GMAT score. Depending on how the rest of your application looks, your 680 might be fine OR you might really need to raise your score another 50 points to strengthen your application as you don't have many professional experiences to write/talk about in your essays/interviews. In your 3 years of experience, have you progressed in responsibility at an average rate or an above average rate? Do you have some successful leadership and teamwork experiences you can write about? Do you have realistic career goals and can present a strong rationale for why you need a MBA to achieve your future career goals? You also have to look at your background in relation to each of your schools and choose programs appropriate for not only your profile, but for your career goals.

I would encourage you to really think about your background, your career goals and what you seek in a business school. Then you can compare to your current list and perhaps identify a few other schools. You have 3 highly, highly competitive programs so it would be prudent to add 1-2 safety schools to the mix. Since your GMAT is below average for these schools, you must determine whether or not you think your GPA and work experience will make up for your GMAT score.

Good luck,
Lisa
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by FutureMBAer » Wed Feb 25, 2009 8:01 am
Hi Lisa,

As an engineer in a very advanced & high cost of failure sector (space/satellites), leadership opportunities are much more difficult to come by then in other industries/occupations. Similarly, fast career progression doesn't take place b/c of the type of work. I am by no means trying to make excuses, but this is the unfortunate truth.

My GPA was very high, well exceeding the average of top schools (in addition I was extremely active beyond my courses).

I have progressed in responsibility at work, not necessarily at an above average rate, but surely not at an average rate. Before I transferred to my current division, at my previous division I became a lead of a small team which consisted of individuals who had been with the company for 20+ years. At the time, I was given a lot of responsibility for an employee of my experience.

In a nutshell, I would like an MBA because I would like to build a foundation in business and become a business leader while leveraging a highly technical background and technical understanding. (Obviously, that was a very summarized statement.)

--Do you feel my 3 years of experience might be an issue? Will an additional 30 points on my GMAT really make a big difference given my GPA?
--Does adcom take into account my industry and why I might not have had the same opportunity for "career progression" and leadership as others?

Thanks.
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by Lisa Anderson » Thu Feb 26, 2009 12:50 pm
Unfortunately, the answers are not clear cut. You really have to weigh what you feel your strengths are versus how the rest of the applicant pool might look--in essence, you have to make assumptions and take risks. While your 680 might be high enough for many schools, there are no definitive answers when it comes to top 20 programs. I think you just need to decide if you feel the rest of your application will be enough to distinguish you or if you need the above average GMAT score to be competitive at a school. You do have experience in an industry that is not as common, which could work to your advantage, but you need to show a depth of expertise and have some strong examples to write about in your essays. It's the quality of your work experience that counts, not the quantity or the industry.

Whether or not 30 points makes a difference depends on the school and the year as there are many variances in applicant pools. It might not make much difference, but it might. If you truly aspire to a top 20 program and believe you can increase your score, then it is probably worth trying to score in the 700s.

Good luck,
Lisa
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Stacy Blackman Consulting

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