740 Low Quant... Do I need to retake?

Question

Q47 (68%), V45 (99%), 740 Total (97%)

Context: 
Ivy engineer (highly quantitative), 3.6 GPA
Will be in a rotational leadership program at a bank for technology for next 2 years minimum.
Female, U.S. born and bred
Decided to take exam on a whim before graduating, minimal studying but I just am not good at GMAT math.

Honestly, I think it's pretty decent, but my quant scores just aren't congruent with my background in hardcore engineering. I mean.. 68th percentile?! Verbal is okay, but honestly I was a little disappointed, I scored like 47-48 on both practice exams.

I would like to be admitted to a top 3-5 program w/in 5 years (scores are only good that long anyway)... would this score be competitive? Do I need to retake?

I basically don't know anything about b-school admissions and what constitutes a good GMAT score. Give it to me straight! Thanks.

mikemcgarry · Answer

Dear hellomoto , I'm happy to respond! :-)

First of all, congratulations on a superb GMAT score! Many many people would be envious of such a performance! As for your question, you may find this blog article helpful: https://magoosh.com/gmat/2013/should-i-retake-the-gmat/ Female, Ivy league, engineering degree, 97th percentile GMAT = a super smart and interesting candidate! On side of academics and " does she have the smarts ?", you are so totally done. Unfortunately, this is not about academic grad school, but about business school. B-schools want to know: do you have a clue about business? Do you have a vision and a plan? Can you speak intelligent about the sector that interests you? etc. etc. Yes, you're a unique smart person: you have to convince business school that you have the chops to succeed in the business world, where of course many book-smart people can't cut it. That's where you should focus your efforts over the next few years: get experience, make contacts, formulate a plan, etc. Make yourself look like a credible business professional. The GMAT part of your preparation is done. Does all this make sense? Mike :-)

throwaway415 · Answer

Straight answer: you're fine.

RichEconomistGMAT · Answer

Hi hellomoto,

While I don't think you *need* to do this with such a high score (congratulations, by the way!), you can always reach out to the schools you're interested in to see if they have a particular quant score as a baseline for applicants. With your score in mind, however, it looks like you'd be in very good standing with most business schools.

Best,
Rich

EMPOWERgmatRichC · Answer

Hi hellomoto,

First off, a 740/Q47 is an outstanding score, so you should apply to any Business School that interests you. Since it sounds like you're interested in some really competitive programs, you have to remember that a strong OVERALL application is needed. No score (not even an 800) would guarantee you anything.

As it stands, you sound like an interesting applicant, so the next part of the process will be to make sure that you're presenting yourself correctly when you apply. You would likely find it beneficial to talk to/work with an Admissions Expert. While it might be a few years down the road, you can find a Forum full of those experts here:

ask-admission-consultants-124/

GMAT assassins aren't born, they're made,
Rich

OptimusPrepJanielle · Answer

Hi hellomoto,

Your score is pretty awesome to start with. The top programs in the States require scores of around 720 or higher. You would need to investigate the specific requirements of the programs you want, but your GPA looks decent as well. You are already quite a strong candidate so I don't really see the need to retake the exam for the reason that you mentioned. The exam tests the way you reason, and isn't really a measure of your knowledge. Therefore I wouldn't necessarily expect a higher score in quantitative because it is related to your field. However, if you do retake the exam, I wish you plenty of luck in your pursuits.

740 Low Quant... Do I need to retake?

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