Ask Stacy Blackman

Dear mp2437,

B-schools evaluate your GMAT from all angles and in relation to your transcript. So, since you are an engineer, it is not surprising you did well on the quant and there will probably be little concern on your ability to handle the quantitative/analytical nature of the business school curriculum. While your verbal is a little on the low side, your total score of 700 is strong and your essays and interview will be other data points for your verbal skills. I don't know that it is necessary to retake at this point in the game (especially if you are trying to hit R2 deadlines), but a higher score is not going to hurt you. Multiple GMAT attempts is not a negative, but GMAT test designers do note a point of diminishing returns for most folks, meaning at around the 3rd or 4th attempt you will not really alter your score significantly on subsequent attempts.

Based on the minimal information you posted, I would say you have the GPA/GMAT/Yrs experience that is right in the mix for both Columbia and NYU. If you believe you can put together a great set of essays and recommendations, then you would have a chance to stand out from similar applicants. Schools don't usually favor graduates from their undergraduate programs unless they don't see many of them in the applicant pool. So, I would not count on that being either a positive or negative for you.

You absolutely want your recommendations to be from your professional work experience. Academic recommendations are not seen as valuable to business school admissions folks. Business school is a professional program and as such, you are being evaluated as a professional. I think the two folks you noted in your post sound like a great idea.

Best of luck,
Lisa
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Dear Harsha,

As an international applicant, many schools have a cutoff of R2. So you need to verify that policy with the schools you are targeting, especially any in the USA. Generally speaking, you want to be in R2. You are from an overrepresented profile--Indian software engineer with ~4 yrs experience, 680-730 GMAT. As such, you have to find a way to distinguish yourself from the competition and you need to use the probabilities to work in your favor in terms of the number of seats available. By R3, there are so few seats and many schools will have already extended most of their international admissions offers. Now, if you are looking at schools in India, then things might be different. I think you have two options: 1) apply R2 with a 680 to schools with GMAT averages in the 650-680 range or 2) retake and apply next year in R1.

Good luck,
Lisa

Dear mp2437,

You should apply when you feel you are ready. However, you do not want to rush your application or apply in R3. If you feel you will gain some quality work experience, then it might also be worth waiting another year. Only you can know when you are ready.

Regards,
Lisa

Dear jzdchou,

I think your 690 is in range for Kellogg and MIT. While your verbal score is not outstanding, it is not so low as to cause a huge concern either. Additionally, the admissions committee will have your essays and interview to assess your verbal skills. The GMAT and GPA are important and your numbers are competitive. However, the other parts of your application are equally important and give you an opportunity to distinguish yourself from the competition. If you are not already, it is always good to apply to at least one reasonable to safety school though as a back up plan.

Good luck,
Lisa

Dear BosRoGMAT,

You certainly have plenty of options in the Boston area and appear to have identified several that are quite strong in both reputation and curriculum. Without knowing your GMAT score, it is difficult to comment on your chances. Assuming you score in the 650+ range, you should be competitive for most of the schools on your list though. Since you are a US citizen, then you will be considered a domestic applicant. However, I do think your Romanian upbringing and work experience will help to distinguish you from the competition and add richness to the class; in that sense, it should work in your favor. Over the next year, I do encourage you to visit these programs, attend a class, meet with students, attend information sessions or other events--whatever the opportunities are to both familiarize yourself with the programs and the programs with you. It will be an asset as you write your essays and having the programs know you as a person when they see your name, versus being just another application, will be helpful.

Best of luck,
Lisa

Dear brentwood,

Are you referring to a specific post in this sub-forum or to this sticky in general? Generally speaking, the ranges do not change much from year to year on where you need to be in order to be competitive. However, if a particular school's statistics significantly change, then you will want to note that and adjust your assessment accordingly.

Regards,
Lisa

Dear Eric,

Congrats on your GMAT score! Combined with your GPA, you are establishing a competitive foundation for your application. The best thing you can do over the next 18 months is to maximize your opportunities at work to gain quality experience. Seek out leadership opportunities and add some notable accomplishments to your resume. Likewise, find a few activities outside of work that you can be highly involved with, including in a leadership capacity if possible, so you can present a well-rounded applicant to the admissions committees. IF you do those things, then you should have a chance at a top 10 program when you apply in 2011. I do think your mix of schools should include 1-2 in the top 5, but be sure to also have your reasonable/safety options as well. When the time comes, you will want to put in the effort for your essays, campus visits, and interviews to give yourself the best chance.

Best of luck,
Lisa

Dear simchi,

1. Will a 690 be enough to offset my lower CGPA even though I did well in my Junior/Senior years?
Perhaps. Your 690 is a great score, and when combined with your work experience, it makes you a competitive applicant. The fact your GPA trended upwards and was a 3.59 your last two years will also be noted and work in your favor. I think that you will have to apply and see what happens--there is no way to predict in advance. Use your essays, interview and recommendations to further make your compelling case for admission and give the schools a reason to want you in the class. The best strategy for you is to ensure that your only potential weakness is the cumulative GPA.

2. Would I be able to get into HBS, Columbia, Stern, Wharton, Stanford or Kellogg in my situation? I already have safety schools (Schulich/Rotman).
3. If not, what US-schools would be appropriate targets given my GMAT score and work exp - Top 5, Top 10, Top 15? (Stern, Cornell, Dryden, Kelley?)
Perhaps. Once again, the only way to know is to apply. I strongly encourage you to come up with a list of schools that offer you a mix of reach, reasonable and safety options. You want to make sure you are applying to schools that are the best fit for you in terms of curriculum and career resources for your career goals, but that you are also the best fit for in terms of culture. It is imperative to do the research and visit those you can to determine which schools are the best fit. In my opinion, any top 15 school in the US is essentially a reach for any applicant due to the volume of applications and selectivity. Reasonable schools for you will be those where the fit is perfect and your profile is at/above average for the school (probably GMAT average in the 670-695 range).

4. Finally, is there a list of B-schools that only look at the last two years GPA and not overall GPA? I am concerned since the first two years in my GPA are my only "black mark".
I have never seen a definitive list on this topic, so it is something you will have to research on an individual school basis. Schools will not always publish how they evaluate the GPA and might change if they look at the cumulative or the last two years from one year to the next, especially if there has been a change in the school's administration. Since you trended upward and finished your last two years very strong, as well as studied at a rigorous institution in a tough major, I do not think your cum 2.92 is going to be a significant concern. You certainly have evidence with your GMAT and work experience to assuage any concern on your academic aptitude.

5. Would you recommend it for me to re-take the GMAT? If I got lucky, or took up some private tutoring, I could probably score in the 710-720 range, but would rather not do the additional work if it was not necessary and instead focus on the application essays.
Retaking the GMAT is something you will have to decide for yourself on whether you want to make that investment. I definitely think it is possible for you to gain admission with your current 690, but there are no guarantees. As I stated before, it is impossible to predict your admission decisions based on your profile as admission decisions are based on your entire application relative to the applicant pool at the time and the school's internal goals. You should NOT sacrifice the quality of the rest of your application to retake the GMAT, but if you think you can improve your score and want to try, then it might be worth a shot. A higher score certainly won't hurt you.

Best of luck,
Lisa