Confused about taking GMAT again

Question

Hi guys, I took my GMAT and scored a 680. 
F
28
B.Tech form a Tier-3 college 
2 gap year pre-undergrads because I met with an accident. 
4 years of work experience in 3 companies. 
A startup, Reliance E-commerce and currently I am working as social media marketing manager in the fastest growing SaaS fintech startup in India.
I am really struggling with making a decision on if this score is satisfactory for a B-school admission in US or do I take the exam again. Can you please help with the list of universities that you feel I have a higher chances of getting an admission in or would you suggest taking the exam again?

Posted from my mobile device

MartyTargetTestPrep · Answer

Hi mayurakshisaha.

What is your quant and verbal score breakdown on that GMAT? That information would help us determine whether that score is likely to work for you.

Also, what tier of schools do you plan to apply to? While 680 is sufficient for getting into any school if other parts of your application are particularly strong, it's significantly below average for HSW and most top 15 US schools. So, if you plan to focus on top 15 schools, it may make sense to retake.

PersonalMBACoach · Answer

Hi mayurakshisaha , If you are targeting top 10-20 US business schools, it is becoming less common to see applicants get accepted with GMAT scores below 700. While, as mentioned, it could be helpful to learn the quant and verbal breakdown of your score, we would still suggest that you take the exam again if you are interested in these top programs. If you are applying from an overrepresented applicant pool, standing out with a strong GMAT score will be even more important. In these cases, we suggest aiming to score 20-30 points above the average. Get more answers to GMAT FAQs here . Feel free to send a note to scott@personalmbacoach.com if you would like to further discuss your application strategy and candiday. Regards, Personal MBA Coach

Admissionado · Answer

mayurakshisaha :

Responding to your questions:

Q: I am really struggling with making a decision on if this score is satisfactory for a B-school admission in US or do I take the exam again.

A: It depends on which schools you want to target in the US. FWIW, a GMAT score of 680 for an Indian male candidate will likely take you out of the top 20/25 in the US. If that tier of a program is important to you, you may want to consider retaking to get that 700+.

Q: Can you please help with the list of universities that you feel I have a higher chances of getting an admission in or would you suggest taking the exam again?

A: We can list some schools, but you really should take the exam again. It can only improve your standing and open up more options. Is that feasible? You have time before R1, so definitely give it a go. Then, come back to us so we can reasses your position post-exam.

MBAGuide · Answer

Hi  mayurakshisaha  hope you are doing well

Would be useful to know the breakup of this score into quant and verbal. From a first perspective, 680 makes you better suited for schools in the top 20-40 range in the US. However, if you can put in some more effort now and improve to a 730+ range score, you may be looking confidently at some better ranked schools in Top 20 with good scholarship avenues.

Feel free to reach out in case you wish to get a detailed feedback on the specifics of your profile.

Best wishes

GmatKnightTutor · Answer

Whether or not you should retake partly depends upon what your goals are. If you are thinking of applying to a US school that has a median score of 730, for example, you may want to retake if you are confident you can do much better on the GMAT.

What are the GMAT scores of top MBA Schools?

essaysexpert · Answer

Hi Mayurakshi, Your question is a tough one and the answer largely depends on your choice. Are you alright with foregoing the traditional "top" choices and giving preference to the overall learning takeaways and the global experience in a school that may have a low rank but might still meet your learning needs perfectly well? There are many excellent programs that come to mind and I would be happy to discuss them with you. Do connect if you need help with schortlisting schools that are in sync with the 680 range. Of course, one would also require your professional information and goals in greater detail. That said, all the best!

ExpertsGlobal · Answer

Hello  mayurakshisaha ,

Whether you should re-take completely depends on the league of schools you are targetting. A 680 will get you a US admit but possibly not a US top ~20 admit. With time at hand, you should definitely look at retaking the GMAT. There is, practically, nothing to lose. Besides, a spike in GMAT will help make up for the other slightly weaker areas in your profile such as the frequent job changes as well as your relatively lesser-known undergrad degree.

All the best!

AdmitExpert · Answer

Hello

Hope you're doing well. What I could see from your message is that you persevere through tough situations. There's grit and determination in you. And that is how you can portray yourself when you apply to a US business school.
However, your GMAT score is low. I would suggest that you target a score of 740+. I am sure you'll be able to do it.

Cheers

Confused about taking GMAT again

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