Intern
Joined: 07 May 2011
Posts: 10
Schools:Darden,Cambridge,Duke,UCLA
WE 1: Information technology, 7 years
GMAT retake dilemma - 710(Q46,V41), AWA 4.5
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15 Jun 2011, 09:59
I appreciate help and inputs from forum mates on what's best for me
Here goes my story -
Did a short gmat prep for 30 days, was scoring in the 700-720 in practice, with 48-49 for Quants.
Never ever looked at the AWA, I always thought that would be cakewalk for me, given my high scores in school English.
Scored [highlight]710(Q46,V41), AWA 4.5 in the actual test[/highlight]
I am planning to apply to schools - Ross,Darden, Duke etc, and emory,tepper as backups.
I would never have considered retaking the GMAT but for the below factors
[highlight]a)Importance of GMAT score for scholarship -[/highlight] My current financial position dictates that I need good scholarships to pursue study at the top 15, or else I would have to settle for lower rung colleges which charges less. I am very keen to know how the GMAT scores impacts scholarships.i.e If I can touch 750, do I stand a better chance of a scholarship?
Other negatives against me are -(yes,same story) - Male/Indian/IT; so does a higher gmat score help distinguish me from the rest(I know it is predominantly essays etc, but if it gives me a slight edge, I am happy to retake the gmat)
b)[highlight]Poor AWA score(4.5)[/highlight] - Remember i am an international candidate, I dont want me to be rejected for my AWA.
c) [highlight]My short duration prep[/highlight] - I did prep only for 30 days, which translates to 100-120 hours.90 days being the standard gmat effort, I would assume that I can improve 30-40 points with a 2 month effort.
Thanks
ISB.