Advice please: score 700; perfect verbal, low quant

Hi all,

This is my first post, so I hope people are able to give me some advice despite being a total newb.

I sat the GMAT today. I had taken a couple of practice exams and scored 670 and 690 respectively, with the verbal score usually higher than the quant score. Before taking the actual test today, I had spent about 2 weeks brushing up on the quant stuff, with a very brief review of the verbal aspects of the GMAT. I would say that in an ideal world I would have done much more quant preparation than I did.

My score from the GMAT today was 700 flat. However, I completely botched the quant section. I actually didn't even get to the 3 last questions (ran out of time) and was so rushed on the next 3 questions that I almost certainly got them wrong. Essentially, a couple of early questions threw me and I managed my time badly from then on. My quant score was 38 (51st %).

By contrast, I totally aced the verbal section (47 - 99th %). I think this means I answered every question correctly. In my 2 practice exams my average verbal was low 90s, and my quant was low 70s (noting that I did manage to finish the quant section on time in both practice exams I took, in contrast to my performance today on the real thing).

I am aiming to get into a top B school in the US or Europe, and ultimately to move into private equity (perhaps starting in corporate finance at an IB if necessary). I am therefore concerned that the quant score will count against me in a major way, despite the healthy overall score.

My background is that I am a lawyer working in M&A at a large international law firm in Australia. I am 29 years old. I have a law degree and a BA majoring in history and japanese language. My university marks are fair but not stellar. Despite my (relative) youth as a lawyer, I have risen up through my firm rapidly and am now fairly senior. I have worked on a large number of significant transactions.

I have undertaken post grad studies in finance (including valuation) at a reputable Australian institution, and achieved distinction level marks in those studies.

My question is, should I sit the GMAT again, to try and increase my quant score? I think I would almost certainly increase the quant score from my terrible performance today, but I am concerned that I might not hit the same highs on the verbal, so that my overall score may fall from 700.

Are top B Schools likely to consider my post grad finance studies/results as counterbalancing my poor quant score (in which case perhaps I should just accept the 700 I got today), or am I better to take the GMAT again (even though I would be risking my high verbal score to try and lift my quant score)?

Many thanks, and apologies for the length of the post.