700 on GMAT but 66th Percentile on Quant - Retake?

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Hello - I have a very similar question to the poster below and I have posted it in a few locations but here it is:

Hello,

I just finished my first GMAT and I got a 700 (44 Q, 42 V). I am concerned with my Quant score because I was in the 66th percentile and I've read that the top programs look for a minimum score of 75th percentile. I had a bit of a snag as my proctor was unfamiliar with the sign in system and took a while to sign me in and out so my break time went over. It only cut about a minute of time off my quant section but it stressed/freaked me out, and that coupled with the fact that I took too long on a few questions caused me to run short on time and guess on the last 5 questions or so. Anyway, I'm confident if I take again I can get at least 70th (likely 75th - 80th) percentile for quant and I think I would be more in the 730+ score range, which is what I was scoring on my practice exams (740 on my last practice).

My question is, should I re-take and apply round 2 or should I go ahead and apply with my 700 round 1. My 5 schools are Harvard, Stanford, Wharton, LBS, and Columbia. I spoke briefly with someone in the HBS admissions office and she mentioned that they would not take my updated score into consideration. She also mentioned that there is little difference between round 1 and round 2, except in applicant pool, with round 1 being more consultant and banker heavy. Unfortunately I fall into this group as I am a consultant. My concern here is will schools take in most of their quota of consultants and will I be fighting against the odds to get in round 2?

Finally, a bit on my background. I have worked in data/quantitative/analytics heavy consulting for the past 3 and a half years and I have a 3.7 cumulative GPA (and a 3.9+ in Business and Economics) from Franklin and Marshall College (a top ~30 liberal arts college). Will this be enough to convince admissions committees that I can handle the rigorous quantitative course load of an MBA program, thus allowing me to apply round 1 with my 700, or should I go ahead and re-take the exam and apply in Round 2?

Thanks in advance,

J
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by Stacey Oyler » Mon Sep 12, 2011 3:06 pm
Hi,

Thanks for your post. I am sorry to hear about your issues during the GMAT exam. It sounds like it was indeed stressful! You ask a great question about how adcoms view academics as a whole. Adcoms review the GMAT, undergrad grades (as well as GPA from any other graduate or additional coursework) and work experience as part of your academic profile. This means that those with highly quantitative majors and/or work experience need not always score as high on the quant portion of the GMAT (although to some extent a higher score seems natural given that kind of background/profile). That being said, if you have a strong quant background your lower quant score on the GMAT won't be as big of an issue. I do agree that most top 10 programs have an ideal score of 80% - this score is a great indication of potential classroom performance and thus less risky to admit.

The bottom line here is really all about how you feel about your score. If you don't gain admission to the schools on your list will you regret that you didn't take the GMAT again? Be sure you apply when you feel 100% confident in all your materials. Applying when you're ready is better than applying to an earlier round.

Best,

Stacey
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by Diplomat » Mon Sep 12, 2011 3:18 pm
Thanks Stacey. Reading between the lines, it seems like it's probably better for me to wait. I've been hearing mixed things, but I would certainly be frustrated if I didn't get into the schools on my list and got feedback from them telling me I needed stronger quant on my GMAT. Almost seems like its better to wait 3 months for Round 2 then have to wait another year in order to re-apply with a stronger GMAT.

I guess my main question, then, is how concerned should I be that the programs I'm looking at will fill up with consultants during Round 1 (which I'll miss). Based on your experience, would my chances of admission go down significantly in Round 2?

Thanks again

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by Stacey Oyler » Mon Sep 12, 2011 3:27 pm
Great question! As a former admissions officer I can tell you that top schools don't fill up or max out with consultants in round 1. Round 1 is obviously ideal for a multitude of reasons, but I truly think you'll have a stronger profile and be more competitive in the large consulting pool with a higher quant score.

Best,

Stacey
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by Dream_tioOn » Thu Sep 15, 2011 3:07 pm
I am grappling with a similar issue but my problem area was Verbal.

I recently took GMAT and scored 690 (Q50 V33). I scored rather low on the Verbal section, 66 percentile (I was myself shocked to see that, but it is what it is). Now, since many schools weigh scores on individual sections, which has to be above 70 percentile, I need to know if my below par score on verbal would preclude me from the admission process. I know, GMAT is only one of the parameters that admissions committee considers, but it is important for me to know if exceptions can be made and how often are they made.

Although I have strong recommendations, good GPAs, good consulting experience spanning 4 countries and a graduate degree in Computer Science from one of the top 30 schools in US, I still feel GMAT verbal score is the weakest link in my application. Would you rather recommend that I focus on the next steps in the application process or take GMAT again to improve my verbal score and then apply.

Appreciate any help..

Thanks

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by Stacey Oyler » Thu Sep 15, 2011 3:35 pm
Is English your first language?

Stacey
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by Dream_tioOn » Fri Sep 16, 2011 11:13 pm
No, English is not my first language. Would that be a factor though?
Thanks
G

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by Dream_tioOn » Sun Sep 18, 2011 12:19 am
Stacey,

Could you please share your insight?

Thanks a bunch.
G

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by Stacey Oyler » Mon Sep 19, 2011 3:15 pm
English as a first language does in some ways influence the way an adcom views your GMAT verbal score (as well as the AWA). A low verbal score could indicate some communication issues that could be a result of non-native English speakers. How did you do on the AWA? If you scored below 4.5 then you should consider retaking your GMAT since a low AWA and low verbal score combined are a bit difficult to overlook. In the end, schools really are looking for a nice even split and so retaking might be your best option.

Regards,

Stacey
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by Diplomat » Mon Dec 26, 2011 9:09 am
Hi Everyone,

Thanks again for the advice. To follow up on this this: I re-took my exam in December and under proper timing conditions my score improved to a 760 so I'm quite pleased with my decision.

Score breakdown ended up as follows:

Quant - 49 (85th percentile)
Verbal - 45 (99th percentile)


I'll try to get as many apps done as I can between now and the mid Jan deadline (likely 2 or 3). Fingers crossed...

- Jake

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by Stacey Oyler » Mon Dec 26, 2011 10:46 am
Great job Jake! I am so glad your efforts to retake the exam were rewarded. Best of luck with your applications.

Stacey
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