Okay people, I know this topic is posted on a regular basis, but I want to put my own story out there. I scored 740 on GMAT, 97th percentile total, 97th percentile in verbal, 83percentile in math. Now, I know this is a great score. I studied intensely while working a day job for about two months. The frustrating thing is that on GMAT Prep tests I scored 770 both times. I took the first mock test before I dived into the intensive study period about one month before the test date, and I took the second mock test about 10 days before the test date. I'm pretty sure my lower score on the real thing was due to a mind block I experienced in the early part of the quant section: it took me 5 minutes to do an easy question and I coudn't get the right answer, so I obsessively double checked my result over and over again until finally picking the closest choice. After that I was somewhat rattled and had to answer the last 10 math questions very quickly. On verbal I did good as on the practice tests. The main reason why I'm contemplating a retake is not that I want my 770 real bad, rather, my GPA is very low - 2.6. My undergraduate program is recognized as very tough, but still this GPA looks very shabby for top schools. And I want to go to a top school (my undergrad was in a top school too). So my original plan was to redeem my undergrad years (which were bad due to extenuating circumstances I will have to explain in my ap essays) by kicking ass on the GMAT, which I knew I can do. My question for people out there is, how does the 2.6-740 combo look to recruiters? Are there schools who care less about GPA and more about GMAT? In light of my poor GPA, is there a meaningful difference between a 740 and 770? Any feedback is appreciated. If I want to appy to MFIN, is 83 percentile in quant too low? Now my advice to future test takers: 1)Stick to your timing strategy and do not worry about individual questions – I know you heard this many times, but the temptation to get hung up on an individual question is likely to be much much stronger on the real test than on the practice tests, especially if you have a math ego (like me) or are a perfectionist. I say at the beginning of the test do not spend more than 2 minutes on any question – forget about the “spend extra time on the first 8 questions” rule. Too careful double checking will lead to obsessive double checking, and this will put you in a time hole. Rather, just be confident about your answers. YOU WILL GET SOME MATH QUESTIONS WRONG FOR SURE, and it's better to get them wrong every once in a while than in a streak of panic or lack of time. GMAT is no place to do thought experiments or contemplate about nature of numbers. Be in your game mode and sacrifice questions if necessary. Getting 7 questions wrong at the right time can still result in about 90 percentile. 2)Stick to your daily routine – I made the mistake of not drinking my regular morning coffee (I drank tea) because I felt nervous in the morning (when I took the test) and thought coffee will cause me to get panicky. My body was extremely alert, but my mind maybe not. 3)Loosen up – taking the test too seriously will create hurdles like over-demanding ego or panic. On the other hand, if you are relaxed you will think more outside the box, and you will be in the optimal mood to take the test. The day before the test do something you enjoy, like listening to inspiring or relaxing music (maybe classical is a good choice), or talking to your friends.

Thanks everyone for congratulations and advice. I'm finding that researching schools and making up applications is no less stressful than studying for GMAT. So yeah, I guess I'm going to need my energy for the next steps as well... btw. AWA score 6.0

Congratulations !!!! great score. Which colleges are you targeting ?

Thanks! So far I'm targeting the following schools: INSEAD, Rotman (Toronto hometown school), IMD, and London Business School. I would like to establish a professional network in Europe. Also, I will apply to some American schools, but I don't know which ones exactly at this point. I'm waiting to hear back from an advisor to tell me what schools are in my range. Can you tell me what schools I could/should apply for?

btw you are looking at MFIN course right ?

No I'm looking for MBA courses.

with all due respect to the author..these kind of posts psych me out....'to retake at 740'....i would kill for that score..and again no offense meant...each to his own...cheers..!!

I agree with the general consensus here... Great debrief! Posted from my mobile device

I think 740 is a great score for your target scores. A 770 would probably help you in landing a scholarship at one of the schools. Other than that I dont see a big difference between a 740 and a 780

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GMAT 740, bad GPA, retake?

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