To all of you, I would really appreciate your imput

[gmatlady]

A snapshot of me; I am African, earned my Bachelors in Business in Africa, had the opportunity to work for an International Hospitality chain for 3 years, implementing new projects, group training, etc have also worked in higher education in USA as an Academic Advisor and now gearing for an MBA and eventually a PhD.........

I took the GMAT on Monday for the 2nd time and scored 600, while my ideal score would have been 680+ I am still grateful since I had taken the GMAT in 2004 (without studying or much insight into its significance) and scored 450. There's a local college that's actually #1 in my state and top 25 in USA that I am interested in, I attended the open house late July and got to meet the admissions director (who also sits in the adcom), I had a one on one with her, and sent her all my info, plus my initial 450 GMAT score, and from that, she told me that my application package was very impressive, but recommended I retake the GMAT. That's when I bought the OG, supplements and Veritas prep material. On Monday, upon taking the GMAT for the second time, I called the admissions director (she'd been checking on me since the open house), and informed her of my new score.
Judging by her reaction, she sounded very positive, the adcom has since reviewed my file and called me in for an interview next week. While I feel very confident about getting in, I also really wanted a fighting chance at the scholarships offered by the college, the director told me they are based on merit, and I am wondering;

- Should I bring up the issue of scholasrhips during the interview
- Would it be in good taste to bring up a possibility of sitting the GMAT one last time so I can compete for the scholarships (God only knows I need the aid)
- Lastly, my ultimate goal is to get into Duke for a PhD in Management and Organizations once I complete my MBA and get a little more experience, I feel that a higher GMAT might help this goal, what would you advice me to do?

I would also welcome any advise on my upcoming MBA admissions interview.[/b]

[Tani]

Raising your GMAT would be a definite advantage both for admissions and for financial aid. This year promises to be very competitive, especially for the top schools.

For the interview, it is perfectly acceptable to ask about financial aid toward the end of the interview. You can ask whether there are financial aid guidelines for minimum scores.

Remember to do three things to prepare for your interview.
1. Know in advance what key points you want your interviewer to know about you by the time the interview is over. Make a list and review it shortly before the interview starts.
2. Have 3-4 solid questions about the school -- ones which can't be easily answered from the website. I tell my clients to assume they have been accepted at several comparable schools. What else would you want to know about this school to help you choose?
3. Know your own weaknesses and be prepared to address them. Go over your resume, with a friend if possible, and see where the holes are. What things will your interviewer want to probe. Then prepare short, clear answers.

Dress professionally. Don't ramble. Know what you want to get out of the interview and all will go well.

Good luck!

[Tani]

Raising your GMAT would be a definite advantage both for admissions and for financial aid. This year promises to be very competitive, especially for the top schools.

For the interview, it is perfectly acceptable to ask about financial aid toward the end of the interview. You can ask whether there are financial aid guidelines for minimum scores.

Remember to do three things to prepare for your interview.
1. Know in advance what key points you want your interviewer to know about you by the time the interview is over. Make a list and review it shortly before the interview starts.
2. Have 3-4 solid questions about the school -- ones which can't be easily answered from the website. I tell my clients to assume they have been accepted at several comparable schools. What else would you want to know about this school to help you choose?
3. Know your own weaknesses and be prepared to address them. Go over your resume, with a friend if possible, and see where the holes are. What things will your interviewer want to probe. Then prepare short, clear answers.

Dress professionally. Don't ramble. Know what you want to get out of the interview and all will go well.

Good luck!

[gmatlady]

Hey taniw, thanks alot for your imput, I will certainly use these guidelines, the good thing is I have a couple more days, and I am pretty familiar with their website.

One more concern though, They already have my entire application package and I am wondering, do you think it would be a good idea to suggest that I am prepared to take the GMAT again in Dec to have a chance at the scholarship? I am just wondering how that might sound to the adcom

[Tani]

You can certainly say that you are willing to retake the test if they feel it would be to your advantage. Some schools will even suggest a retake if everything else is in line.

[gmatlady]

Thanks taniw for your suggestions, I will see how the interview goes.