Nightmare scenario

Seriously, 630 isn't the end of the world.

Why are you striving to do SOOOO much better? There are MBA options beyond the super slick top tier schools that can give you just as much (IF NOT MORE) opportunity in life.

I assume everyone's goal here in taking the GMAT is to a) get into a master's program so that they can b) enjoy the education and ultimately do better for themselves in life.

Wake up folks, your GMAT score has such a puny bearing on what you do in life. You shouldn't treat it as this massive gatekeeper. Yeah, your chances of getting into elite schools drops as your score does. Ever think that that's sort of a foolish basis upon which judge people for a program? It is, really, but there's no choice for the big, popular schools. Because they're big and popular, they get tons of admissions so they need to cut overhead by depersonalizing the admissions process somehow (they ain't non-profit organizations). GMAT score threshold is an effective method.

But just because it's a top tier school doesn't mean they have a top tier program. Or that their usually top tier program will be top notch when YOU take it. Or that your random batch of classmates will be all that fun or great. The same and opposite claims can be made for smaller, less known schools who aren't going to look at a sub 700 score and scratch you of their list.

I am tooting my own program's horn a bit here, indirectly. If you rolled back the clock to January 2009 and told me I could go to HBS or where I went, I would pick Dal every time because while HBS is amazing and looks incredible on paper and while I'd probably do just fine there... this program has been such a rich experience that I wouldn't want to risk getting caught up in anything else lest it be 1% less awesome than what I've been able to do here.

Dal's GMAT cutoff: 550.

I think they let a few folks in that got under that (rumours abound though). And like I said to someone in another post here, the group of 40 people in the inaugural class we have are just... ridiculously wonderful and capable and smart as HELL. How can this BE?? Because a high GMAT score is a bad predictor of how awesome or personable a person is. And in business and in real life, it always boils down to people, to who you know and how you interact with them.

So chin up, and know that there are roads that are not under the spotlights of the status quo that will lead to places that just as if not more incredible than the roads that are.

That is all!

Thanks for the response. The GMAT was less about getting into a top school for me than it was about working hard at something and achieving a goal. I mean I was accepted to every program I applied to with my first score but I know I'm capable of more than that. It may not make sense but I want to see the results of my hard work and not fall short because of test anxiety.

Thanks, I have time this summer and I don't want to waste the prep that I have done up to this point. I'm thinking retake in a month and finally put this behind me. Is 20 points in a month realistic?

I'm trying to understand the logic in your reasoning going in for the first attempt.

You only studied half the test expecting a great score?

Ya, I mean deadlines were a major aspect behind the timing of both my tests. I was waitlisted nearly a month ago and began preparing for my second attempt at that point. Surprisingly, I actually studied the quant section pretty thoroughly. I didn't devote very much time to verbal. As an economics major, I thought most of the quant would come through relatively easily, but as you can see from my scores, it hasn't. I feel like I need to just start with the basics.

Thanks, I feel like everyone taking this test is light-years ahead of me on quant.