The Application Process

Hi, I'm considering taking the GMAT for the 3rd time after being waitlisted for a top 15 school.

Profile:
GMAT 1st: 620 (q?, v36)
GMAT 2nd: 680 (q47, v36)
GPA: 3.28/4.00 from a state school with BS in Finance
WE: 4.5 yrs managing and operating a large family restaurant business
Intern: Merrill Lynch
Well rounded profile: study abroad, community club, etc.

Obviously the answer is yes a higher GMAT will help especially on the waitlist, but how about a lower GMAT score? I have heard that major Management consulting companies as well as IB companies look at GMAT as a component of recruiting. Is it imperative that I retake the GMAT with my current quantitative or do I have a shot at major MC & IB companies with my current profile? Is my state school undergraduate degree going to hurt enough that I need to compensate with a higher GMAT? Thanks.

Thanks Weven.

I sympathize with your frustration. Perhaps I can open your eyes to another perspective.

You know another quality Management consulting companies, IB companies, and top schools evaluate in addition to GMAT? Previous management and/or consulting experience. Like most competitive pre-MBA candidates, it can be difficult to gain such experience and provide vivid examples of leading successful projects in difficult business team climates.

If you are connecting with my above point, here is a solution for gaining this experience and elevating your candidacy: volunteer management consulting. There are several organizations like SCORE, Net Impact, USALC, and Taproot that assist nonprofits and small businesses in need of strategic planning assistance by partnering with volunteer professionals.

I suggest that you check out these organizations as an alternative path to achieving your MBA goals.

Thank you & Good luck,

Maxwell Roper
Outreach Director
USA Leadership Corps (USALC)
www usaLeadershipCorps org

I read the discussion here about GMAT score below average, I think you may want to take a look at this lecture. apparently there's a lot to do even if your GMAT is not 750: https://www.aringo.com/low_gmat.htm

Weven -

This may be too obvious, but have you considered getting in touch with your contact at the school to ask what you can do to improve your profile and proactively move yourself from the waiting list to the admitted list?

I recognize that some schools have very strict policies about this. However, relative to the waitlist portion of your question, you may be able to secure some concrete feedback from the school on what would be most helpful.

Additionally, a stronger GMAT score may put you in line for some scholarship or other funding.

Wendy

Wendy Flynn
MBA Admissions Coach
[email protected]

I would re-take the GMAT. Schools only take the highest score, when you apply, as that is the one they will submit for rankings purposes. When it comes to post-MBA employment, if you are required to submit a GMAT score, you only have to submit your highest score as well.

At this point, you can't change your GPA, so I recommend focusing on the aspects of the application you can control today...and the GMAT is just another gauge, besides GPA, of whether or not you can compete in the academic rigor of the MBA programs you are applying to.

I hope this helps. I wish you all the best!

Thank you all for your replies, the application process has been a daunting task to say the least. I owe you all an update.

Currently, I am still waitlisted at Duke and Ross after round 2. However, I have been accepted to CMU Tepper, UCLA Anderson, and UVA Darden so the process is finally over.

To those of you in similar situations, I have found that M/B/B will require a 700+ GMAT according to everyone I have talked to in the industry (for the most part, hard for anyone under to get offers). But they are not the only management consulting companies. After much debate with myself and talking with friends/family/schools, I have decided to pursue Investment Banking instead (more for future career reasons and hate for constant traveling during the interview process).

I'll be attending UVA Darden and have decided to take the next few months to enjoy my time with the people around me instead of the GMAT. I still have fears over a lower GMAT score during recruiting but that means that I will need to excel in other areas to make up for it. Thank you all for your help and opinions during this process. As others have said, there are no right answers.

Thanks Brian.

I'm not pursuing MC because I realized that it isn't what I want to do. I originally considered MC because there seems to be a trend among MBA students to go into that field. After doing more research and looking at my future aspirations, I decided that I would rather go into IB/finance.

It sound like you have a good amount of experience and your scores are above average. I just completed a graduate program at Babson College and had similar stats as you; I would definitely add their San Francisco MBA programs to the list. It was such a great experience and I think you would be an awesome fit...check it out, and best of luck.