Profile Evaluation-Help Needed

[souvilibra]

Hi Stacy,

I gave my exam 2 days back, and I feel I wasted a chance.
I had studied for nearly 3 months.
Resources : GMATPREP/E-gmat/Magoosh/ and various other books.

I got 680(q-49,V-32, Ir-3, AWA(expected 5). This was my second attempt. Gmat1( 590)- poor.
My GPA is 3.3.
Work Exp - 5 years (IT industry)
I have served multiple roles during my short career(Developer, Sr Developer, Team Lead).
I have been strong at Curricular activities (Runners up at Dist level Badminton, Winner in University level Badminton including singles/Mixed doubles/Doubles, Won many atheletic events) I have also been active in Debates/Mad ad/Dramatics.
I have also been active in social work. I have been associated with a ngo that takes care of kids with thalassemia. These kids come from poor background without any govt aid. Also, I have been helping out woman from red light areas to rehabilitate, counsel them and spend time with them.Lately, I became a member of National Human rights commission, which looks into social disputes and issues that can be solved through mediation.

To be honest, my mocks told me that I would be getting something between 650-700. I wanted to break the barrier but Verbal again let me down. I was somehow slow and had to rush at last few questions.

I am targeting top 30 Us schools. And what be my chances for scholarship in these schools?
Are these colleges above the league? Should i give another try?
What grade of colleges can i expect? can someone name a few so that I can make up my mind.

Looking forward for your reply, please help me.

Regards,
Saurabh Suman

[MargaretStrother]

Hi Saurabh,
I can't weigh in on scholarships, which is relatively complex for overseas students, but in terms of your chances of acceptance at top 30 MBA programs, the best way to assess this is on a school-by-school basis. Look at the class profile for the incoming class of school X, and see where you land. If the average GMAT is at or around 680, you're strong there. If the average undergraduate GPA is, say, 3.7, you're not that strong.

Find schools where you are the strongest in the most areas -- most top-tens have an average GMAT above 700, but look at, say, Brigham Young or Georgia Tech, #28 and #29 on Bloomberg: average GMAT and GPA are below yours, so statistically you're on their radar. From there, you just need to use the essays, recommendations and resume make the most out of your excellent leadership and public service record.

GMAT practice tests can be deceiving, and I suggest not taking them too seriously. You might be able to do better if you try a third time, but first, do a little honest self-assessment: deep in your heart, you know whether you really ought to do better, or whether you were really just hoping for better luck. I find that most candidates know very well where their skills place them in GMAT-land; I rarely see someone who consistently scores below his or her true level. However, it sometimes takes a few tries before you get the score you deserve.

Good luck!

Margaret Strother