Should I take the GMAT again?

[cmthomps]

I took the GMAT a second time on Tuesday and was awfully disappointed in myself. Could I take the GMAT again? I never scored lower than a 44 on the quant on any of my pretests. I have no explanation of what happened except that I didn't have much time to review quant my final week and focused more on my verbal.

1st time (in Nov): 660 44 quant / 36 verbal
2nd time (in Jan) : 650 39 quant / 41 verbal

Profile:
3.5 GPA in international relations from the top California state school
Worked 4 years in nonprofits, getting promoted on a regular basis; great recommendations
Switching sectors to software and just took a manager level job for mid-sized company, but would like to go into client services / product management for an enterprise software company after graduating
Tons of extracurriculars in community service both in college and after

Tops schools (mostly chosen because of the tech focus):
Haas
Tepper
Foster (more of a safety school)
Others?

I know for Haas, my GMAT is a stretch, but will it look worse that I'm taking it again and not applying until the 4th round?

Any feedback is truly appreciated.

[Tani]

First, don't take the GMAT again unless you are confident of a significant increase. That means you would have to identify the factors keeping your score down and fix them. Unless you change the way you approach the test, your score is unlikely to change. An experienced tutor can often help you identify specifics that are keeping you from reaching your top score. Taking the GMAT repeatedly without changing your score tells the admissions committee that you are concentrating on the wrong factors.


Fourth round is very risky. Many schools have only a tiny number of positions open at that level. An empty seat represents significant lost revenue for a school and no admissions director wants to be responsible for that loss. Therefore, committees are reluctant to leave a lot of open slots for the last round.

Switching careers is also risky. You will need to explain why you are walking away from your NFP background. To work for an enterprise software company you will have to compete with candidates with strong technical backgrounds. You may want to explore how deep a technical background is required to work for the companies you are interested in. If you need additional technical training in addition to business skills, you may want to look for a program that will let you cross-register with other departments.

From a marketing perspective, several of the mid-western schools (Indiana, Ohio State) have excellent marketing programs and strong rankings, yet accept a higher percentage of applicants. Try identifying a couple of dream employers and see what schools they hire from. Most schools will tell you where their applicants end up working.


Good luck,

[cmthomps]

Thanks Tani,

I appreciate you taking time to answer so many questions on this forum!

I've spent a lot of time speaking with people over the last couple months about my new career path so I think I have a pretty solid story of why the switch and how I am going to get from point A to point B. My new job is actually in enterprise software as well, and my focus is in SaaS, so my analytical and communication skills helped me get the job, even though I didn't have a CS background. (I also did a lot of tech implementations for the nonprofits that I worked at.)

My last 4 practice tests were 690+ scores, so I truly have no idea what happened when I scored that 650, but that being said, I have no idea what I should do differently if I did take it again, so that makes me think I shouldn't try again.

Thanks again for your advice!

[Tani]

It sounds as though you have a good grasp on your options and your next steps. Good luck,