Stacy - Help Needed

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Stacy - Help Needed

by hgupta0 » Sun Dec 07, 2008 11:00 am
Stacy -

Hope all is well. I recently gave my GMAT again and scored a dismal 660. However, my quant scores were pretty good (48), i failed at verbal (33). The first time around (640) my quant scores were bad and my verbal was good. I am usually good with verbal - read a fair amount and I thought i was good at CR. But I guess that's life.

Having said that, here is a brief overview:

Indian/28/Male. I started off with IT Engineering but turned myself into a full blown strategy consultant (because this is where my true passion lies). Was working at the top consulting firms in US at a post-MBA level when the financial crisis got the better off me and i got laid off. Bumming around these days, taking my GMAT and trying to make it to R2.

I did my undergrad from a top university in Australia (GPA: 3.3 or so). I did my Masters in CS from a top 20 US university. During my masters i decided that i had to get out of CS and pursue my dreams. Been an uphill battle but i managed to do well.

My theme really is that i was able to really go after what i wanted and have strong reasons to pursue an MBA. I have strong recommendations. For my extra-curriculars, I have been obsessed with the world of finance for the past 2 years and have been consulting mainly financial service institutions (wrong time to pick this industry). I had to learn a lot about finance (capital markers, banking and securities) after work and I was successful at it.

Have great leadership experience. Was able to propose a Knowledge Management culture and drafted recommendations for one of the firms I worked for. Took lots of initiatives at work which really defines who I am.

Given that I have never worked in India, I am going to India in Jan next year and will be applying for a few jobs there to get exposure to the markets there. I plan to return to India after my b-school to help develop the wealth management industry there (long term goals). For my short term goals, I'd like to work in McKinsey/Booz in the corporate finance/M&A group (this ties in very well with my past).

Cutting this short, Stacy, here is my question for you:

1) Given that my dream school were LBS/Wharton/Insead, it seems that my GMAT score may be a limiting factor. Also, given the volume of applications that the top B-schools are receiving, I have decided to apply to Sloan, Darden, Oxford and Tepper. I have no interest in going to schools beyond top 15 and may even drop Tepper from the list.

Should i retake my GMAT next month before the r2 deadlines and hope that I am able to pull of the verbal? I am kinda burnt out:(

Please respond at your convenience.

Best

- H
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by Lisa Anderson » Mon Dec 08, 2008 9:06 am
Dear H,

I agree that your GMAT is a potential weakness for you and understand your lack of energy to attempt it again. Your 660 is not out of range, and the higher quant score will aid your case. What makes the difference for any applicant is how well you put your application together. It is imperative you present a strong rationale for why you want a MBA, how it fits into your overall career plan, and why the school you are applying to is a good match for you. Likewise, you must distinguish yourself from the competition and demonstrate successful leadership experiences/evidence of leadership potential. I think if you can put a compelling application together, you do have a chance at some of your target schools. However, I would not drop Tepper from your list and encourage you to consider schools between 15 and 25. There are so many great programs that would be interested in your professional experience.

Best of luck,
Lisa
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by hgupta0 » Mon Dec 08, 2008 9:27 am
Thanks Stacy.

It is frustrating and I do understand that most of us tend to overestimate the importance of GMAT in the grand scheme of things.

However, I do agree with you that given a strong application package I should be able to convince the school regardless of the GMAT.

However, what bothers me about this GMAT is that I had a higher verbal score the first time around with absolutely no studying and lower verbal score when i studied for 2 months.

Regardless, a 5 point drop in Verbal and a 5 Point gain in Quant just demonstrates how seriously flawed this exam is.

Stacy - Should i give it another shot before next month? I am bumming around and can divy up my day accordingly. However, i don't want the adcom to perceive me as somebody who needs to get a life:(.

What do you think?

And again, thanks for the help that you are providing me here.

Cheers!

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by Lisa Anderson » Mon Dec 08, 2008 9:31 am
If you think you have a shot at raising your score, then it might be worth taking the exam again as long as it will not detract from the quality of the rest of your applications. Getting to a 680 will put you in a more competitive position for your school list. Taking the test a third time is not a negative and will demonstrate your perseverance and motivation to get into the school(s) you want.

Best of luck,
Lisa
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