Better GMAT? - Lower well Rounded vs. higher one-sided

[janssen88]

There may be something like this here already, but I thought I'd go ahead and post (please point me to another thread if one exists).

Which do you think is better? A higher GMAT score that is heavily weighted by one section, or a lower score that is well rounded. For example:

690- 44Q 40V (my score)

- vs. -

710- 48Q 38V or
710- 50Q 37V

I'm obviously asking due to my situation, but am curious to hear what others think or know based on their experience.

Best of luck to everyone!

[gwendolinecn]

Since 700 is a dividing line, I believe the latter looks better.

[Lisa Anderson]

Dear janssen88,

I think your current score is a great score for two reasons: it's a 690 and it is balanced. While there is something nice to having a score that starts with a 7, and some schools are not as concerned with a balance between Q & V as others, it is probably not as significant a difference as you think. There is not much difference between a 690 and a 710. Having said that, it is important to have a high enough score on each section to demonstrate the aptitude to succeed in the program.

Good luck,
Lisa

[janssen88]

Thanks Stacy! I'm pretty comfortable with my score now, but I thought the topic might spark some debate as there are a lot of folks who fall on each side of topic. Appreciate the feedback...