Ask mbaMission

I took GMAT yesterday.Got 690(Q50, V34)( Like others I expected 720+ )
Now I have this fear of not touching 700.
I am an Indian girl, will have a 4 yrs of experience by the time I join a B-school next year.
I have worked with a 5000+ people company and currently working with a start-up(a 20 people company)
I have been been involved with an NGO as a volunteer for almost two years(long before I thought about GMAT)
are UCLA, Duke, ISB, CMU, Chicago, Cornell, Georgia reachable?

About retaking and applying blindly, money is slightly a concern, so please be true to me.
I want to apply to 5-6 colleges, Can it be below 20 rank?
Let me know if any other information is required for the evaluation.

Hi -

I am not sure what you mean by retaking and applying blindly?

If it is your first time taking the test, I probably would recommend a retake, but if that is not in the cards given timing and you do not believe you can do better, than that is fine - a 690 is a good score.

Regarding your list of schools as it stands...I think it incorporates balance which is good. With your profile, Chicago, Duke and UCLA would be on the "stretch" end of the pendulum followed by Cornell and CMU more in the middle. Georgia would seem to be a safe option. I would probably suggest taking two from the "stretch" along with Cornell/CMU and Georgia. If you wanted to be a bit more conservative, you could replace one of the more competitive programs and add another safer option, perhaps below the top 20 rank.

I hope that helps!
Best,
Erin