Hi All,

I am looking for advice on whether or not I should retake the GMAT. I just got a 740 on my second GMAT; and while I’m really pleased with the overall, I’m very disappointed in my quantitative score. I have explained my specific situation in detail below. I would really, really appreciate ANY AND ALL input the GMAT Experts and any others might have on whether or not I should retake the GMAT. I am highly appreciative of this blog, and I want to thank everyone for always posting insightful posts and comments – I would be extraordinarily grateful for some of your wisdom!

GMAT STATS:
1. FIRST GMAT (11 December 2013) – overall 710 (92nd percentile)
V: 41 Verbal (93rd percentile); Q: 47 (70th percentile)

2. SECOND GMAT (24 May 2014) – overall 740 (97th percentile)
V: 46 (99th percentile); Q: 46 (68th percentile)

I felt really good going into the test, and I was ready to crush the quantitative section. I realistically thought I could achieve a score that placed me squarely in the 80th-85th percentile for quantitative. On my last practice test on Saturday May 17th I got a 760 overall and a 49 on the quant section. However, something happened during the math section during my real test. I was really calm going in, but I got a bit tripped up on the Integrated Reasoning section, and I think that made me start off poorly in quant. My timing was WAY off - even though I had practiced that quite a bit and had gotten really good at timing. I found myself unable to solve problems I knew I knew, so I would spend tons of time on them. In all, when I finished the quantitative section, I KNEW I had done poorly and did not perform my best.

SPECIFIC QUESTIONS FOR EXPERTS/FORUM:
I do not have a strong quantitative background; I work at a very elite consulting firm, and have a decent GPA from an Ivy League (3.4), but majored in Classical Studies: Languages and Literature major and minored in Economics, and had no quant heavy classes besides 1 math class freshman year.

In light of my weak quantitative background and less than exemplary performance on the quantitative section, is it worth retaking the GMAT a third time? I have already spent about 9 months (September 2013-May 24 2014) studying; and would probably spend another month just doing problem sets, focusing heavily on the quant), and aim to take the GMAT again at the end of June. Oh, and I'm not sure how much this matters, but I am a woman.

I am planning to apply to Stanford, Harvard, U. Chicago, Michigan, Northwestern, and Dartmouth this fall 2014 for entry fall 2015.

THANK YOU IN ADVANCE!!

If you think you can improve your score, then by all means, retake it. If, however, you're not sure if you'll be able to improve, then the 740 will suffice.

Regarding your lack of quant classes, I recommend that you take some classes at your local community college this summer such as Calculus and Statistics.
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What is your score in IR? If it is low, a strong case can be made for a retake. You have time, you are targeting the top 10 schools and your Quant is below 80 %ile. If IR is not very good too, you might want to think about retaking. But ensure that before you take the test this time, you know that you will score above 90%ile in Quant. It should be your final attempt. People will less than 80%ile do get through the top colleges - no doubt about it - but why not cover all bases when you have the time and the capability!
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