Hotel Masters

[riddlemethis828]

I was disappointed with my first GMAT result (see below) and am curious about pursuing business-related masters degrees. I believe that my score is in Cornell Hotel School's ballpark but I was wondering if any of the experts had advice. Would I be better served to go to a lower rank MBA program (so that I have greater flexibility and a broader based education)? Previously, Cornell had been on my list of target MBA programs in the hopes that I could take some of their hotel schools while pursuing a broader business education. In light of my less than stellar performance despite 3 months of heavy preparation, I am more inclined to apply to a secondary Masters program.

Verbal: 40 (89th percentile)
Math: 38 (48th percentile)
Overall: 640 (74th percentile)

[machichi]

Don't be so hard on yourself--your GMAT is actually pretty decent for a first take. Your verbal is in the ballpark (almost 90th percentile) so you should do some heavy lifting only in the quant for a month + (depending on how many hours a week you study). If you're as self-motivated as you sound, I'd recommend finding a tutor. My quant jumped from 42 to 48 in 4 sessions with a one-on-one tutor.

How much experience do you have? The GMAT average for the executive MBA (https://www.johnson.cornell.edu/About/Key-Facts.aspx) at Johnson is only 615, putting you well above that average. If Cornell is your top choice (and the Hotel school is super well known, so I understand why it would be), you should go for it!