Good GMAT Score but Low IR score Expert Advise needed

The admissions at Dartmouth is one of the few (only?) top programs I know of that claims to care about IR. Most haven't really considered it yet, although you never know when they will start (probably whenever they have enough data). A high IR may help chances at Tuck, but a low IR probably isn't much of a concern at other programs right now (especially with a high Q).

That's really unfortunate to hear, Dartmouth was one of the first schools I really wanted to attended. Obviously no harm in trying, but since I have a few holes in my profile already, low IR won't help if they care.

Getting a little off topic, but is there another program I should substitute for Dartmouth? I know outside of HSW - Kellogg, Yale, Columbia, Berkeley, and MIT all have strong social enterprise programs according to Net Impact, but I'm not sure if they are worth my time applying to.

I don't think anyone will be rejected because of IR (remember, some people are still applying with pre-IR GMAT scores, and others with the GRE), but an IR with a score of 8 might be a good sign to Tuck.

You have the right schools for social entrepreneurship. The problem is that your GPA is low for not only HSW but also for Berkeley, MIT, and Kellogg. The mid-80th GPA for Berkeley is 3.42 to 3.9, for example. MIT, Yale, and Kellogg has average GPAs close to that, around 3.6. Not saying that you shouldn't apply to any of them, but you'd really have to wow them with the applications.

Columbia seems to have a wider range of GPAs and undergrad institutions; GMAT is more important there. Applying to CBS with an interest in Social Entrepreneurship also helps your chances. It's probably your best chance at M7. And yes, you're still competitive at Duke, Michigan, and Cornell.

Alright, definitely makes more sense why schools aren't really taking IR into consideration yet. It's unbelievably annoying to see that 3 every time I look at my score report, but if it's really not a big deal, I'm just going to move on.

I agree that the M7 along with Berkeley, Yale, etc are going to be out of reach, but I also think I'd be foolish not to give at least one a shot. The worst thing that can happen is that they say no... I do like the idea of Columbia as a school, but I have little desire to live in NYC right now.

It sounds like I should focus the majority of my energy on those three schools I'd be competitive at, and I'd be thrilled to get into any of them honestly. Then I can also apply to a top 8-9 and see what happens. I think I'll also consider Oxford/Cambridge.

thanks for the help!

Hi GMATAssociate,

Since you're ultimately asking Admissions questions, you would likely find it beneficial to speak with an Admissions Expert about your overall profile. There's a Forum full of them here:

ask-admission-consultants-124/

GMAT assassins aren't born, they're made,
Rich

Hi GMATAssociate,

Congrats for the score!
Most B-Schools have stated that they are still not considering the IR score, so you should not fret much about it.
But the best way to clarify your problem is by mailing the ADCOM of the school you are interested in.

Hey Naren

Generally speaking, you want to score decent enough on the IR section so as not to draw negative attention to a low IR score.

You don't want the admissions committee to focus on a really low IR score of like 1 or 2 -- that shows lack of effort or ability

That said, it's not that much more beneficial to have a perfect 8 versus a 6 or 7.

So ideally, you want to stay in the 4, 5, 6, or 7 range to efficiently get a score that is decent without putting a crazy amount of effort.

Now, with your IR score of 3 -- well, that's kind of cutting it. However, your 720 score is high enough that it'll offset the IR score of 3. So in your situation, I wouldn't worry about it.

Duke, I am in a situation similar to yours- I took the exam yesterday and scored a 730 (Q50,V38, IR 5/8). I am a little worried about my low IR score (never scored less than 8 on the mocks).

Could you please tell me whether your low IR hurt your candidature? I am even more worried as I haven't started my essays and want to apply in R1 this year. If I need to retake the exam to improve 'just the IR part' of it, I need to do it as soon as possible.

Your feedback would be extremely helpful!

-Thanks