Events & Promotions
|
|
GMAT Club Daily Prep
Thank you for using the timer - this advanced tool can estimate your performance and suggest more practice questions. We have subscribed you to Daily Prep Questions via email.
Customized
for You
Track
Your Progress
Practice
Pays
Not interested in getting valuable practice questions and articles delivered to your email? No problem, unsubscribe here.
May 2110:00 AM EDT
-10:30 AM EDT
Most candidates submit a resume built for a recruiter. Admissions committees are reading for something else entirely. This session covers what adcoms actually evaluate, where strong candidates lose ground before a single essay is written, and why...
May 2208:30 AM PDT
-09:00 AM PDT
Get the inside scoop on what makes Emory’s Goizueta Business School great and how you can present a strong MBA application. Explore the difference between our One-Year MBA and Two-Year MBA programs, talk to our admissions team, and meet students.
May 2203:00 PM EDT
-04:00 PM EDT
The old MBA recruiting playbook is dead. Here’s how top admits are getting ahead this summer.
May 2308:00 PM PDT
-09:00 PM PDT
Inquire for a free profile evaluation and guarantee statement for possible admits and scholarships!
May 2910:00 AM PDT
-11:00 AM PDT
Download the MBA Launchpad App, for FREE access to the largest MBA database - Data backed read on your profile - Identify gaps before you apply - Build a balanced school list - Track your deadlines - Mock interviews - Extensive content library
Jun 1006:00 AM PDT
-06:15 PM PDT
Register for the GMAT Club Virtual MBA Spotlight Fair – the world’s premier event for serious MBA candidates. This is your chance to hear directly from Admissions Directors at nearly every Top 30 MBA program..
03 Apr 2023, 13:36
Kudos
Bookmarks
Hi,
This is my first post as it calls for it now. At the moment, I feel lost and need some serious guidance.
I filled 3 b-schools applications - INSEAD (Jan'24 Round 1), IESE (Round 3), and HEC Paris (March Round) with a modest score of 700 GMAT (Q50, V35) but got rejected from all three. I was banking on my profile and work experience, considering the opinions of consultants and alums I spoke to, and who said that I have a somewhat different profile and that if I leverage it, I have good chances. A bit about my profile - Indian, male engineer from BITS Pilani, 1-year experience in IT consulting, shifted to the social sector, 1 year worked with a member of parliament, 3 years in impact consulting, 1 year in strategic healthcare consulting. For international exposure, I lived in Saudi Arabia for half of my life and worked with clients in the US. I intended to work in tier 1 management consulting with a long-term goal of starting a social enterprise. I have decent Acads (GPA 3 out of 4), a few leadership roles at college, and started a social enterprise. I worked with a consultant to collate all this information and come up with 'decent' essays for b-schools application (considering the scope of improvement here).
With this, I was expecting at least an interview invite at INSEAD or HEC but I guess they have called in people with high GMAT scores (based on the decision tracker and discussions here on GMAT Club). So as per my analysis, the GMAT score could be the prime reason for rejection. And now I'm planning to apply to Round 1 for US b-schools in fall'23.
So, I have come up with two options - either I apply to lower-ranked colleges where 700 would be decent enough to get into or take GRE, score 325+, and target high-ranked schools. What would be your suggestion and why?
How I have come up with these two options? Firstly, I have already given 4 GMAT attempts in the last 1.5 years. I scored 700 only after the 650 score plateau. So I believe going beyond 700 is uncertain, and might take a lot of time and effort. Secondly, I researched about GRE and I feel it is relatively easier (or maybe the grass is greener on the other side) and doesn't test grammar which was dreadful for me in GMAT. I know I would need to learn vocabulary in detail but since I have a knack for memorizing things, I may be able to perform well. Plus, I have 4 months till August, so I can prep for 2 months, and dedicate 2 months to the b-school application.
Please let me know if you need any additional data points for advising, happy to tell you more.
Also, please spare me if I missed any norms of posting.
This is my first post as it calls for it now. At the moment, I feel lost and need some serious guidance.
