Let me start off with some context to my question. I graduated from a top 5 US public university (bottom of the Top 30 overall US schools) three years ago. Unfortunately I graduated with only a 3.24 overall GPA with a double major in Economics and Political Science. For my MBA I'm planning on targeting schools in the top 15 (Stern, Ross, Johnson, Darden, Haas). The last one is probably a stretch. As the subject of my post suggests, my questions is should I consider retaking the GMAT?
I took the test yesterday and scored a satisfactory 720 (Q49, V40). However, I had a terrible nights sleep prior to the test and believe I didn't perform near my peak. I also started the quant section ~2 minutes late, which threw off my timing a bit. However, I believe I got slightly lucky with the quant subject matter. As for the verbal, none of it came easily. I was in a complete daze. In particular, my timing was terrible and I had no clarity in my thought. I believe the latter was due to my poor nights sleep.
Is it worth studying for another month and potentially bumping up my score ~20 points? My motivation for considering this is that my GPA is probably a bit on the low side for my target schools. The reason I'm torn is that my score is within the +-30 point error from my practice tests. Accordingly, it's not like this score is entirely unrepresentative of my ability. Yet I think I can do better given a good nights sleep.
I don't plan on applying for to schools for another year so I have time. I also believe I have decent work experience in a desirable industry (biotech) and have a relatively compelling reason for pursuing my MBA.
Should I consider retaking the GMAT? Or does the 720 already do enough to counteract my low GPA? One of the reasons for my thinking is the study described in the below-linked WSJ article. I think everybody has known about the low-challenge high-GPA phenomenon for years, but this brings the subject to the fore.
https://online.wsj.com/article/SB1000142 ... 77584.html
For reference, I've reproduced below the results of my practice tests over the past few months.
Kaplan CAT1: 610
Kaplan CAT2: 640
Kaplan CAT3: 630
Kaplan CAT4: 670
Kaplan CAT5: 640
Kaplan CAT6: 660
Kaplan CAT1: 720 (Repeat)
Kaplan CAT7: 730
Kaplan CAT8: 720
GMAT Prep1: 740 (Q48, V44) (took on 07/07/13)
GMAT Prep2: 740 (Q48, V42) (took on 07/20/13)
Thanks in advance to everyone for any advice!
Low Undergrad GPA GMAT Retake?
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Hi tom.stackley,
The short answer is NO, you should not retest.
The longer answer is this: The application process for most schools is 7 pieces
1) GPA
2) GMAT
3) Work Experience
4) Essays/Personal Statements
5) Letters of Rec
6) Interview (some schools don't offer one)
7) Application
GPA becomes more meaningful if you have little-to-no work experience, but becomes less meaningful as your work experience increases. Your GPA is fine (even Harvard's average GPA for an incoming class isn't much above a 3.5), so your GPA is in range for all the schools that you listed.
Your GMAT is at the high end. Calling a 720 "satisfactory" is an asinine thing to say. The Q49/720 is a combo that most GMAT students will never be able to achieve during their lifetimes, so there's NO benefit in retesting.
Since you're targeting some competitive programs, you might consider looking into Admissions Consulting. Those schools typically reject 80% - 90% of applicants, so you might think about how far you're willing to go to get in. AdCon Experts are essentially tutors for the application process and they can help you to craft your application in the most effective way possible. While none of them can guarantee you anything, there is some value in "knowing" what the Top Schools are looking for and what you can emphasize to increase your odds of receiving an acceptance letter.
Best of Luck,
Rich
The short answer is NO, you should not retest.
The longer answer is this: The application process for most schools is 7 pieces
1) GPA
2) GMAT
3) Work Experience
4) Essays/Personal Statements
5) Letters of Rec
6) Interview (some schools don't offer one)
7) Application
GPA becomes more meaningful if you have little-to-no work experience, but becomes less meaningful as your work experience increases. Your GPA is fine (even Harvard's average GPA for an incoming class isn't much above a 3.5), so your GPA is in range for all the schools that you listed.
Your GMAT is at the high end. Calling a 720 "satisfactory" is an asinine thing to say. The Q49/720 is a combo that most GMAT students will never be able to achieve during their lifetimes, so there's NO benefit in retesting.
Since you're targeting some competitive programs, you might consider looking into Admissions Consulting. Those schools typically reject 80% - 90% of applicants, so you might think about how far you're willing to go to get in. AdCon Experts are essentially tutors for the application process and they can help you to craft your application in the most effective way possible. While none of them can guarantee you anything, there is some value in "knowing" what the Top Schools are looking for and what you can emphasize to increase your odds of receiving an acceptance letter.
Best of Luck,
Rich
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Let me second Rich's comment that a retest isn't advisable. As you already mentioned, you'll be targeting a score within the margin of error--schools are unlikely to see a 20-point difference as the make-or-break factor between acceptance and rejection. The time you could be spending studying would be much more profitable spent focusing on polishing your essays and practicing your interview skills. If you feel like you need a bit of a hand in that regard, an Admissions Consultant can go a long way; our partners at MBAMission will be happy to talk about what they can offer you.
Good luck with your apps, and let me know how else I can help!
Good luck with your apps, and let me know how else I can help!