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 1505:00 PM PDT
-06:00 PM PDT
Inquire for a free profile evaluation and guarantee statement for possible admits and scholarships!
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..
07 Mar 2024, 16:55
Kudos
Bookmarks
My grades during the first two years of undergrad were abominable due to depression and a variety of personal issues. I even have three F's on my transcript (I later retook three classes and received B-, B-, and A grades, but the original grades remain on my transcript)! Towards the end of my undergraduate career, I got my act together and achieved mostly A's, with a GPA of roughly 3.7/4.0 over the last 60 credits worth of classes. However, this comeback only raised my cumulative GPA to 3.25/4.00. I majored in finance and computer science. I want to apply to top finance/financial engineering graduate programs like UCLA's MFE, Vanderbilt's MSF, CMU's MCF, etc. Nevertheless, I'm worried that my poor grades in the beginning of college, especially my three F's, will automatically disqualify me from these schools. Therefore, I would like to maximize my standardized test scores to compensate for my low GPA.
I recently took the GRE and received scores of 167/170 on the Verbal Reasoning section, 170/170 on the Quantitative section, and 5.5/6.0 on the Analytical Writing section. I am satisfied with this score and have already sent it to various schools I am applying to. However, the GMAT is a different story. The GMAT Focus version that deflates scores has recently become the only version available. After taking the GMAT Focus, I received a score of 715, which corresponds to a 750-760 score on the old GMAT scale. Though this score appears good at first glance, it's heavily skewed by exceptional performances in the Verbal and Data Insights sections. In the Quantitative section, the most important portion of the exam for someone applying to math-intensive programs like mine, I ran out of time and therefore performed far lower than expected, scoring 80, which is the 66th percentile. However, my scores on the Verbal Reasoning and Data Insights sections, 90 (100th percentile) and 86 (99th percentile), respectively, were high enough to skew my overall score to a misleading 715 (99th percentile). However, I can't simply report my overall score without stating how I did on specific sections, and colleges will see my low score on the most important section.
My question is, given my abominable grades in the beginning of college and my lackluster Quantitative score, is retaking the GMAT Focus worthwhile despite my high overall score? Additionally, do you think scores of 337/340 and 715 (or above if I retake it) on the GRE and GMAT Focus are high enough to compensate for my low GPA for the schools I'm applying to? Moreover, if I retake the GMAT Focus and get a much higher score, say something like 765 with a far higher quantitative score, would this make a significant difference in my chances of acceptance? It is important to keep in mind that since I took the GMAT Focus on March 6th, I can't take it again until March 22nd. For many of the schools I am applying to, I will have to apply to 4th rounds instead of 3rd rounds, which typically entail slightly lower acceptance rate. My applications could be submitted by the 3rd round deadlines if I don't retake. Thank you for your time and consideration.
I recently took the GRE and received scores of 167/170 on the Verbal Reasoning section, 170/170 on the Quantitative section, and 5.5/6.0 on the Analytical Writing section. I am satisfied with this score and have already sent it to various schools I am applying to. However, the GMAT is a different story. The GMAT Focus version that deflates scores has recently become the only version available. After taking the GMAT Focus, I received a score of 715, which corresponds to a 750-760 score on the old GMAT scale. Though this score appears good at first glance, it's heavily skewed by exceptional performances in the Verbal and Data Insights sections. In the Quantitative section, the most important portion of the exam for someone applying to math-intensive programs like mine, I ran out of time and therefore performed far lower than expected, scoring 80, which is the 66th percentile. However, my scores on the Verbal Reasoning and Data Insights sections, 90 (100th percentile) and 86 (99th percentile), respectively, were high enough to skew my overall score to a misleading 715 (99th percentile). However, I can't simply report my overall score without stating how I did on specific sections, and colleges will see my low score on the most important section.
My question is, given my abominable grades in the beginning of college and my lackluster Quantitative score, is retaking the GMAT Focus worthwhile despite my high overall score? Additionally, do you think scores of 337/340 and 715 (or above if I retake it) on the GRE and GMAT Focus are high enough to compensate for my low GPA for the schools I'm applying to? Moreover, if I retake the GMAT Focus and get a much higher score, say something like 765 with a far higher quantitative score, would this make a significant difference in my chances of acceptance? It is important to keep in mind that since I took the GMAT Focus on March 6th, I can't take it again until March 22nd. For many of the schools I am applying to, I will have to apply to 4th rounds instead of 3rd rounds, which typically entail slightly lower acceptance rate. My applications could be submitted by the 3rd round deadlines if I don't retake. Thank you for your time and consideration.
admitStreet
Joined: 14 Mar 2023
Last visit: 15 May 2026
Posts: 1,717
Given Kudos: 15
Location: India
Concentration: Strategy, Finance
Schools: HEC Jan 2018 Intake (A$) ISB '19 (A)
WE:Management Consulting (Consulting)
07 Mar 2024, 22:00
Kudos
Bookmarks
machag
machag - a few thoughts/ clarifications
1. Firstly, well done on the GRE. A 337 would likely offset concerns about your quant/ verbal abilities. The GMAT Q split could raise some eyebrows as you mentioned, particularly given these are Finance/ Quant heavy programs, so I would submit the GRE over GMAT with the current scores.
2. Applying in R4 isn't advisable, particularly if you're an international applicant. The trade-off between applying in R3 with the current score and R4 with an updated score can only be justified if you strongly feel the GMAT score can be significantly improved. Broadly though, your current GRE score with a strong application (next point) would present better odds. Ofcourse, R1 would be ideal, if you have considered applying for 2025 intake.
3. MSF programs appreciate prior exposure to Finance. How has your work/ internship experience been? It'd also be crucial to have a strong narrative/ essays indicating your professional/ academic arc, career goals, and how/ why an MSF (and the particular school) will help you get there.
Feel free to reach out for a deeper chat.
Regards,
Arvind
Founder, admitStreet
W: https://admitstreet.com | LinkedIn | E: [email protected]
08 Mar 2024, 21:43
Kudos
Bookmarks
machag
Hello machag,
Thanks for writing in.
Applying with your GRE score in an earlier round is what would be the ideal score; you do have a strong GMAT score but a low score on the quant setcion will pose a question mark with Finance prograns. Even if you were to improve your GMAT score, applying in Round 4 will get even more tricky.
Your focus should be on putting forth a strong overall application with your existing GRE score and applying in Round 1 next year; if applying next year is not an option, then you should focus on applying with your GRE score at the earliest.
Hope this helps.
All the best!
