Low Quant Score... Need Your Guidance!

Question

I took my GMAT 2 weeks ago, scoring a 720 (Quant 42 (66%), Verbal 47 (99%)). Now that my excitement about getting a 700+ score has worn off, I am starting to freak out about my low quant score. I read a couple of threads here stating that unless an applicant has a balanced score with both quant and verbal above 80%, applying to schools with heavy emphasis on quant such as Wharton or Chicago is a waste of time. I wanted to hear the opinion of the “seniors” here already accepted to the top 20 b-schools. 

A little about myself: I am a female who immigrated to the US in 2000. I started my education in Eastern Europe majoring in Linguistics but moved to the US after 1 year of college. I took classes in a city community college for 2 years, mostly gen-eds as I knew that I would transfer to the Big 10 school my junior year. I majored in Finance while at the university and graduated with the overall GPA of 3.9 out of 4.0. By the nature of my major, I obviously had to take Calculus and Statistics, and I got A’s in both classes. I got A’s in all of my Finance classes as well, including Options and Futures that was very quant-heavy. I’ve held various Finance positions after graduating from college: I worked in Equity Research, Tax Consulting, and Corporate Finance – all somewhat quantitative fields. 

Now, I don’t know how to justify my low quant score in GMAT. I don’t want to sound defensive and say that if I had more time, I’d solve it all because other people manage to get the questions right with the same time constraint. Somehow, GMAT quant and the time given to do the questions just never clicked with me. My question is, given my background and work experience, will the admission committee still consider my application weak because of my low quant score? My intention is to concentrate in General Management and/or Marketing the second year of my MBA, so I am not one of the IB and Consulting track applicants. 

Thanks for your inputs!

aviroop · Answer

Before you get different opinions, here's mine

I met a current Chicago GSB student, who scored 700 - quant was somewhere between 50-60% and verbal was 99%, had no solid work experience and is a white male and is pursuing investment banking as a career.

Considering that you have an interesting background and not over-represented, I think repeating your GMAT will be a waste of resources.

Invest your time on the application essays. You can always show that you have a good quant aptitude through your undergrad/grad performance. 
I mean you got 3.9.. thats a very very good GPA. (I wish I had that).

So enjoy your time working on the essays and forget about giving GMAT again.

nervousgmat · Answer

aviroop, Thanks for your reply. The example that you provided definitely shows that I might be competitive at schools with the quant emphasis after all. I am not planning to retake the GMAT. Oh, I am SO done with that test!!! :twisted:

I just want to get opinions from GMATclubbers on the "balanced" score issue among the quant-oriented schools, such as Wharton and Chicago. I am trying to narrow down the list of schools I want to apply to, and if I have little chance in getting into Chicago for example, I'd rather direct my efforts to other MBA programs.

router79 · Answer

I've also heard that a balanced score is something they look for but its not a make or break deal for an applicant. Unfortunately, the quant score is looked more closely than the verbal score. However, since you have great grades in quant heavy courses, it'll help your case. For your optional essays, I would address it directly and let them know that you will not fall behind your classmates due to your GMAT quant score and you can prove it by etc etc etc

zakk · Answer

I honestly don't think you have to address it at all. Its a great score, you have the grades and classes to back it up.

Not everyone can be an engineer with a super computer for a brain. Someone has to talk for them :-D

kryzak · Answer

Don't "address" it explicitly, but just emphasize your A's in finance and quant courses and at work, and you should be fine.

nervousgmat · Answer

Thanks, guys, for your replies. 
I'm still on the edge though... so many schools, so little time to choose!

kryzak · Answer

tell me about it... I barely have enough time to do all the phone calls and meetings with alums and students from Stanford and Berkeley, I can't imagine when I start doing Kellogg/Chicago/UCLA, how busy I'll be!

riverripper · Answer

I haven't even done that and have no clue how I am going to begin doing that. Coming from a tiny college very very few alums go to any MBA schools let alone the top schools I am aiming at. I had one prof who has a GSB MBA from 1985...and no one I work with has MBAs aside from local part time programs.

As for the quant score question...you aced tough math courses. Make a little statement in the optional essay saying you dont feel the GMAT really reflects your true quant ability and the point out your grades in the high level math. Its not worth the effort of restudying when you should be working on essays.

kryzak · Answer

river, sounds like you're doing better than me on the essay parts

I can help with the schools I'm applying to if you need any, but I don't think we have overlapping schools at all, do we?

Low Quant Score... Need Your Guidance!

Prep Toolkit

Top 5 GMAT Debrief Videos

615 to 715 in 15 Days (Ria's Strategies)

More than Quant/Verbal Abilities: Speed vs. Accuracy

745 with Only Self-Prep and GMAT Club

From 555 to 765: 210-point Improvement

Perfect 805 Score Debrief by Julia

My Rewards