zilong wrote:
hello212 wrote:
You seem pretty set on keeping the GRE but I'd really encourage you to look into the GMAT. Your GRE score is great (maybe around a 750 equivalent GMAT), but honestly, you won't need a GMAT score that high to be competitive at these programs. Most of the schools on your list just want the GMAT to start with a 7, and then they otherwise ignore it (i.e. a 750 doesn't carry appreciably more weight than a 720).
Yeah I agree, and under normal circumstances I would definitely do just that. However, I'm currently working in China and studying to take the HSK (like Chinese TOEFL) in time to put my placement score on the application (August, since I hope to do first round so I know what to tell my job before my contract ends). I'm banking on a high Mandarin placement score being more beneficial for me than a potentially redundant GMAT that I may rush into and do poorly on when I already have a pretty good GRE. Anyway that's good news about the "7" rule, I hope that translates as well with convereted GRE scores
Another thing about the GRE is that my GPA is pretty low cumulatively (3.0 but 3.9 in the last 40-50 hrs) in the humanities (history/linguistics) and I want to make sure I can make up for that, so I wouldn't mind a 2nd tier school because 1. I'm not interested in I-banking no matter where I end up and 2. I have a very good network in Chicago from high school already. I guess we'll see. Thanks for the advice.
E: just an aside, I was on Jeopardy in college, will this help my application? should I to focus on it or just include it as a "oh hey by the way" type of thing? Sometimes I think it'll help and sometimes I think they'll look at it as pompous.
I am an expat who has been working in China for seven years, speak Chinese fluently in a professional and conversational setting (I have not taken the HSK), and I am originally from Chicago and looking to settle there after my MBA. I also just finished going through my MBA application rounds, in which I was accepted at three top schools, two of which are in the midwest. So I think that we probably have similar backgrounds and goals.
I really don't want to sound like a jerk, but I'm gonna be real straight-forward with you here. You are extremely delusional if you think that the HSK will have even 1% of the bearing on your admissions that taking the GMAT and scoring a 700+ would. In fact, I'd say with some amount of certainty that at most only one or two of the admissions directors at say, Booth (where I will be matriculating) have ever even heard of the HSK. And even if they have, I don't think they would give any weight at all to an admissions decision based on it. It's an academic certificate that states your mandarin is at a certain level to study in academics. You aren't applying to study for a master's in China. You're going for a MBA in the US midwest. Checking "fluent" or "advanced" in the box next to where you put your mandarin language abilities on the applications will be weighed the same as the HSK. It will NOT make ANY determination toward your acceptance at a top business school. I'm not saying that fluency in a language like mandarin won't impact your application...in fact if you can weave that into your career goals for the future in a very meaningful way, it can certainly make for a great story. You don't need the HSK to tell this story though. Don't forget that top mba schools want international experience, but they also want a well-balanced person with strong work experience (whether at home or abroad), extracurricular participation and leadership experience or potential. Just marketing yourself as some really smart guy who speaks Chinese is a recipe for failure. This is the icing on the cake once you've established the strong business foundation of your application.
With your GRE score, you could probably put in 40-50 hours of studying and familiarizing yourself with the GMAT over the next two months and get a 700+ score on the GMAT. With a 700+, I'd also consider expanding your schools list to include some east coast schools like Fuqua and Tuck that have reasonably large alumni bases in Chicago. Delay the HSK a month or two, because you're going to need something to distract yourself over the next year while you're waiting to hear back from your applications. Personally, I chose the CFA and the studying has been going well!
I hope you take this advice to heart and best of luck with your applications next year. Feel free to toss me a PM if you have any further questions.