620 in GMAT.. shall apply to schools

[mausam.deb]

I had my GMAT exam today and unfortunately scored 620 (Q50/V25). Am depressed to see it as while practicing never received below 670 and upto 730. Second half did not go well.

I am wondering can I apply to some reasonable good school with this score and 7 yrs of work ex

[EricAllen]

You can, but you also have some time to improve. If you were scoring in the 670-730 range, don't give up just yet! Brush off the 620 and keep working--don't let this one setback get in your way.

With regard to schools, you would be on the low end of the range for top schools, but if you have a solid background in all other respects, you can push for top schools with the expectation that you will improve (a little risky) or diversify your school application set (recommended). You can also do a round 1/2 application strategy and attempt to re-take the GMAT at some point before round 1 submission. Some of our clients apply "at-risk", where they hope to score better on the GMAT post submission. I don't really recommend that strategy, but it is an option as well.

I hope that helps.

[mausam.deb]

Thanks Eric for taking your time out for the reply. Thanks for the advice.

I have 2 major problems
1.I hardly get time to study, mostly because of my job type, which requires a lot of travelling.
2.Gmat syllabus is changing from next month. Hence hell lot of new pattern study.

I was not aiming at top notch schools but at those with reasonable good track records. I have reasonable good work ex mostly in International sales, project management and small scale IT engagement management. I was planning to do MBA either on Internationale Business or on Entrepreneurship. Am totally confused what to do after the result

[Jon@Admissionado]

Yet, Eric is still right!
Retaking is very wise, even if you have to take the new test. Look, you tested 50 points higher! And the difference between 620 and 670 is HUGE! It can translate into a better school, thus a better job, thus more responsibilities, a better network, and a higher salary.
You only do this once, do try and give it your best shot!

[money9111]

First let me say this - a 620 on a first try is not bad at all ESPECIALLY - ESPECIALLY - with a 50 Quant score!!!!! From what I've learned throughout the application process and from being in business school now and helping applicants is that a 25 Verbal score will raise a lot of flags in the eyes of the admissions folks. I'm not sure how that would fair with what you're calling "reasonably good schools."

Can you give us a sense of the types of schools you plan to target?

Also, your two major problems are "obstacles" that many other of your fellow applicants will face as well. Just to put things in perspective.

Try not to let obstacles get in your way if it's something that you truly want. It's very easy to let that happen. Trust me, I know. I think we've all been there at some point in the application process.

[mausam.deb]

Hey first of all..thanks Jon and Money

Yes another exam is in my mind. The problem is that I have to check out what integrated reasoning is. I understand that the verbal score will raise few eyebrows, but really cant help that at least for now.

"reasonable good schools" - UK (Warwick, LUMS) Denmark (CBS), France (HEC,EMLyon), USA (Eller,Terry), Singapore (Nyang)

I have good international exposure in terms of IT engagements and currently managing a CoE with total portfolio $1m+. I am wondering is it wise to spend in applications to those schools. Oh yes, I am targeting 2013 fall to start MBA

[mbaguy2012]

I will recommend that you retake GMAT. 620 is not a bad score but with the number of experienced professionals, opting for an international MBA, increasing considerably & the economic down turn making the situation even worse, you should try to improve your chances.

Also take into consideration that the avg GMAT scores in European schools are far below than their American counterparts but finding a job in Europe is certainly more challenging than finding a job in US/Canada. Tier-2 European schools provide fantastic & meaningful MBA education but finding a job through their networks is a challenging task in itself considering the fact that regional language skills play a very important part and there are possibilities of an economic bloodbath in Europe in the near future. If you don't have business fluency in French, do not aim at tier 2 French schools. Same applies to Germany, Netherlands, Italy, Spain & Belgium. UK has many good schools, but with their post study work permit scheme ending in 2011, the future looks gloomy.

As a matter of fact, if you are aiming at 2nd rung schools, i would advice you to consider global 2nd rung schools but which are the best in their respective countries. For e.g with a 620 you can apply to Melbourne Business School in Australia ( you will need a gr8 application), Smurfit School of Business in Ireland & CBS in Denmark, which are the best schools in their respective countries and when you graduate from the best in any country, you certainly have more chance of finding a job, no matter what the state of the economy is. Also consider going to a country that gives you a legal right to stay & work in that country after you finish your MBA or at-least gives you enough time to stay in the country & look for a job. In western Europe its a menace and now even UK has join the sick league. Consider Canada where you will get a work permit for 2-3 years right after you finish your MBA. This ensures that even if the job hunt gets tough, you can stay in the country for some more time & try your luck. With a 620 consider an MBA at Univ of Alberta Business School, Sauder School of Business & Queens University in Canada. These 3 have a 2nd rung but strong reputation in Canada & a 3rd rung reputation globally but when you already have a work permit & you are from a very good local school, potential employers consider you in a different way as against when you need sponsorship. I guess MBA is also about what you want from an MBA. A 2nd rung or 3rd rung school can also provide a great MBA if your interested in something, which only that particular school can provide for e.g location, a particular specialization, a famous professor or a low tuition fee. But remember, in the end everything boils down to a job. If the school can help you find a job that you want, go for it.

