Hi,

I took the GMAT a little over a year ago and got a 700- I don't remember the exact breakdown but I was in the 89th percentile for Quant and 81st for Verbal.

I thought I could do better. I retook it last week after having had a really rough work week and scored a 650. The breakdown was quite different- I did much worse in Quant and better in Verbal (note: this has never happened to me before- I ALWAYS struggle with Verbal and am solid in math).

I plan on applying to the top 5 bschools come fall. I am a Female YP who will have completed 4 years of consulting experience (very quant heavy job) by the time I get to school. I am afraid that the drop in my score will look really bad despite the fact that these schools take the highest of the two scores.

Should I address this drop somewhere in my application? If so, how should I address it? I do not want to sound whiny, but I genuinely believe that the 650 was a result of circumstances that I underestimated (lack of sleep, job stress, etc).

Thanks in advance for any help!