GMAT Club Verbal Expert
Joined: 13 Aug 2009
Status: GMAT/GRE/LSAT tutors
Posts: 6921
Given Kudos: 1774
Location: United States (CO)
GMAT 1: 780 Q51 V46
GMAT 2: 800 Q51 V51
GRE 1: Q170 V170
GRE 2: Q170 V170
Re: Imbalanced Scores at Mediocre Schools
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07 Mar 2013, 12:06
Well, a lot of people on this forum would happy give their left testicle for a 38V, especially after just 10 days of studying. Yes, it's really tough to increase your score from a 600 to a 700, but it does happen, and you clearly have some pretty strong underlying verbal skills--and that's often the hardest thing to improve. You might have to work really hard to get the quant up there, but it's doable if you're able to put in the time and energy. And I'm also betting that you have room to improve on verbal as well. With enough practice, you might be the sort of guy who could get to a 45Q/42V sort of score, and that would put you comfortably above a 700.
I don't know a ton about the MBA programs you mentioned, but the score imbalance is rarely an issue at less-selective regional programs. If you're comfortably above their average GMAT and if your GPA is solid, then you're probably fine.
I also don't know much about your goals, but you seem like an ambitious guy, and I don't see any reason why you couldn't put yourself into a good position to get into top-25 schools. My hunch is that the GMAT is beatable in your case, and you could spend the next couple of years trying to move your career (and extracurriculars?) in directions that will make you a stronger MBA candidate. Nothing against CSUF or UCI, but if you have any desire to get into, say, UCLA or USC, I don't see any reason why you couldn't make it happen in the long run, even if your undergraduate program isn't all that prestigious. Just some food for thought.