DrogbaUCL2012 wrote:
Hey Everyone,
Need some advice - I've put a solid 150 hours into the GMAT which I took last week, so i wanted to get a second look from you all regarding the context of my GMAT in the overall profile AND gauge the importance of retaking the test. Any advice is greatly appreciated!
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Background: First-gen, African American, US citizen (born and raised)
Academics: Top 20 US News University (3.35,3.4 GPA), 700 GMAT (Q46, V40, IR6)
Work Experience: 2 Years completed as a Business Analyst at US McKinsey office, new strategy role as a manager at tech company
Target Schools: H, S, W, Columbia
Why MBA: My family hails from a country in severe poverty in eastern Africa, and my long-term goal is to go back and help privatize certain industries in the country, as well as potentially start programs which enable high achieving students to gain grants/fellowships to more developed nations. I try to stay oriented around this long-term goals through current initiatives such as my position as an advisor for a startup centered around facilitating remittance payments to the country.
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Two questions:
1) What are initial thoughts when comparing target schools with current background/GMAT score?
2) GMAT: Is it worth retaking?
- I've taken 5 GMAC tests with scores listed:
- 700 (Q45,V41)
- 750 (Q50, V41
- 710 (Q45, V42)
- 690 (Q42, V42)
- 750 (Q49, V42)
- Real GMAT: 700 (Q46, V40)
- Scores are all fully completed (IR only, no AWA because I took online GMAT), and the only thing I'd callout is the second 750 riding on a 3 key guesses that hit home in my opinion)
- I'm currently planning on retaking the test in a week just because of the inherent nerves which I believed held me back initially, but am already getting annoyed of this continuous studying and would like to focus on my new job. My confidence is also shot. Is it worth the push for a 720, and how many additional tries should I give the GMAT?
Hello,
DrogbaUCL2012. Are you Ivoirian, by chance? (I remember those Drogba years. What a beast on the pitch.) In terms of your profile, you have a lot of things going for you: top-tier university for undergrad, first-generation student from an underrepresented demographic, some work experience, and a competitive GMAT™ score, particularly for said demographic. (Understand, I dislike viewing candidates through such a lens, but it is a fact that admissions committees do, so I feel compelled to base my assessment in part on such factors.) Do you need to retake the GMAT™? I think probably not. Not too long ago, I helped an African American student from an Ivy League university gain admittance to an M7 school, and his score was in the mid-600s. (He also suffered from test anxiety.) A score is no guarantee when an application is considered holistically, and this particular student was involved in the community and strong academically. Your extracurriculars and essays could add even more to your overall application package.
Keep in mind, retaking the GMAT™ does not necessarily mean you will earn a more desirable score, especially if your head is not in the right place. If you have already signed up for a retake, then it might not hurt to give it a go. You could always cancel, after all. But I would advise you not to treat that as a possibility. If you take the exam again, give it everything you have got, see how it turns out. Maybe the pendulum will swing more in your favor. According to your results above, there is at least a decent chance that on the right day, with the right questions, and perhaps with a little luck, you can walk away with a score that goes well into the 700s.
Whatever you decide, I wish you good fortune. Just keep putting your head down and working for what you want.
- Andrew
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Updated on: 03 Feb 2021, 09:35
