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wiseman55555
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710 Retake? 06 Aug 2013, 12:10
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Took the GMAT's twice and unfortunately ended up with the same score both times. Breakdown was 49Q and 38V with 6 AWA and 7 on IR. Percentiles were both above 80% so meets that criteria. For a profile I am an Asian male entering a BB financial services firm, and I come from an Ivy League. I know there's other aspects of the application I do need to worry about, but hearing other colleagues mention their 750+ scores has got me wondering whether 710 is worth a 3rd retake?

Anyone have thoughts? Is a 710 good enough for a "checklist" for admissions officers at HBS, Stanford, and MIT? Cause I know the median scores are higher, and it doesn't help to be an Asian male probably.
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710 Retake? 06 Aug 2013, 12:25
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wiseman55555
Took the GMAT's twice and unfortunately ended up with the same score both times. Breakdown was 49Q and 38V with 6 AWA and 7 on IR. Percentiles were both above 80% so meets that criteria. For a profile I am an Asian male entering a BB financial services firm, and I come from an Ivy League. I know there's other aspects of the application I do need to worry about, but hearing other colleagues mention their 750+ scores has got me wondering whether 710 is worth a 3rd retake?

Anyone have thoughts? Is a 710 good enough for a "checklist" for admissions officers at HBS, Stanford, and MIT? Cause I know the median scores are higher, and it doesn't help to be an Asian male probably.
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Short answer, no. Unless you're confident you can get 750+, your time is better spent on the other aspects of your resume. Bulk up on leadership and extra currics and do a bang up job at work and I think you'll have a chance at all of those schools. And the Asian male is only a "negative" stereotype depending on how you spin it. If you're applying from China, yes it can work against you. If you're applying from Thailand or Cambodia, it works for you. For example, I'm an asian male myself and I only got a 700 (I know "only"), but I plan to spin it as the son of first generation Vietnamese refugees from the war. I grew up in America but have only recently discovered my heritage and one of my selling points is I can help bridge the gap between international asian students and domestic ones.

Now be truthful with your spin, but don't categorize yourself automatically just because of your race. We're all unique and we just need adcoms to see that :wink:
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wiseman55555
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710 Retake? 06 Aug 2013, 13:23
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Yeah I do realize there are other parts of the application, but it just seems like a disadvantage to have a 710 given the higher medians at some of the MBA programs. Also, I'm Asian American, so I can't really put a twist on the application process with respect to being an international.
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710 Retake? 07 Aug 2013, 10:57
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Hey there,

Kple12 has got a good point here. If you study for the next 2 months and improve your score 20 points, it won't have offset the detriment in your application quality. So yes, if you can retake it and score a 740 or higher, go for it. But if you can't (be honest with yourself here), then focus on your apps. A 710 puts you in play. I know you're worried about it but here's a fairly simple thing I feel a lot of folks on this forum don't quite remember as often as they should: not everyone can get a 700+. That's simply not how percentiles work and with a 710 you're a in good standing.

There are hundreds of Asian males with higher GMAT scores than you that won't get in this year. It comes down to the ENTIRE application.

So, if the honest answer is "Yes, I can improve my score 30+", then retake it. If it isn't, buckle down on the applications my friend.

And, lastly, congratulations on a great score!

Bhavik
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sdd996
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710 Retake? 08 Aug 2013, 11:15
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I faced a similar question when I retook my GMAT two months ago. I also got a 710, similar splits, and come from a similarly oversubscribed group (white guy, finance, post mba goal of BB IB) just w/o the ivy undergrad. My thought was exactly what's been posted here. I'm fairly sure I could get another 10-20 points, but I'm not expecting a 750+. I felt putting the time toward essays and apps was worth more than studying for a couple months at the expense of starting the rest of the apps.
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710 Retake? 13 Aug 2013, 23:38
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sdd996
I faced a similar question when I retook my GMAT two months ago. I also got a 710, similar splits, and come from a similarly oversubscribed group (white guy, finance, post mba goal of BB IB) just w/o the ivy undergrad. My thought was exactly what's been posted here. I'm fairly sure I could get another 10-20 points, but I'm not expecting a 750+. I felt putting the time toward essays and apps was worth more than studying for a couple months at the expense of starting the rest of the apps.
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I'll agree with that!
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710 Retake? 13 Aug 2013, 23:55
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CriticalSquareMBA

There are hundreds of Asian males with higher GMAT scores than you that won't get in this year. It comes down to the ENTIRE application.
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Haha.. I would have preferred to hear "There are hundreds of Asian males with lower GMAT scores than you that will get in this year. It comes down to the ENTIRE application."