Ask an MBA Admissions Consultant

Hi ! I am a south american female, from Peru to be exact, just turned 26 yrs old and my experience includes:

-2.5 work experience at PwC NYC, in transfer pricing (as opposed to audit)
-2 years of business planning/corporate finance at a media agency in NYC(largest in the world)
-Attended HS in Peru and double majored in Hartford, CT in Economics/Finance and Political economy, graduated Magna Cum Laude
-Captain of the tennis team in Hartford during the 4 years of school, while on a full scholarship
-Fluent in Spanish, very good German and basic Italian
-Member of Alpfa (association of latinos in finance and accounting) since 2005 (attend events,but not on the board due to work schedule)
-Trade stocks for fun
-Have been promoted to manager after 1.5 years as a sr. analyst at my current job.
-Excellent recommenadation letters.

My concern is that I took the gmat in March 08 and got a 530, and then retook it in August and got a 530 again. I will try again on the 16th, won't give up since all my practice test scores are at 650, never less than 600. (Why is that?!)

Also, since I became a US citizen, would I still be considered international/minority?

Given my GMAT scores I am worried about applying to schools that are in the top 15-25 range. Could anybody please advice on what are my chances at Duke, Notre Dame, UNC- KF and USC (Moore)?
And if I retake it and get for instance a 600, which are the best schools that I could possibly apply to?

I spoke to a guy who is currently attending UNC and said his peers got 580s to 630s in the GMAT, not to worry about it so much.

Any advice, even if hurtful will be appreciated! I just don't want to waste my time with the crazy application process.

Thanks.

It will be very difficult to get into a top 25 school with a score of 530. Since you have consistently demonstrated excellence both professionally and academically, it seems that you have the intelligence to conquer the GMAT. You should revisit your test taking techniques and invest in a study group, book, and/or course to get your score above 600. Ideally, you should be within or above the 80% range of GMAT scores of the programs you apply to. There are always outliers however a 530 is probably e a dealbreaker for a top program.

Hi, thanks for the reply.

So, what is the minimum score that you think will get me into those schools given my profile?

I have practiced with the OG, Veritas classes, Gmat800, 20+ practice tests. What else would you recommend? This is insane

Thanks.

You can find all the GMAT ranges on the school's websites under class profiles but I would shoot for your best score possible

Are you lower in the verbal or quant? There are techniques that will help you overcome a low GMAT score and with your unique and interesting background I believe you can do just that. Feel free to email me directly with more questions.