615 GMAT FE - My College Options?

Question

Hey guys, below is my profile, I have a very demanding job and am unable to give the GMAT again. My dream college for my MBA includes Columbia, NYU, Duke, Vanderbuilt, and Berkley among other

My Profile:  
 Based in India 
 Undergrad: Singapore Institute of Managment 
 CGPA: 3.4 
 GMAT FE Score: 615 ( Equivalent to - 680/690 in classic gmat )

Work Ex:
 2 Years on the Marketing and Sales side of Venture Capital and Private equity (US Based clientele) 
 1 Year on the Marketing and Sales side of Healthcare Financial Services (US Based clientele) 
 1 Year Own Startup in B2B Lead Generation

Activities
 State Level Squash player (India)

Would love you know your opinion on my chances at these schools for my MBA, or what else could I add to my profile to add strength.

MG4MBACrystalBall · Answer

tarunsaberwal ,

Your profile shows potential.

The international undergrad can help some and GPA appears to be alright. The GMAT score will be an obvious hurdle. Totally understand the demanding job but do bear in mind that everyone you are competing for a seat at those colleges are in equally (if not more) demanding jobs. So that just doesn't cut it - just being brutally honest here. If you cannot, start with the list  here .

The work profile looks quite interesting. Are you in a startup now or earlier - not clear if you've mentioned it in chronological or reverse chronological order. It will be important to understand the employer brands and if they have been past feeders.

Squash helps but if at the school level, in a very limited manner. This is why  extracurricular/volunteer efforts  are important.

Hope this helps you get started on the right track.

Cheers,

admitStreet · Answer

tarunsaberwal - your international undergrad and work-ex are interesting angles. What's the sectional split of your GMAT? Is the score skewed towards one (or more) sections? Given the competitive Indian applicant pool though, this GMAT score would make USTop-15 'ambitious'. Ideally, aim to improve the score, or switch to GRE ( here's a decision making framework to help ). Alternatively, look for schools in-line with this score (published averages of top B-schools are here FYI). Would like to understand your work-ex, career goals, and extracurriculars in more detail to advise more. Hope this helps some. Feel free to reach out for a deeper chat. Regards, Arvind Founder, admitStreet | Request a free profile evaluation W: https://admitstreet.com | E: consultingteam@admitstreet.com | LinkedIn

MBAandBeyond · Answer

Hi tarunsaberwal ! Your profile has strong elements, including diverse work experience in venture capital, private equity, and healthcare financial services, along with entrepreneurship experience. However, your GMAT FE score of 615 is a challenge for top schools like Columbia, Berkeley, and NYU Stern, where Indian applicants present scores around 665+ range. While your international exposure and entrepreneurial experience add uniqueness, your undergraduate institution (Singapore Institute of Management) might lack strong global recognition, making your GMAT and work impact even more crucial. Vanderbilt might be relatively more flexible with test scores, but even they prefer scores closer to 645 range. To strengthen your application without a GMAT retake, you should focus on quantifying your work impact, crafting a clear and compelling post-MBA goal, and leveraging your extracurriculars to highlight leadership and resilience. Strong letters of recommendation from senior professionals in VC/PE or healthcare finance can also help. While Columbia and Berkeley remain long shots, and Vanderbilt & Emory Goizueta can be more realistic targets. If you're committed to an M7/T10 MBA, a GMAT or GRE retake would significantly improve your chances, otherwise, targeting test-flexible schools that emphasize professional impact would be the best strategy. Please feel free to take a look at BLOG1 , BLOG2 , BLOG3 and BLOG4 . We’d be happy to learn more about your profile and help assess your chances at the best-fit schools. Feel free to book a Profile Evaluation call with us . SUCCESS STORIES YOUTUBE WEBINAR Don't Miss Out - Register For The Next Webinar Session Now! https://gmatclub.com/forum/download/file.php?id=83648 GMAT-Club-Forum-fxix1sfm.png

MBAGuide · Answer

Hi tarunsaberwal , hope you are doing great

You have a seemingly fabulous profile. Don’t let your sub-mediocre GMAT score dull your shine. Look at it from the admissions committee’s point of view. You are planning to apply to some of the most competitive business schools in the world, in a tough economy, and you want to leave the admissions officers lurking in confusion about your academic motivation with a low score. What would they make of this when they are spoilt for choice?
If you have been using the GMAC data to translate your score to the old edition equivalents, I say be careful, as it can relatively push you to not aim high enough.

I speak with many applicants every week who come in with the idea that if GMAC suggested a certain score as a converted equivalent, the top schools would see it that way. However, this is not the case because, especially for selective schools like Columbia, NYU, etc., the reference data for the GMAT FE is a very small subset of the universal data used by GMAC. Therefore, the averages will be high, and someone applying from within the Indian pool is expected to have a truly exceptional score.

If you do not think you will be able to meet the school's expectations for the target percentile with the GMAT, then think of giving an attempt on the GRE. You can read some detailed insights that can help you make the decision regarding this switch.

When to switch to GRE from GMAT? Consider these to evaluate your plan : ISB

Feel free to set up an application strategy session with me

Best wishes
Aanchal Sahni (INSEAD MBA alumna, former INSEAD MBA admissions interviewer)
Founder, MBAGuideConsulting
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/aanchal-sahni-83b00819/ |WEBSITE: https://mbaguideconsulting.com/| Message(WA): +91 9971200927| email- [email protected]

tarunsaberwal

Hey guys, below is my profile, I have a very demanding job and am unable to give the GMAT again. My dream college for my MBA includes Columbia, NYU, Duke, Vanderbuilt, and Berkley among other

My Profile:
Based in India
Undergrad: Singapore Institute of Managment
CGPA: 3.4
GMAT FE Score: 615 ( Equivalent to - 680/690 in classic gmat )

Work Ex:
2 Years on the Marketing and Sales side of Venture Capital and Private equity (US Based clientele)
1 Year on the Marketing and Sales side of Healthcare Financial Services (US Based clientele)
1 Year Own Startup in B2B Lead Generation

Activities
State Level Squash player (India)

Would love you know your opinion on my chances at these schools for my MBA, or what else could I add to my profile to add strength.

615 GMAT FE - My College Options?

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