Thanks for your question ruchi2012 and for sharing some of your background.
Let me assure you that we consider *every* application that we receive and we don't summarily discard anyone for a low test score or for any single data point.
That being said....a 640 is on the lower end of our accepted range from last year. The middle 80% of our class last year was 620 to 760.
While GMAT isn't everything, there is no denying that academic aptitude is important in a program where most of the classes are only seven weeks long. The aggressive pace means you need to be able to balance a lot of different things at once and integrate new concepts and learnings very quickly. GMAT and GRE scores are one way me measure academic aptitude but the Committee also looks at undergraduate GPA and a strong transcript as good indicators of academic aptitude as well.
The Admissions Committee will not penalize an applicant for retakes. Only your highest score is shown to the Committee. My advice to applicants on GMAT/GRE is always two-fold. First and foremost, keep it in perspective and remember that we're looking for academic aptitude not a magic test score number. Secondly, if you think you didn't perform to the best of your abilities yet on a GMAT/GRE, then it might make sense to spend some time prepping and retake the test. You can find some great, free GMAT test prep resources on at
www.mba.com if you're interested. And then of course there is lots of stuff out there like Kaplan, Manhattan MBA, etc.
We do have a competitive applicant pool and so you want to put your best foot forward, but ultimately your test score is not the only component by which you're judged. The Committee will look at your entire application package including recommendations, essays, etc. You can get a complete breakdown of everything we look for at this link:
https://business.nd.edu/MBA/Admissions_a ... ncial_Aid/Hope this helps. I would encourage you to apply. The only way to know how you stack up is to apply!
Take care and thanks again for the question.
Andrew J. Sama
Senior Associate Director, MBA Admissions
University of Notre Dame