First GMAT score is in. Is it high enough?

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First GMAT score is in. Is it high enough?

by Tim7332 » Fri Aug 29, 2008 12:14 pm
I scored a 700 on my first attempt today. Quant - 47 (79%)/Verbal - 40 (89%), overall 90%

I've been scoring between 720 and 740 on practice exams so I think realistically I could bump this score by 20 to 40 points, but I'm not sure if it's worth it, or if an admissions person will look at a 720 and 700 as being about the same.

I'm applying to the following schools:

UPenn
USC part time
UCLA
Northwestern JD/MBA
Harvard

Given that my undergrad GPA was low at 2.7 is this score high enough to give me a chance at any of these schools?

Do you recommend retaking the exam or settling for the good but not great score of 700?

I'm 28 years old and a white male with 6 years of work experience with nothing remarkable to point to on my resume. I really want to go to a top school or not at all.

What advice can you give me? Thanks.

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by Scottie@VeritasPrep » Fri Aug 29, 2008 5:37 pm
Your score of 700 is very good and you probably won't change much in your overall application with a 720. I would only suggest retaking the exam if you have a strategy to get to the mid-700 range. You should address your low GPA in your optional essay if there were extenuating circumstances behind it. You should also aim to apply in round 1 or round 2 at the very latest.

Finally, take your essays seriously. Create a compelling case for why you want to earn an MBA and what you plan to do once you graduate. Also, highlight instances of leadership, innovation, and achievement in your professional and extracurricular activities.

So my answer to your question is to focus your efforts on making sure the other components of your application (essays, LORs, interview prep) are as strong as possible.
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by Tim7332 » Fri Aug 29, 2008 5:41 pm
What do you think of my choices of schools though? Are they realistic are not really?