Dear all,

I took my second GMAT last week and scored a 710 (Q43/V44) in it.
While this was a great improvement from my first GMAT (570, Q31/V39), it is still not satisfying all of the requirements of the schools I'm applying to.

Specifically, INSEAD wants to see at least 70-75th percentile in both parts of the GMAT. IMD and LBS look probably in similar ways at the GMAT score.
Now, I scored 98th percentile in the Verbal section but only 58th percentile in the Quant section.

I'm wondering whether I should write my optional essay about why I think that my Quant score is not way up there (did not use math skills much in job for last 6 years; I take my time to redevelop automatisms in math) and why the schools should still admit me (strong overall skill set; difference in GMAT suggests an interesting addition to student body).
On the one hand, I don't want them to kick me out only because of my Quant percentile and hence would use the optional essay to explain.
On the other hand, I want to let sleeping dogs lie and not raise an issue myself that might not be a big issue at all considering my overall GMAT score is above the average for all my three schools.

Any thoughts and recommendations on this?
Thanks a lot!

More to life than a GMAT score.

If your worried about the maths take an optional maths course. Might worthwhile contacting INSEAD to see what course they would recommend what others ways you can reassure them you can do the maths on the course.

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Hey there,

Two things. Well, three. Firstly - great score!

Optional Essay: No, don't write about this. There is no good reason you got a 58th percentile that would justify the use of an optional essay. Keep in mind, it's there to help explain things but if you do a poor job at it or have a less than adequate reason, it will do more damage than good. Not using your math skills for 6 years doesn't mean you couldn't have studied. I'm saying this from the perspective of an admin director who is reading the reason / excuse. If it is hard to differentiate between the two, then assume they'll think it's an excuse.

The ratios: There is no rule anywhere that states any school wants to see a certain percentile or above in any particular portion. Ok, do they want to see higher scores and balance? Of course. But the whole 80/80 rule (or in this case, 75/75) is something someone said at some time and it stuck. Does your 58th percentile score raise some questions? Absolutely. Verbal carried you and that's the truth. But there are many ways in an application to show you have the skill set to handle the academic rigors that come with an MBA program.

Also, you had an amazing trajectory between test #1 and #2 and that's a good story! Why try to write an optional essay that takes away from it with what most will assume is a weak attempt at an excuse (regardless of what it is)?

I hope that helps and congrats again on the 710!

Bhavik
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Oh, one thing I didn't add. Your raw score in Quant is pretty good. The percentiles are moving south in quant but your raw score will matter. A 43 is nothing to sneeze at!

Sorry - I don't know how I missed that before but it was worth mentioning!
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I'm wondering whether I should write my optional essay about why I think that my Quant score is not way up there (did not use math skills much in job for last 6 years; I take my time to redevelop automatisms in math) and why the schools should still admit me (strong overall skill set; difference in GMAT suggests an interesting addition to student body).

DO NOT DO NOT DO NOT write the optional essay for your quant score percentile - especially in that manner! Critical Square is absolutely correct in that the percentiles change and your raw score isn't bad.

You would be much better off if you focused on the other parts of your application than worrying about a 1-3 point increase in your raw score. Sure, in a perfect world it would help you if everything else in your application was perfect and you had the time to devote to studying, but don't worry about it now.

If you do write the optional essay FOR SOME OTHER REASON then there is a correct and incorrect way to write this essay. You don't want to write it in a way that you're making excuses for your poor performance in anything. Think about it from the perspective of the admissions committee. If they read an essay like that they would think that you make excuses for things that don't necessarily go your way.
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Thank you for your comments, CriticalSquareMBA and money9111,
they helped me a great deal in deciding whether to write the optional essay about this topic.

I followed your advice and did not write it.
Especially the comment about my raw score really eased my nerves. Thanks for that!
I will let you know how things turned out