ds17 wrote:
I took the GMAT a week ago and scored a 710 (Q44, V44). Normally I would be fine with that score (although I have been scoring 720/730 in practice tests). I am, however, rather disappointed with the quantitative score. A score of 44 places me in the 68th percentile.
How detrimental is this low quant score to my overall application? My upper-end is ~47, but I think test-day nerves got to me on a handful of the quant questions.
I am aiming at the top-tier B-schools (Harvard/Stanford/Wharton/Booth) but probably will not be applying for another few years. I graduated from a top-20 university with a 3.75 GPA in economics. Currently working in finance at a leading global tech company.
I realize my quant score is on the low end, but I would rather devote additional effort to other areas of my application (work experience, recommendations, leadership) if they can somehow overshadow this low score. Also, I am hoping the admissions officers can see that solid undergrad GPA and work experience in finance show that I am reasonably competent in real-world mathematics (most likely had a bit of an off day on the GMAT).
What do you think? Should I stay put with the 710 and not risk a lower score, or re-take in an attempt to boost the quant score? Thanks!
Hello
We would advice you to retake the exam so your scores are balanced well. Since you are aiming for top schools then a score above 700 is desirable. Also the GMAT alone won’t determine your chances of admission; your work experience plays a vital role as well. You need to ensure that academically you are in a good position. However it is not just the academics but beyond the academics that will help you in determining your candidature.
Generally most of the applicants have a good 4-5 years of work experience. Although it is not just the work experience that counts but also what you did there like-what were your achievements, what initiative you took, what changes you drove in your workplace etc. So if you can show that in 4 years you have demonstrated the skills business schools are looking for you could put in a strong set of essays.
Hence the quality of your work, your academics and beyond academics will play an important role in determining your candidature.
Make sure you follow the ‘show rather than tell’ principle so that the admissions committee could really understand your strengths and differentiating factors.”