The Application Process

I got a 640 on my GMAT, and with the split being 39V/38Q, this unfortunately puts me in the 44th %ile for Math. Yikes. But I want to go to a Top 10 school (crazy, I know), and I know this GMAT score is of no help, so I am hoping to show them I will be ready for b-school math by taking math courses now.

I know the best thing for me to do is go take a class at a local university, but this is the crazy season for work and I doubt I would be able to attend any class regularly unfortunately. Plus, all of my money is going towards these applications, so I am trying to save in that region also.

I was wondering if MOOCs (online courses taken through programs such as Coursera) would be accepted by the schools. They are mostly free - $50, a tad bit more flexible, and I can take them from prestigious universities (like taking Financial Accounting from Wharton). I took a Coursera course for fun last year, a Behavioral Economics course from Duke, and scored 90% overall in the class -- this tells me that I can get grades from some classes and not just rely on pass/fail.

The other option is MBAmath.com. Would Stanford, Harvard, Kellogg, etc. be more inclined to like this over the option above? Will they hate both options? Is this a great way to show, "Hey, I really bombed the math part on the GMAT, but look -- I am going to be SO prepared for math once I enroll that it is insane!"

Any advice appreciated.

Yes - online classes are considered as effort taken to improve your quantitative skills. However, if you are applying to Harvard/Standford you may have to go all in and quit compromising with online classes. Everyon has to work and everyone juggles with thier life and issues. You'll need to prove that you're better at managing time by taking proper classes if you are inclined to apply to top tier 1 and 2 schools. You have the option of taking online classes with grades, however, the competition is tough. They'll ask you why didn't you make the effort to sit through GMAT again.
In short, you need to buckle up and get real. If you want to go to these top tier 1 schools - you'll need to take a step back and see what amount of commitment are you willing to make for your future.

If you want to go all out, sit for GMAT again. If you don't get a good score, then you could take a class with grade and get 90% to show improvement but if you want to make your case stronger, I'd recommend that you bite the bullet and sit for GMAT again. Aim to score higher.

Hope this helps.