690 good enough for a top ten school?

Question

I recently took the gmat and scored a 690 despite scoring in the 700's (710-740) on GMATprep and Kaplan practice tests. I was so nervous on test day that I wrote out the math for every question twice (which I've never done before), which threw off my usual timing and caused me to guess on the last ten or so questions in Quant. I feel that my quant and overall score were not necessarily indicative of my ability or preparation.

So with 690, 46Q and 39V, do I still have a good shot at a top 10 school? I had a 3.8 GPA in college (top 50 state school) and work at a top 4 consulting firm. I have researched online and there is a lot of contradicting information out there. I realize this places me in the 80% range for most schools, but I don't want to bank on that in case the other parts of my application don't dazzle admissions.

Any tips or insight would be much appreciated! Thanks!

PersonalMBACoach · Answer

It really depends on a few more factors:

Demographics
Work experience
Extra-curriculars

The reality is a 690 may work at the lower end of the top 10, and it can even work at HBS. I have helped folks get into HBS with scores that low, but it is rare and you have to have a special profile. By top 4 I am guessing it is outside of MBB. I would suggest retaking the GMAT before applying and targeting R2 if your sights are top 10. Email if you want to learn about tutoring options. I help a number of consultants every year and if you are at Deloitte (I have a number of folks there now), I can say the 690 will be tough to overcome.

Best,
Scott

Admissionado · Answer

Well, whatever the case is, it seems to be that due to circumstances you didn't do as well as you could have in the GMAT. And personally I think it would be folly too apply with anything less than the BEST score you can possibly get. I mean, even if your profile is awesome, a higher GMAT will make it more awesome, and will translate into admittance at better schools, or scholarship offers. the only case to consider not taking the GMAT in my opinion is when for whatever reason you HAVE TO go to B-school this year and cannot take the risk of a delay.

But still, if you are under 30 - I'd advise a retake, under the best possible conditions.

Best,
JF

VeritasPrepEdison · Answer

Thanks for sharing.

Given the circumstances, and if you believe you it is very likely you will do better on a retake, you should do so. It would increase your chances of admissions and scholarships, it would also give you peace that you gave it your best shot.

All the best!

99Colleges · Answer

Your case is different from someone who has maxed out on her/ his potential, and is finding incremental improvement to be difficult. Variables that went awry during your test are not difficult to control.

That’s all the more reason to retake the test.

That’s all the more reason to retake the test.

ARINGO · Answer

It does seem like the circumstances of the test were not ideal for you, which probably means you may do better if you retake.

While it is possible to get admitted to top 10 schools even with a GMAT score of 690 (we see this at ARINGO all the time as applicants with lower GMAT scores are our speciality), you would need your application to be outstanding for that. I see some hesitation on that part in what you wrote (but don’t forget that you can always get help for the application part by professionals if you want!) so if you want to play it safe due to that, I would also recommend a retake.
Good luck!

690 good enough for a top ten school?

Prep Toolkit

Top 5 GMAT Debrief Videos

615 to 715 in 15 Days (Ria's Strategies)

More than Quant/Verbal Abilities: Speed vs. Accuracy

745 with Only Self-Prep and GMAT Club

From 555 to 765: 210-point Improvement

Perfect 805 Score Debrief by Julia

My Rewards