Should I retake GMAT ?

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Should I retake GMAT ?

by saiprasad » Tue Mar 31, 2009 6:05 am
Hello,

I am 4.5 year experienced IIM(Indian IT Male). Took GMAT last year and scored 710(Q:50,V:38). Applied to ISB, Kellogg, Tepper and Ross. Got wait-listed at Tepper and all others dinged after interview. I am afraid to invest $200K for my MBA at this tough time.

Thinking whether I can retake GMAT and aim for 750+ as I cannot amend my profile now. A good score would improve my chances for scholarship.

What say gurus. Your advice will change my life and those of many (if I got to be a good manager post MBA :) )

Please advice me.

Thank you.
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by Graham » Tue Mar 31, 2009 9:06 am
Dear Saiprasad,

Thanks for your post!

Your GMAT result is decent: a 710 is not far from the average at most of your target schools and your score is fairly well balanced in terms of crossing the 80th percentile in each section. Of course, it certainly would not hurt to improve your score and distance yourself from your peers in what is a highly over-subscribed portion of the applicant pool (Indian, IT, male). Especially since this group typically performs above program-averages on the test.

Having said that I suspect that your results this year weren't influenced entirely by the GMAT result (in fact, I'd argue that the GMAT may have only played a small role). In short, I strongly suspect that there may be other factors that brought about your results this year (essay quality, interview performance, rec letters, XCs, etc). Of course, in order to know exactly where the weaknesses may have been, I'd need to know a lot more about your profile and ideally see the materials you submitted.

In conclusion, if you think you can score 730+ on the exam, it may be wise to retake it before reapplying next year (assuming you haven't already taken the test 3-4 times previously). I also think you may benefit from getting some in-depth feedback on your submitted applications, so that you can plot a course towards successful reapplication and make the most of the months that lie ahead. Feel free to send your resume to [email protected] if you'd like to learn more about our reapplicant feedback reports.

Best of luck,

Graham
Graham Richmond
Clear Admit, LLC
[email protected]
215 568 2590

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