Am I missing something?

Question

If your GMAT score is good enough to get you into the school you want to go to, why would you spend more time and money trying to raise your score? 

I scored a 630 on my only attempt which is good enough to get me into the school I am going to go to so it perplexes me as to why I see so many "got a 720" should I retake? 

I clearly am missing something.

lanter1 · Answer

They may have other deficiencies in their application such as low GPA, limited leadership experience, etc. Plus, a lot of these people are looking at top-10 schools.

Direwolf · Answer

I see, I am in a very different situation I suppose. That makes sense.

lanter1 · Answer

However, if you score over 720 and want to re-take, I feel you are wasting your time. Take the time to get involved in the community and work on apps.

Where are you applying?

riverripper · Answer

Some people are just driven and competitive by nature. I know personally I want as high a score as possible so that I know there is at least one portion of my application that is not in question. Its better to be at the top of the 80% range than right at the mean.

lanter1 · Answer

Being competitive has nothing to do with this. We are all competitive. I am just saying that there are many aspects to the process, not just GMAT score. If you want to get a 780, then more power to you.

Personally, my wife will kill me if i spend anymore on GMAT. Working 10 to 12 hour days plus GMAT does not make a good marriage.

pelihu · Answer

"Good enough" is not a term that applies to MBA admissions. Nobody knows whether a 700 or 740 or 780 will be good enough. The applications process is not a yes/no question. For the most competitive schools, you need to maximize each part of your application to have a chance. Even if your score is above the average for a school, there's no guarantee that you will be admitted. A higher GMAT score won't necessarily get you admitted, but it could help.

There are other reasons to get as high a score as possible. The first factor is money. For most schools, GMAT is a key factor when awarding scholarships. I'm a perfect example of this. Also, if you're planning to look for a job in investment banking or consulting, the top employers will all ask for your GMAT score. The prevailing thought is that if you are below 700, you will have some explaining to do when interviewing at one of these companies.

kryzak · Answer

There's the competitive side of me that wants to get a 770+, but the realistic and practical side of me is telling me that if I get over a 720, I will be happy (I'm applying to top 15 schools). I'm not looking for a job in IB or Bain or companies that will ask for your GMAT scores after I get my MBA, so I think I should be fine.

Of course, it's always NICE to be able to say I got 750+ on the GMAT.

lanter1 · Answer

I think we would all agree that 750+ is great and we would all love to see that score and it does help with the money aspect. My point was that you can't just rely on that score and there are many more important factors.

adcxaway · Answer

I need a 720 to get into a top-15 school?! Do I need my GMAT scores to induce p***s envy of the highest degree!? I've got a 710... and think that I did very well considering my not so good prep tests... but all this talk about high GMATs has started me thinking "Maybe I should retake the GMAT?" I've got the retake bug!!! Somebody HELP! kryzak.. now I can't sleep

zakk · Answer

I LOL'd at this. :-D

kryzak · Answer

LOL

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