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690 vs 700

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690 vs 700

by A.T.E. GMAT STUDENT » Thu May 22, 2008 4:04 pm
Hello Stacy,

Great site, I find myself surfing it routinely since I took the GMAT last month.

I see you mention the "700" score a lot as sort of a cut off point to be considered a good score at top schools.

Sadly, I missed it by 10 points with a 690.

I'm pretty confident I could score in the 700-720 range if I retook it (thought I doubt I'd get higher)

So, I'm curious what your views are on how important the 700 cut off really is. Is the added value to my admission profile substantial enough to justify retaking it? I'd really rather move on with my life, but are 20 points in this instance of greater importance than say, moving from a 650 to a 670?

Thank you so much,
-Ryan
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by Lisa Anderson » Fri May 23, 2008 5:55 am
Dear Ryan,

Whether or not it is worth your time (and money) to retake the GMAT greatly depends on what the rest of your application looks like and which school you want to attend. If the rest of your application is quite strong (i.e., high GPA, good work experience, great recommendations, outstanding essays), then you are probably in a position to "roll the dice" and see what happens.

However, if your GMAT is more than 20-30 points below the school's average GMAT, and you feel you need to have a higher score to be competitive, then it could be worth it to retake the test. Please note: it is only wise to retake if you are pretty sure you will increase your score because you are committed to preparing.

Good luck,
Lisa
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by A.T.E. GMAT STUDENT » Fri May 23, 2008 9:46 am
Thanks Lisa.

A slight clarification on the question. I was more curious about how you think top 20 schools review GMAT scores in general. Is there any level of "cut off" between a 690 and a 700? I've heard that applications are initially sorted by scores into different pools of "review", "review with favor", etc. Any truth to this?

-Ryan

PS: I'm targeting the mid 20's state schools: UNC Chapel Hill, UT Austin, and Arizona State. If you know any specifics about how these schools' admissions review GMATs in regards to the cutoff, even better. My hunch is that being larger programs with larger applicant pools, this would be more of a factor.

PSS: 3.23 GPA, 2.5 years quality WE, average extracurricular.
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by Lisa Anderson » Sat May 24, 2008 10:24 am
Dear Ryan,

While it is possible schools might put applications into "piles" based on GMAT, I doubt that is the only criteria determining the pile. Most schools review applications holistically and do not put more weight on one application component than another. That is not to say that schools do not have a minimum GMAT score, but that when they review applications they look at the elements as a whole before making any decision.

I think you have a solid foundation for the schools you are targeting with your 690, 3.23 GPA, and work experience. If you put together a strong package, you should be competitive for those programs.

Best of luck,
Lisa
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