Admissions for those with relatively high verbal/math...

Question

Seems like alot here have heavy quant scores and engineering backgrounds... What about those who score around 700 but are very high verbal... ie 94-99% and lower in quant, high 60s. What does that experience look like in terms of admission?

paul_ragos · Answer

I would like to know this as well. My GMAT was 720, q43 (70%) v46 (99%). I wish it were the other way around!h

bherronp · Answer

My first attempt was a 40Q (62%) /49V (99%) total 710. I was ok with the overall score, but my research lead me to believe that the quant would kill me with the top schools. Thats why I took it again and got a 50Q/44V. 

I would be interested to hear some real world examples, but from my research it sounds like its a pretty bad red flag. Which is interesting, because I read some stuff from the business schools that stated that they had found more correlation between verbal skills and business success. Despite that, they focus heavily on quant.

kryzak · Answer

I'm thinking as long as you have a tech background (can show strong math classes in college or work) or have taken math courses and got good grades in them to show you can handle the quant work, you should be ok. Berkeley actually asks you what math classes you've taken that proves you can handle it.

nervousgmat · Answer

Huh! I guess this is a thread for high verbal, not so high quant-scoring people - by far the minority of the applicants. I think that as long we are not applying to the MBA with a heavy quant concentration, we should be fine. I scored 720 (Q42, V47) so I have a similar concern. However, i never really had any issues with quant courses in college and my major was Finance. The way I look at this is that if admission committee has a problem with my quant score in GMAT and thinks that my A's in math and finance do not prove that i can handle the quant workload, it's too bad for them. I'm sure I'll be admitted somewhere!!!

nontraditional · Answer

I got 710 (Q43 %70, V45 98%) a few weeks ago. I just as easily could have come away with a 670, so I'm grateful for what I got, even if it's lopsided.

I'm also hoping that my A's in quantitative classes resolve any concerns the adcom will have. I had to take four classes that required Eng. Calc II as a prerequisite. I have a friend at <ultra> with a 710 (Q%68, V%99) who was rejected last year. His major was non-quantitative. He took a few classes at a cc and reapplied... got in. From what I've read: retake the GMAT or have some quant classes on your transcript.

I talked to a student ambassador from Michigan (great outreach program, if you haven't tried it) who told me that the school wants to know that you can handle the quantitative nature of b-school, but once convinced, the overall number is the only thing that matters. Will you help or hurt their avg? This reinforces my thought that A's in quant classes will offset the lopsided score.

BTW, it was sort of therapeutic for me to see all of you here with similarly lopsided scores.

Good luck.

solaris1 · Answer

At what point do quant scores start to become a concern?

I fall into this category of high verbal+relatively mediocre quant myself and have been quite concerned about my q47 (81 p.c.), especially since I only managed a B in each of my college calculus classes, and a far worse D(!) in a class on mathematical methods!

nontraditional · Answer

Man, I wish I could answer that question. I've found that admissions people are quite willing to spend a minute with you. I've had 30 minute conversations with the director of admissions at various top-10 programs. They've called me back within half an hour each time. They'll always talk and answer questions happily until I finally end the conversation. Be bold. You're going to business school.

I think if you lay out your quant scenario in 30 seconds or less, you'll either get a "You should be fine" or a "You probably want to use you extra essay to convince us". They'll never encourage you  not  to apply, so if you get the latter, I think you should count the school as a "reach".

Alternatively you could try your hand at the online fortune tellers. They're always happy to advise.

I saw your 740. Geez, almost anyone would kill for your score. I don't think any school is going to deny you for lack of quant. They're going to look for a way to accept you because of your overall score. I don't care what anyone says, you're going to get preferential treatment over a Q42 with an overall 710 every time, even if he has four A's in advanced Calculus. If it were me I would forget about it and write awesome essays.

solaris1 · Answer

Thought it would be a bit ironic to submit an extra essay of all things to assuage an adcom about your quant skills :-D

And thank you for the kind words.

kryzak · Answer

solaris, an 81% is NOT bad for applying to good schools. I personally would not spend too much time explaining it, but the advice of calling the adcom up is a good one. See what they say.

I also know of a few people did write convincing optional essays explaining either low math grades or low quant score.

But I think you should be ok unless a school (like Haas) asks you specifically for your math grades.

riverripper · Answer

I had a 48Q, which is like an 85% so its not the 50/51 a lot of engineers apply with but its a solid score though so it wouldnt raise any concern. I too had a few bad math grades, I had a bad second half freshman year and all of sophomore year...that just happened to be when I was taking stuff like Calc II and differential equations. I did much better from then on in quant heavy classes (fluid dynamics, strengths of materials, etc.)

I choose to write an optional essay for why I didnt do so hot on my math classes since I had a very clear and real answer. However, I didnt worry about my GMAT since it was above the invisible 80% threshold. Write the essay on your grades if you have a convincing reason. Its much harder to explain anything having to do with the GMAT away since you can retake it and its also a recent view of your "abilities." While the college grades, well they are a reflection of what you did X years ago, when you were young and foolish. I think writing an essay on the GMAT probably will sound like excuses and wont be convincing.

Personally I think my lower math grades are probably what kept me out Chicago GSB, they are a quant heavy school and probably want people who didnt get a C- in calc II, even if I did ace quant focused classes later on. If you are concerned about your scores and grades, I suggest going for schools that arent known as the quant schools so eliminate places like MIT (ask for math grades in the app) and Chicago. I got into Kellogg with a few bad math grades some solid ones and a good GMAT, and Nervous got in with great math grades but sub 80% on the GMAT quant...they obviously will look at the whole picture and see if there are other areas that prove your abilities.

solaris1 · Answer

Thanks, riverripper. I'm actually not that interested in quant. heavy schools like Chicago or Wharton anyway. Even though I'm a Chicago alum, that OTHER school on the northside is my current top choice :wink:

iamjoesargent · Answer

I had a similar breakdown to few in here (Q:43 V:42) I may have the 3 and 2 backwards, lol.

Anyway, my quant was 70th percentile, and it worked out for me. I think I had a lot of other factors helping me though like many of you.

I don't believe that a quant score has to be THAT high for the school to know you can do the work. Now all I need to do is become an adcom, lol.

rhyme · Answer

I was 45 / 45 ... I think that was something like 45 (80% in math) and 45 (99% in verbal)....

The GSB, of course, worked out.

Admissions for those with relatively high verbal/math...

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