Hello everyone and thank you in advance for any advice.
I am a Marine officer looking to transition from the Marine Corps to an MBA program next year. I am primarily looking at Wharton, Ross, Fuqua and Kenan Flagler and I would like to move into management consulting. I recently took the GMAT and scored a 690, but the breakdown of my score concerns me.
Overall 690
Verbal 44 97%
Quant 40 58%
Essays 5.0
Obviously my quant score is not where I would like it to be. I was in Iraq for most of the time leading up to the GMAT and did not have as much time as I would have liked to prepare. I plan on using an optional essay to address the issue along these lines:
-I realize my quant score is relatively weak, but I am confident I can handle the MBA coursework based on my prior quant experience. I studied economics at Brown University- I earned As and Bs in my economics courses, and an A in econometrics (statistics for economics). I got a B+ in calc at Clarkson prior to transferring to Brown.
-My job in the Marine Corps does not have a quantitative focus, and I feel I am out of practice after 3 years away from math. My deployment schedule prohibited me from preparing for the GMAT as much as I would have liked.
-I've finished the last of my deployments and now have time to focus on refreshing my quantitative skills. I have enrolled in a calculus course at a local community college and an MBA Math prep course.
The last thing I want is to come across as complaining. I want to acknowledge the weaker performance, explain the reasons behind it, and outline the steps I am taking to address the issue.
Is this low quant score a virtual guarantee that I will not be accepted to these programs? Would it be worthwhile to retake the GMAT even if I feel I would be rushing to prepare while working or would an optional essay explaining the weaker score and steps I am taking to address it suffice? My application would also emphasize areas in which I feel I am relatively strong (e.g., leadership, teamwork, ability to operate under stress, ability to adapt to chaotic and changing circumstances, discipline).
I appreciate any advice. Thanks.
I am a Marine officer looking to transition from the Marine Corps to an MBA program next year. I am primarily looking at Wharton, Ross, Fuqua and Kenan Flagler and I would like to move into management consulting. I recently took the GMAT and scored a 690, but the breakdown of my score concerns me.
Overall 690
Verbal 44 97%
Quant 40 58%
Essays 5.0
Obviously my quant score is not where I would like it to be. I was in Iraq for most of the time leading up to the GMAT and did not have as much time as I would have liked to prepare. I plan on using an optional essay to address the issue along these lines:
-I realize my quant score is relatively weak, but I am confident I can handle the MBA coursework based on my prior quant experience. I studied economics at Brown University- I earned As and Bs in my economics courses, and an A in econometrics (statistics for economics). I got a B+ in calc at Clarkson prior to transferring to Brown.
-My job in the Marine Corps does not have a quantitative focus, and I feel I am out of practice after 3 years away from math. My deployment schedule prohibited me from preparing for the GMAT as much as I would have liked.
-I've finished the last of my deployments and now have time to focus on refreshing my quantitative skills. I have enrolled in a calculus course at a local community college and an MBA Math prep course.
The last thing I want is to come across as complaining. I want to acknowledge the weaker performance, explain the reasons behind it, and outline the steps I am taking to address the issue.
Is this low quant score a virtual guarantee that I will not be accepted to these programs? Would it be worthwhile to retake the GMAT even if I feel I would be rushing to prepare while working or would an optional essay explaining the weaker score and steps I am taking to address it suffice? My application would also emphasize areas in which I feel I am relatively strong (e.g., leadership, teamwork, ability to operate under stress, ability to adapt to chaotic and changing circumstances, discipline).
I appreciate any advice. Thanks.
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