I filled 3 b-schools applications - INSEAD (Jan'24 Round 1), IESE (Round 3), and HEC Paris (March Round) with a modest score of 700 GMAT (Q50, V35) but got rejected from all three. I was banking on my profile and work experience, considering the opinions of consultants and alums I spoke to, and who said that I have a somewhat different profile and that if I leverage it, I have good chances. A bit about my profile - Indian, male engineer from BITS Pilani, 1-year experience in IT consulting, shifted to the social sector, 1 year worked with a member of parliament, 3 years in impact consulting, 1 year in strategic healthcare consulting. For international exposure, I lived in Saudi Arabia for half of my life and worked with clients in the US. I intended to work in tier 1 management consulting with a long-term goal of starting a social enterprise. I have decent Acads (GPA 3 out of 4), a few leadership roles at college, and started a social enterprise. I worked with a consultant to collate all this information and come up with 'decent' essays for b-schools application (considering the scope of improvement here).
With this, I was expecting at least an interview invite at INSEAD or HEC but I guess they have called in people with high GMAT scores (based on the decision tracker and discussions here on GMAT Club). So as per my analysis, the GMAT score could be the prime reason for rejection. And now I'm planning to apply to Round 1 for US b-schools in fall'23.
So, I have come up with two options - either I apply to lower-ranked colleges where 700 would be decent enough to get into or take GRE, score 325+, and target high-ranked schools. What would be your suggestion and why?
How I have come up with these two options? Firstly, I have already given 4 GMAT attempts in the last 1.5 years. I scored 700 only after the 650 score plateau. So I believe going beyond 700 is uncertain, and might take a lot of time and effort. Secondly, I researched about GRE and I feel it is relatively easier (or maybe the grass is greener on the other side) and doesn't test grammar which was dreadful for me in GMAT. I know I would need to learn vocabulary in detail but since I have a knack for memorizing things, I may be able to perform well. Plus, I have 4 months till August, so I can prep for 2 months, and dedicate 2 months to the b-school application.
Please let me know if you need any additional data points for advising, happy to tell you more.
Also, please spare me if I missed any norms of posting.
MBAGuide
Joined: 24 Jul 2019
Last visit: 16 May 2026
Posts: 2,419
Own Kudos:
Given Kudos: 28
Location: India
Concentration: Operations, Marketing
Schools: Insead Sept'18 (A$$) ISB '19 (A)
04 Apr 2023, 03:03
Kudos
Bookmarks
McDuck99
Hi McDuck99
For HEC and IESE, it may be because of the late rounds given the competitive pool you belong to. European schools (speaking from my experience at INSEAD) look at your GMAT score individually for the Quant and Verbal sections. Your Quant score is comparable with your demographic's average at INSEAD. The schools tend to be somewhat forgiving of non-native speakers' performance in Verbal if they have an overall impressive profile. Therefore, while having a stellar GMAT score may increase your chances of receiving an interview invitation from INSEAD, a low GMAT score may not be the only reason for not receiving an invitation.
BITs Pilani is a Tier 1 undergrad, but you did not mention your undergrad academic performance.
Your professional history appears to be filled with a variety of experiences, but it is unclear whether they reflect a clear plan or a strong motivation in a specific direction. Although I am glad to note your recent involvement in the consulting sector, I hope that you did not undervalue your potential in your essays as well as in your professional recommendations.
It is not evident from your brief whether you have solely resided or have also been employed in Saudi Arabia. While growing up at the intersection of different cultures in a foreign land is interesting, a majority of INSEAD students possess some full-time international work experience. Thus, your most recent experiences hold the most significance in your application's decision.
To enhance your performance on the verbal section of the GMAT, seeking professional assistance and identifying areas of focus can help you quickly improve your score. It is not necessary to excel in all aspects of verbal but having strong proficiency in 2 out of 3 areas can suffice to achieve your desired score. Keeping an error log on an excel sheet for verbal concepts and questions is beneficial in identifying repeated mistakes and correcting them. This practice will aid in strengthening your verbal skills. Switching to the GRE at this juncture could be unpredictable. Take mock exams to determine your pace of improvement on GRE.
Best wishes
