Hi

I had appeared for the GMAT on 11.02.2013. I've scored less than what I was aiming for. My score is - 680, AWA - 6, IR - 7. I was scoring pretty awesomely on my practice tests (from 720 to 750) everytime so I had prepared my list of 5 schools according to those scores. One of the schools was LBS.

Now after a month or so I've received an email from LBS, saying essentially this -
"I am sure you would agree that the GMAT test is one of the more challenging parts of the application process, so your good score is certainly a step towards a successful application!"

My query is - I am really excited to see that LBS considers my score "good". But then I think to myself that maybe LBS is calling it a good score because it's above average according to GMAC. Or is it possible that it's good enough for LBS according to their standards. I know that the average GMAT score for LBS is way more than 680. But then averages are just averages.

Please tell me what to make of the statement in the email from LBS.

My profile - Mech. Engg. from NIT Jalandhar, India. Graduated 2nd in my class with an internship in Germany sponsored by DAAD. Have a couple more international achievements - Invitation by NASA to visit their research facility after winning a competition on global level and won a competition by AIAA at the Asian Level. I have played basketball at the national level in India. Pretty decent social work. Rest is the usual - Organizing committees in university fests, compering various stage shows etc.
The main deterrent in my profile - I will have a work ex only of 2 years by the end of July, 2013. Coupled with my "less than expected" GMAT score.

Please tell me whether there is any hope in applying to LBS.

The good news: It's comfortably in the mid 80% range of 650-750.
The bad news: It's 30 points below the median of 710.

http://poetsandquants.com/school-profile/london-business-school/

IMO, I think the email is the marketing arm of LBS encouraging you/thanking you for applying. Have you applied? If not, and if you were crushing practice exams and have time to take it again, it wouldn't hurt. Obviously LBS admits people with a 680, but if you get a ding/WL with a 680 - you can only wonder if a higher score could have helped.
_________________

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9fWvub_WBho

Hi

Thanks CobraKai and VeritasPrepRon.

CobraKai - I was infact crushing practice tests. On the test day I believe I ran out of luck. I am one of those who didn't have a purely pleasant test day experience. Anyways I learned a lot from that experience and can now move on and prepare again, even harder this time. I do have time on my hand so I will most probably appear again for the GMAT. Though not fully decided on this.

VeritasPrepRon - Thanks for encouraging me and reaffirming my strategy of "what's the harm in applying". I do agree that my work experience is very less than the average at LBS. I think the work experience criterion gains importance when the admissions committee wants to see the variety of life experiences an applicant has had or his/her emotional and professional maturity. Is it so? Or is it because of some other reasons which I cannot fathom?

I will certainly let the forum know how things work out. Please let me know what extra I can do ( besides improving my GMAT score) in order to stand out in the competitive environment that is the LBS.

Also, I am considering applying to ISB too. Is my profile good enough for ISB?

Thanks again for the replies. . Deeply grateful.