Graham wrote:Dear Stockmoose16,
From the looks of your profile, I'd say you certainly have a shot at the schools on your list. While the GMAT result is a bit below their averages, my sense is that your unique professional background - if pitched properly in your essays and rec letters - could help you overcome that.
One last question: Have you taken the test just the one time? What were your percentile scores on math and verbal?
Best of luck,
Graham
Hi Graham,
Yes, I've only taken the test once, but probably wouldn't be able to dedicate time to both studying and applications, which rules out another attempt at the test (unless I take it blindly). Since a 690 is the same thing as a 720 (statistically), I don't think there would be much value in re-taking the test anyway. I scored a 740 on GMATprep, but realistically, I probably wouldn't score higher than 720 on a re-take.
As for the percentiles, I received 70th percentile quant, 92nd percentile verbal, and AWA 6. I came a long way to get to the 70th percentile quant. I started off in the 19th percentile 4 months ago, and spent over 500 hours studying. So, suffice it to say, it would be highly unlikely I'd raise my quant percentile upon a re-take.
At any rate, it seems like I'm getting different responses from different consultants. Both you and Stacy Blackman consulting have said my unique profile puts me in position to have a shot at Harvard. On the other hand, Accepted.com said, "Harvard and Stanford seem a bit out of range."
I truly do not understand why I would be considered out of range for any school. I was the valedictorian of my university (Syracuse), carried a double major (finance and Television, radio film), and finished with a 3.97 gpa. I feel that even though my GMAT score is slightly below Harvard's average, statistically, a 690 is the same thing as a 720. Furthermore, my four years of near-perfect college work, which involved heavy quant, should more than suffice as evidence that I can succeed.
How many people applying to business school worked in scripted television? It's got to be under 1%. I imagine it's much harder for an i-banker who scored a 720 to differentiate himself from the crowded field of applicants than it would be for me to do so.
You mentioned that if my unique professional background were to be pitched properly, it would improve my chances of acceptance. How do I pitch this in a compelling manner? One of my biggest challenges in the essay process is that I spent 5 years doing menial assistant work, which is the norm in Hollywood. Unlike other industries, you simply have to have a bit of luck (read: land on a hit show in its first year) to move upward. One of the reasons I'm applying to business school is because I'm sick of making calendars and answering phones, and want to do something challenging.
Anyway... I hope all this info helps in evaluating my chances of getting into Harvard, UCLA, or Stanford. I'd hate to waste the time or money on the applications if my chances are slim-to-none.
Thanks!
