Are my target scores reasonable?

Question

Hello friendly, helpful, omniscient GMATClub community. I'm fairly new to this whole "applying to b-school" schtick and thought I'd reach out for advice before I needlessly worry (or spend too much money on a pipe dream).

I'm a non-traditional applicant (coming from a non-profit) hoping to use an MBA to launch a career in social impact investing. Big dreams! Big story! Needs a big name school to make it happen!

After studying for ~1 month "casually" (just getting to know the test, refreshing math concepts needed) and 2 weeks in intense mode (daily, at least an hour per day), I took my first GMATprep practice. I was pleased with the 640 two months before my test, but really need to focus my studies to pull off the score I need.

What I'm learning is that the actual score out of 800 (while important) really needs to be balanced, or at least stronger in Quant than Verbal. My problem is I'm a verbal gal - I've always tested extremely well in this area - so I've skewed my scores. That 640 was a 39V (improvable, I only did three days of verbal studying) and 39Q (abysmal).

This is all to say: what's a realistic Quant score for a top-tier business program (Stanford, Haas, Wharton, Stern, LBS, etc)? Is it possible to "overscore" in verbal to my detriment? Would, say, a 44/44 be acceptable? What about a 44Q/49V? How high does the Q need to go before I can breathe a bit?

Taking this test has given me great perspective - I don't need to study the verbal or IR sections (8 out of 8!) for AT LEAST a month. But what if my Q never joins the other letters at the top of the heap?

Possibly relevant info: I'm willing to take the test twice. That's it. I feel taking it 3+ times will just be kidding myself. My scheduled test is March 16.

KarishmaB · Answer

For the top tier schools, target 49 or above in Quant and as high as you can go in Verbal. 
49 in Quant will give you about 80%ile and that is a safe score. 
In Verbal, above 44 is a 99%ile which is brilliant.

44Q is not ideal for a top school, because 44 in Quant is about 60%ile. For top schools, the rule of thumb is 80-80 i.e. at least 80 %ile in both Quant and Verbal. As long as you have an 80%ile in Quant, the higher you can score in Verbal, the better. A high score in Verbal will dramatically improve your overall score.

Let me add that less than 80%ile in Quant does not mean that you will be rejected - far from it. If your overall score is very high and your application is very impressive, you may still get a call, but as I said before, 80%ile is a safe score.

adegrandchamp · Answer

Thanks, Karishma! That was my fear - that getting a 710/720 with an outsized verbal score wouldn't be all that impressive. Don't worry, I'm doubling down on math and I think I can pull off a 47-49 in Q and raise my V to about a 44+. It's just going to be a lot of work.

On a positive note, I just made an error log and WOW do I have a good idea where I'm going astray!

On a positive note, I just made an error log and WOW do I have a good idea where I'm going astray!

EMPOWERgmatRichC · Answer

Hi adegrandchamp,

With the Schools that you named, you have to understand the sheer volume of applications that each will receive and the level of competition involved. Each of those Schools will end up rejecting 75% - 95% of the applicants and almost all of those applicants will be strong applicants. Harvard is going to reject dozens of applicants this year who have perfect 800s, so there's really no such thing as a "safe score." You're ultimately looking to score in a range that Schools would consider acceptable (and obviously the higher the score, the better); a 640 would put you in most (if not all) of those ranges. The Q39 is definitely a "red flag", but if you have a strong enough OVERALL application, then you could still get an invite, even with that score. I do agree that you should put forth your best efforts to improve that score though.

You have to put the necessary effort into EVERY part of this process and make sure to present yourself in the proper way. You also have to give Business School Admissions Officers some credit - they're not mindless drones looking at numbers; they're smart people who are looking for other smart (and interesting) applicants to invite to School. They know that not everyone is a great Test Taker, which is why the application process has so many pieces to it.

The Q39 means that you're decent at straight-forward "math" questions, but you're making some silly mistakes, missing out on lots of DS points and you're probably in need of a more "tactics"-based approach. You might also have some pacing problems, but I don't know you well enough to make that assessment right now.

What resources have you been using so far during your studies?

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

KarishmaB · Answer

Don't get me wrong - 710/720 with a great Verbal score is certainly impressive. The problem is that some subjects will involve a decent bit of complex Math and the schools should know that you will be able to handle it. In case of profiles which show a lot of grit and determination - say armed forces profiles - they may need less convincing. 
A decent Quant score tells them that you have your basics in place and hence are set for the tough bits. A low score makes them wonder whether you will find those subjects too tough to handle. Similarly, a low Verbal score makes them wonder whether one can cope with the rigors of Business writing.
Hence the rule of thumb - 80/80 - no extra convincing needed about your ability to handle the rigors. Then the focus shifts to your essays, interviews etc.

jz4analytics · Answer

I think that "80-80" rule is a bit outdated since the percentiles on the Quant have changed so much over the past few years, even though the mathematical level hasn't. It was only 6 or 7 years ago that a Q46 was 80th percentile... now you need a Q50 for that! (At the same time, a Q46 was 90th+ percentile for the US). From what I understand, top programs still like to see at least the Q45/46 along with other quant skills in both school and work to feel comfortable.

DmitryFarberMPrep · Answer

I agree with jz. The 80-80 rule was overstated to begin with, and these days it's nearly impossible for most folks to achieve. Sure, by definition, 20% of people score in the 80th percentile or higher, but the market is flooded with extremely quant-heavy applicants who are really tilting the percentiles. A Q39/V39 score is not unbalanced and your quant is not abysmal--it's exactly the same as your verbal! Yes, improve your quant, but keep studying both equally (concentrating on the easier fixes first) to maximize your overall score. If a business school is going to turn you down because you don't have a Q49, you may not want to attend that school anyway--you'll be the only person there who's not an engineer!

Check out this article on the myth of balance: https://www.mbamission.com/blog/2014/08/ ... to-get-in/

adegrandchamp · Answer

Thanks, everybody! I ended up with a Q46 (66%) and V42 (96%). So, you know, not balanced, but not abysmal, either. I'm currently interviewing with NYU and Columbia (and not even early decision, either) so I guess I'm doing okay!

DmitryFarberMPrep · Answer

Congratulations! I didn't notice until now that your post was from last January and jz just happened to resurrect it exactly one year later. I was thinking "Wow, she acted fast!"

Are my target scores reasonable?

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