Is 660 a good enough score..?

[Neeraj.Jha]

Hello,

Cheers for the good work!

I took my gmat today and scored a dismal 660. On my first attempt I had scored 590.

here is my profile.

Age
will be 29 by the time i join

native
Indian

professional background
almost 8 years of experience in IT and ITES. (3 years international experience - currently working)

currently working as a Manager and as a consultant to a big insurance company for their IT division. Though I am into IT but my roles are not technical. I am more into formulating IT business processes, process and organizational change management, organizational and service risk management, project management, business continuity planning, process improvement, compliance with global standards, compliance and security auditing, etc. I have had exposure at different supervisory levels in my previous organizations as well.

My Bachelors is not from a top university but I do have a Masters.
my scores aren't stellar but are amongst the top 10 in my class. But dont know how to prove it.
Bachelor of Science - 63%
Masters of Science - 69.5%

professional certifications
I do have quite a few professional certifications like Six Sigma Black Belt, Information Security auditor, etc. Also I do have lots of certificates from my employers. In my current company I have set up a completely new function, starting from hiring to training and managing people. Have been involved in big projects.

recommendations
I can arrange two strong recommendations one from my MD and another from my Client.

I speak 4 languages, including 1 foreign.

Do you think I hold a chance of getting though schools such as Cranfield, Oxford, Manchester, Rice University, etc.

Any help is appreciated. Thanks in advance.

I am also planning to take a third attempt and hope to cross the 700 mark this time, do you think a third attempt will reduce my chances?

Thanks
Neeraj

[Cindy Tokumitsu]

Hello, Neeraj,

Given your Indian IT demographic/industry profile, your GMAT would ideally be at least a little above the average for the programs to make you competitive. Considering the information you provided, I believe that with the 660 you'd be competitive at Rice and Manchester; Cranfield would be a little more competitive, between on par and reasonable reach. Oxford would probably be a reasonable reach - in other words, with a great application that differentiates you in a relevant way, you'd have a shot, though not a likelihood, of getting in.

Overall you work experience looks strong, with the business interface beyond IT. Try to shape your essays and your overall application to emphasize those points, let the adcom see you as a business person with an IT background, rather than as an IT person.

Best regards,
Cindy Tokumitsu
Senior Editor, Accepted.com
www.Accepted.com