Got 750 three times in a row, should I retake?

Hi yxu,

Congratulations on the excellent score(s).

I think most people who can get a 750 can get a 780 as well, but whether you want to allocate more time trying to bump a 750 up to a 780 or more is entirely up to you. Just keep in mind that incremental increases in your score are unlikely to help you as much as making major improvements in the rest of your profile.

Thank you so much for answering. I guess what I’m more concerned about is

1. Would 4 times be too many retakes even if I get a 780
2. Would AdcCom think negatively about the fact that I took it 3 times and got 750 on all of them with one cancelled score
3. How should I go about explaining this (if needed). For self report, I really want to show that I got 750 on the first try instead of the third try, is there anyway to do so? Worried that they will think I only got 750 after trying 3 times

Posted from my mobile device

Hi yxu,

Here are my thoughts on those questions:
1. This is a myth, and schools don't, for example, look at a 750 as a 700 (or a 780 as a 740) just because an applicant needed multiple attempts to get a particular score.

2 & 3. No. Even if the topic comes up (unlikely), it depends on how you present it. For example, I think it demonstrates your commitment to the path you have chosen for yourself. That's a positive. Also, fun fact: most people would struggle to get 3 750s. While this could be because your actual ability level is higher than 750, it's still special.

You can control which (GMAT Online) score(s) your target schools see, so that shouldn't be a problem. The online and test center GMAT exams run on different systems, so schools can't see, for example, a test center score if only an online score is sent. Similarly, if you apply with your test center score, they won't see your online scores.

All the best.

Thank you so much for your input. Really appreciate it.

One more question if you don’t mind: what about schools that ask for the number of times you have taken the gmat? I believe you only self report one score. In this case, should I explain in the supplementary section that I got 750 on all three of them? Because otherwise they won’t know, and may think that I only got the score the third time. Also if I want to prove that I got it the first time and consecutively 3 times, should I send all three scores?

I’m not sure if I’m overthinking this, but would appreciate any advice greatly!

Posted from my mobile device

Hi yxu,

I don't see this as important enough to need any further explanation in your application(s), and I don't think any school will hold the fact that you took the GMAT three times against you. Similarly, I don't think that schools will pay too much attention to the fact that you scored a hat-trick of 750s.

I do, however, see that this is something you want to be absolutely sure about. You can get a second opinion here.