While schools openly state that they only get concerned when someone has taken the GMAT more than 3 times, another thing they consider, even when it's taken just 2 or 3 times is what motivate the person to keep taking it? It makes sense if someone scored low to mid 600s and then they retake it and get 700 or higher. If you take it again, when you already have a 700, what will the adcoms think? Even if you score 710 -730 and increase it 30 points? You mention the 80/80 rule. This is NOT a rule. this is a guide that adcoms use and in no way is it a rule. If this were a rule, no one with below the 80/80 split would be admitted and the GMAT score averages would be insanely high. The consenus is that once you achieve a 700 or higher, the focus of admissions committees is on the essays and how the candidate presents himself. You are better served by focusing on your essays rather than studying for GMAT again. Most schools look at the quant section before the verbal section. You have a 50Q score which is great! The adcoms will not doubt your ability to handle the finance and math required by the school. As for your verbal. You will have both the verbal score (which is still good) and your TOEFL score since you're a non-native speaker. Both of these scores will show the adcoms that you will have no difficulty communicating with classmates in English. My advice is spend the GMAT fee on applying to your schools and do not take the GMAT again.
garbus222 wrote:
Guys, can you please advise me openly what are the potential risks/disadvantages if I retake GMAT (this would be 3rd attempt) and score worse than my best attempt so far?
Points to consider:
- my best result to date (2nd attempt) is 700 (90%): Q50 (94%) and V34 (69%). AWA 6.0
- my 1st attempt was 640: Q48 and V30. AWA 6.0
- I'm very happy with Q50 (high-end for me; normally scoring 47-49)
- I'm unhappy with V34 (practice tests indicated 38-40)
- I'm worried with Verbal 69% (way below 80/80 rule) and that's why I'd like to retake GMAT
- Reasonably speaking I think I can improve my Verbal by 3-5 points
- Reasonably speaking I should expect lower (than 50) Quant (around 48)
- I'm not a native speaker (I'm from Eastern Europe), so this offsets (a little bit) lower Verbal
- I'm targetting H/S/W/Tuck/Kellogg/Insead/LBS
- I'm ok to take GMAT for the 3rd time.
Is there any potential risk I don't see? If - in worst case scenario - I score lower than so far (on both Quant and Verbal) will it impact negatively my application? I'm assuming that schools will take my best score, so there is no any risk associated with 3rd attempt - am I right or wrong?
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31 Jul 2008, 08:49
