Chances of getting in with 660 GMAT

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Chances of getting in with 660 GMAT

by anapro9 » Tue Sep 01, 2015 7:37 pm
Hi all,

I'm gearing up to apply to business school and wanted to get opinions about whether or not I should retake the GMAT.

Despite being really strong at quant when I was younger (really high SATs, etc.) I have just mentally struggled with the GMAT, getting much lower scores on actual test days than I was capable of on simulated practice tests. I got the same score (640) three times in a row (!!) despite significant study and 660 on the last try, netting me a (39Q, 41V). My verbal is much higher than my quant.

My undergraduate degree was in journalism but I have spent the last six years working in strategic communications consulting, advising companies on M&A, bankruptcies, IPOs, critical issues, etc. My work has spanned a very wide range of business issues and projects and I feel that I would have a very unique background to bring to the table. Was promoted three times in six years.

I am also female and immigrated when I was young from Russia, have lived in many parts of the US. Strong community service.

Graduated top of my class and did an independent study/research thesis in journalism at a public university known specifically for its journalism school; got a 3.9 GPA overall and high grades in accounting, stats, econ and management to complete a business specialization (though I'm worried schools won't use that as evidence to balance out my low GMAT quant score bc it was a public university). I also deal a lot with quant concepts in my job now, even though it is focused on communications.

I want to apply as early as possible to my top choices and feel that the best use of my time now is to focus on applications versus retaking the GMAT. I also think I will have two great letters of reco.

Is the 660 gmat going to be a nonstarter for Columbia, NYU, Tuck?
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by MargaretStrother » Wed Sep 02, 2015 6:53 am
Fortunately, there is a lot more to getting into a top business school than the GMAT alone, and you've got a lot of great stuff here. However, you want to be sure you're putting together your strongest, most competitive package in every area. I would never say any score is a "non-starter", but you will want to be realistic about your chances, given that the median GMAT for these schools is much higher.

You can back yourself up with an optional essay showing your strong hands-on quant skills, and hope that the schools appreciate this, but the one thing you never know is who else might be applying at the same time: imagine that you're competing against your twin, and the school is only going to accept one of you. What can you do to strengthen your application and edge her out?

Two things you might consider: one would be slightly less competitive but equally fantastic schools (perhaps Cornell?), another would be less competitive programs from the same institutions. I've seen a lot of good outcomes for people with lower GMATs at Columbia's J-Term or NYU's Langone program. Of course you can simply take your chances and go for the absolute highest schools on your list, but do so with a sense of realism about what the statistics are telling you.

Good luck!
Margaret Strother
Margaret Strother
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