2nd time around not a charm - how to proceed...help please

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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!
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by Eliot » Tue Jul 07, 2009 10:12 am
LostFemaleProfessional,

Thanks for your note. Keep in mind that 700 is a very good GMAT score, especially since you were above 80% in both the math and verbal sections. If you have a strong college record, then your 700 GMAT score is fine as is. In addition, schools will take your highest score, so there is no need to explain your recent 650 score.

If you think that you can retake the test and score a 720+, then you are welcome to retake it. However, you will still be competitive at top 5 business schools with your 700 score if the remaining elements of your application (college grades, work experience, goals, etc) are strong.

Feel free to contact me for a free initial consultation if you have further questions.

Sincerely,

Eliot Ingram
Clear Admit LLC
Eliot Ingram
Clear Admit, LLC
[email protected]
215 568 2590

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