Hello everyone,
Background:
My top choice is HBS - I think that I would really benefit from their bootcamp, hands-on approach to business education. Others schools I am considering are Stanford, Wharton and London School of Business.
I have a bachelor's from Princeton University in Operations Research & Financial Engineering, 3.7 GPA. I have worked for three years (come autumn) in a pharmaceutical consulting firm and have been promoted in the past year, so I have many leadership experiences to share. I am also active in my church and am a strong advocate of self-development through the arts and humanities. I speak four languages, sing opera and host recitals for my co-workers, engage in ballroom dancing and have created a book club for my co-workers. Ultimately, I want to run my own strategic consulting firm with maximum efficiency and maximum impact on the world economy, empowering people to lead meaningful lives.
Questions:
I took the GMAT last year and scored a 750: 45 (99%) Verbal, 48 (80%) Quant, 6.0 AWA. It seemed a pretty good score at the time, so I did not retake it. However, I am now wondering whether the 80th percentile in Quant will raise questions about my application / look inconsistent with my expertise in optimization and programming. Should I be concerned and retake the exam, or am I overanalyzing this? (In particular, should I spend more time preparing for and retaking the GMAT and maybe apply in Round 2 if the rest of my application is unfinished, or should I keep my current score and apply in Round 1?)
Also, do I sound like a desirable candidate for the schools listed? (Feel free to be brutally honest!)
Thank you; your input is appreciated!
Background:
My top choice is HBS - I think that I would really benefit from their bootcamp, hands-on approach to business education. Others schools I am considering are Stanford, Wharton and London School of Business.
I have a bachelor's from Princeton University in Operations Research & Financial Engineering, 3.7 GPA. I have worked for three years (come autumn) in a pharmaceutical consulting firm and have been promoted in the past year, so I have many leadership experiences to share. I am also active in my church and am a strong advocate of self-development through the arts and humanities. I speak four languages, sing opera and host recitals for my co-workers, engage in ballroom dancing and have created a book club for my co-workers. Ultimately, I want to run my own strategic consulting firm with maximum efficiency and maximum impact on the world economy, empowering people to lead meaningful lives.
Questions:
I took the GMAT last year and scored a 750: 45 (99%) Verbal, 48 (80%) Quant, 6.0 AWA. It seemed a pretty good score at the time, so I did not retake it. However, I am now wondering whether the 80th percentile in Quant will raise questions about my application / look inconsistent with my expertise in optimization and programming. Should I be concerned and retake the exam, or am I overanalyzing this? (In particular, should I spend more time preparing for and retaking the GMAT and maybe apply in Round 2 if the rest of my application is unfinished, or should I keep my current score and apply in Round 1?)
Also, do I sound like a desirable candidate for the schools listed? (Feel free to be brutally honest!)
Thank you; your input is appreciated!












