So here it goes...

Yesterday, I took the GMAT. I was aiming for a 700. I walked out with a 670. But as is the case with life, nothing is ever easy. I took the test in New York and yesterday the temperature was in the 20's and we got about 8 inches of snow. Why am I telling you this? Because the center I where I took the test had no heat. I took the test wearing gloves and a hat, taking the gloves off intermittenly during math problems. In between the math and verbal, I went outside and the staff at the center gave me hot water to drink to warm me up. Needless to say, it was freezing.

So, when i went to sign out, the head of the tesing center showed me a letter he was drafting to ETS claiming a hardship for all the people that were in the center that day and asking that we all be able to cancel our scores. Here in lies the problem. I have a few options- I have not talked to ETS yet, but this is what I have been told:

1. I can cancel the test and see if they will let me retake it right away. I do NOT want to wait a month not only becasue i really am sick od syudying, but also because i was trying to get my apps in to schools in the next three weeks. So i want to see if they will let me retake it this week. I am pretty confident that I can do better then what I did- but, of course, I run the risk of doing the same or even worse.
2. I can take my 670 and they will accompany it with a letter of hardship to schools. I have no clue whether they will just huck this in the garbage or actually take it into consideration. Also, does it really matter if I have a a 670 or a 700? Will that really change whether I can get into the school of my choice? I am applying to top 10 schools, but I have really good work exp. for over 4 years and graduated with a solid GPA from one of the top ranked colleges in the US.

SO CONFUSED!!?? please help..also, the reason why i think my environment def. affected me is that my slpit was 43M and 38V. I have NEVER scored lower in verbal than math. I have also always been able to finish verbal and i left 5 questions blank. My mind was litaralu numb by the end. CR, which is uaually so easy for me, was taking me forever to do. i had to reread everything 5 or 6 times.

what is the best course of action??
Thanks!

Did they ever let you take the test right away? Given the extenuating circumstances, they should.

I would not suggest sending in a letter of hardship; I'm not sure that would impress the top schools. They are not looking for excuses, and the pool is very competitive. 670 is within range for top schools, but it very much depends on your essays and background, etc. If you think you can score higher, you should take it again.