I just took the GMAT for the 3rd time today... Result? Frustration.
I'd like to get some opinions on whether or not I should take the GMAT for a fourth time. Based on what I've read in other threads, advice ranges from ill-advised to absolutely necessary. I'm applying to UVA (Darden), Carnegie Mellon (Tepper), Ohio State (Fisher), Penn State (Smeal), and Indiana (Kelley). More detail below, but scores are: 1) Cancelled ... 2) 620 38Q/37V... 3) 630 36Q/40V.
Background:
I took it for the first time this past summer. I was foolish enough to think that I'd put a few hours a week in for roughly 2 weeks and rely on my history of strong standardized test taking abilities. Suffice it to say, I cancelled that score.
Shortly thereafter, I began preparing more seriously. I purchased an online prep course and hunkered down. I took the GMAT again on December 4th and scored a 620 (38Q / 37V). Relative to my practice test scores, this was disappointing; so I got home and immediately rescheduled. I knew I had more in me. I really dug into quant, and felt as though I made progress. I was a bit dismissive about spending any time on certain subtopics prior to my 620 exam (in educational psychology they call this the "illusion of knowing something"), but I wasn't going to allow that to happen again. I was getting 46-48Q on Veritas Prep practice exams...
Test 3 (today) - I got a 630 (36Q / 40V). Somehow, after spending zero time on verbal and all of my time on quant, I improved my verbal score, and completely choked on quant. I'm feeling completely dejected. I also feel as though I could walk back into a test center tomorrow and get that 46 on Quant because I know the material and know the strategies. I took college level calculus/stats/finance.... My career isn't super math intensive, but I'm also not by any means incompetent. Some additional context is that I have some pretty ugly anxiety issues, and I certainly think that's factoring into my choke-job on test day (I've had to overcome it in a variety of other contexts though, so it's no excuse). Verbal comes pretty naturally to me so that's less of a concern. I also got a 6 on integrated reasoning as well as a perfect score on the AWA last time (and anticipate something similar this time around). I'm also a 31 year old white male, so time isn't on my side based on what FT program demographics look like.
Should I take the GMAT again? How soon (given that I'm applying now)? Will most schools take my new scores after I submit my application?
Thanks in advance!
I'd like to get some opinions on whether or not I should take the GMAT for a fourth time. Based on what I've read in other threads, advice ranges from ill-advised to absolutely necessary. I'm applying to UVA (Darden), Carnegie Mellon (Tepper), Ohio State (Fisher), Penn State (Smeal), and Indiana (Kelley). More detail below, but scores are: 1) Cancelled ... 2) 620 38Q/37V... 3) 630 36Q/40V.
Background:
I took it for the first time this past summer. I was foolish enough to think that I'd put a few hours a week in for roughly 2 weeks and rely on my history of strong standardized test taking abilities. Suffice it to say, I cancelled that score.
Shortly thereafter, I began preparing more seriously. I purchased an online prep course and hunkered down. I took the GMAT again on December 4th and scored a 620 (38Q / 37V). Relative to my practice test scores, this was disappointing; so I got home and immediately rescheduled. I knew I had more in me. I really dug into quant, and felt as though I made progress. I was a bit dismissive about spending any time on certain subtopics prior to my 620 exam (in educational psychology they call this the "illusion of knowing something"), but I wasn't going to allow that to happen again. I was getting 46-48Q on Veritas Prep practice exams...
Test 3 (today) - I got a 630 (36Q / 40V). Somehow, after spending zero time on verbal and all of my time on quant, I improved my verbal score, and completely choked on quant. I'm feeling completely dejected. I also feel as though I could walk back into a test center tomorrow and get that 46 on Quant because I know the material and know the strategies. I took college level calculus/stats/finance.... My career isn't super math intensive, but I'm also not by any means incompetent. Some additional context is that I have some pretty ugly anxiety issues, and I certainly think that's factoring into my choke-job on test day (I've had to overcome it in a variety of other contexts though, so it's no excuse). Verbal comes pretty naturally to me so that's less of a concern. I also got a 6 on integrated reasoning as well as a perfect score on the AWA last time (and anticipate something similar this time around). I'm also a 31 year old white male, so time isn't on my side based on what FT program demographics look like.
Should I take the GMAT again? How soon (given that I'm applying now)? Will most schools take my new scores after I submit my application?
Thanks in advance!