Anyway whatever school you decide to go to, make sure you talk to at least 5-7 past & present students from the school. Also focus on the students from your country who went to that school as it is easier for a French guy to find a job in Belgium but equally difficult for an American guy to find a job in Belgium even after graduating from the same school. Don't get contended with what the school's website says or the school's marketing team tells you. Go out & find it out yourself. Don't even believe these online forums blindly. Do your own research & only take tips from these forums. You have to find out if the school that you are targeting can provide you with what you are looking for.

[mausam.deb]

Thanks mbaguy2012 Thanks for your detail info.

Yes, I am taking GMAT once again. some days back I spoke to few French school representatives and students. I do get a feel of what you are saying. I too believe it is better to be practical than to be impulsive. Canada is the definitely the option in my mind.

I am thinking of CBS,Denmark as well. Even QS Global Survey in 2012 praised that school. I've already talked to them. It seems I have a fair chance with my resume and pre-application essay. The problem is that I am yet to talk to actual alumni. Can you please let me know if you know of someone. Moreover, few of my friends said the knowing Danish is a must to work there. I wonder is it true?

[mbaguy2012]

As i told you before, language skills play a very important part in Europe. However, Scandinavia is one place where most people speak English fluently. To be able to speak & write Danish/Swedish/Finish or Norwegian will only improve your chances of finding a very good job in the region. Also keep in mind that an avg European speaks 3-4 languages. I speak Spanish, English, French in tatters & a bit of Mandarin. You will face stiff competition. I am not saying it is impossible, hundreds of international students come to Europe looking for a future but the success rate is decreasing year by year.

Language skills are also job specific. If you are looking for something in Business/Management Consulting you ought to speak the local language with business level fluency, For jobs in marketing you need to speak the local language fluently. In Scandinavia you can still can scrape through a lot of MBA centric positions without knowing the local language especially if you want to work for a technology company.

I will still suggest, forget Europe if you are not going to a crème de la crème school like IE, Insead & Oxford. My country is already in tatters & many will follow suit. Get a score of 650+ and aim at schools in Australia, South East Asia, Canada and of course USA if you can afford it. CBS, EMLYON etc are all great European schools, but its not just the greatness that will help you, its the international support system which will take you through on a dream career journey. Talk to AGSM, Ivey, MBS, HKUST, NUS, Nanyang, HKU, Schulick & Rotman. These are great schools too but their support systems are also great and believe me, you will fell the difference.

[mausam.deb]

Thanks everyone for encouragements. I have retaken GMAT it is 680(Q50,V31). I just wonder whether the verbal score will raise any eyebrows?

[machichi]

Thanks everyone for encouragements. I have retaken GMAT it is 680(Q50,V31). I just wonder whether the verbal score will raise any eyebrows?

Major congratulations! A 680 puts you into the market at any school in a way that the 620 did not!

[money9111]

Glad to see that you improved your score by 60 points! You have no idea what type of position that puts you in and how much your network has improved! Congratulations.

[sanjeev4gmat]

Congratulations Mausam.deb and thanks so much for the wonderful information Money9111 and Machichi.

On the same lines, i have appeared for GMAT 3 days back (it was my 1st time). Got a low score of 620 (Q48, V27). Please find below my practice test scores and my overall experience.

GMAT PREP 1: 660 (This was same on August 19th and also on October 16th. No difference in 2 months )
GMAT PREP 2: 690 (This spurt in score was mainly because repetitive questions from test 1)
MGMAT : 650 (1 week before exam)
Platinum GMAT (free test) : 670 - 680 (1 week before exam)

Profile: I come under the infamous category of 'Indian IT Male' with an overall experience of 4.5 years. Have a decent GPA of 3.5.

I have decided to retake my GMAT as i strongly believe that i have not yet put my best foot forward.
My only cause of worry is that, am i falling back on the deadlines for 1st round of applications ?

For eg: In case of an NUS MBA, 31 Jan is the last date for 1st round of applications considering scholarship (which i really want). So if i complete my GMAT at the time of Dec20 (which gives me 2 months from now) , will i still be able to apply in time with all the other requisite conditions (essays, recommendations etc;) ?

Would be extremely glad if someone here could advice me or guide me to the right thread.

Thanks in advance.

[mausam.deb]

The bad part....

sanjeev4gmat let me tell you the fact that I a realized in hard way. any score below 700 is not encouraged for IIM (ind It male).

GMAT prep is a bull shit. I scored 760, 740 in those and finally 680 in real exam.
Kaplan new version helped me to show the realistic score

Try to apply to NUS is NOV.. Though the official deadlines are far but probability of getting schol falls drastically as that deadline approaches. Prepare for NUS essays its unique.

Now the good part...
I myself got a call from IIM. It depends how well you market through your application. GMAT is just only the gatekeeper.

[sanjeev4gmat]

That's wonderful Mausam.deb. Congratulations for the call from IIM

I will keep your suggestion in mind. As i have appeared for GMAT on Oct 19th, I cant reappear before a month. I will try to book a date asap and give my best shot.

Lets hope for the best. Fingers crossed.

P.S: Thanks for the info on NUS Essays