Is my GMAT a turn-off for top schools?

[Cossie]

Hello!

I would like some advice please!

I took the test a week ago and scored a 720. 46/99th percentile in the Verbal and 42/63rd on the Quantitative. My essay score was a 6.0.

I think my performance on the Quantitative was really very bad. It was never my strongest suit but I would usually score a little higher in my practice tests... I would never claim that Maths comes naturally to me but I believe that I have proven academic achievements in the subject.

I have an degree in Mechanical Engineering from one of the top courses in the UK. I went to Imperial College, London. The engineering school regularly ranks along with Cambridge in the league tables. I graduated in 2006 with a high 2:1 grade. I achieved 69% which is only 1% off of a 1st, the highest passing grade. Since then I have worked as a professional engineer for a well respected engineering consultancy which specialises in the automotive sector.

Personally, I think that this proves my mathematical ability better than a GMAT test where I made stupid mistakes under pressure. I would really like an opinion on whether the admissions people at the top schools will agree with me. I really don't want to have to take it again but I don't want to scupper an otherwise relatively solid application with an unflattering Quant score!

I believe I will have solid references and a pretty good CV for an Engineer of my age and discipline.

I am hoping to apply to Stanford, Harvard, Columbia and INSEAD. I am currently domiciled in the UK though I have dual Bulgarian citizenship.

Thank you in advance to anyone who can offer some perspective on my conundrum!

[Stacey Oyler]

Hi Cossie,

Thanks for your question. I can see why you are concerned about your GMAT score. Clearly you have a solid quantitative background.

Most adcoms like to see a quant score of at least 80%. However, the GMAT isn't the only factor in determining your academic ability. The adcom will review your undergraduate coursework and grades to see how you performed in your quantitative classes. Given that you studied engineering, did you have a chance to take classes such as accounting and statistics? If not, I suggest that you consider taking them now to build an alternate transcript. Not only will this demonstrate to the adcom your strong desire to be a successful applicant, but it will be quite helpful for you in preparing for bschool coursework.

Obviously the other option would be to consider taking your GMAT again, but only you know if that is a worthwhile idea. If you feel you may score lower, it may not be worth the risk.

Best,

Stacey