Ok, Seriously...

Yes, I do believe that that is the case. I do have something that I wanted to bring up, that I wasn't totally clear about.

I was reading that scores and percentiles are always given as of the date they are reported. So, for example, if someone took the test a year ago but was sending in an application today, I believe that their score is adjusted based on the current pool of scores. I'm not absolutely positive this is correct, but if I recall I read this at the official GMAC site.

For example, there has been a recent change from 99% to 98% for 750 scores. I believe the way it works is that while people who scored 750 2 months ago were shown as 99th percentile, if they were to send their scores off to schools today, their report would actually indicate 98th percentile. I'm not positive this is how it work, but I think it is.

That doesn't sound fair and right, does it? If that's the case:

1. I will report when it is favourable to me. E.g. If I get a 700, and in recent month it is say a 98 percentile (say due to relatively poorer quality of test takers), I will quickly submit the score to all the schools. Theoretically, I have 5 years to do so.

2. Since we do not know what is the current percentile for the score that we achieved 2 years ago, we may unknowning be caught lying. E.g. 2 years ago, 750 is 99th percentile. So I just put these figures in my application form even if I report the score today. But if my ordered gmat score says it is actually a 98th percentile, then there is a discrepency.

Hence I think a more objective way of comparing this objective standardized test is to look more at the percentile. Firstly, it is more meaningful than the score itself. Secondly, it gives a better comparison between test-takers even if they took the test at different time ("he is a top 1% 2 years ago and she is a top 1% last month").

ugh, as if studying my ass off wasn't enough to worry about, now i'm starting to worry about what i need to get on this test to get into the schools i want.

know i shouldn't be thinking about this now, but what do i need to get into the top tier nyc schools, anybody?

oh yeah, and how the hell am i going to do it?

Well, actually it's not up to you to report the official score. Your score is reported at whatever time you apply. Scores seem to be on the rise and it may be even tougher next year so it makes sense to apply this year. But there's no way for you to give your scores to a school right now in preperation for an application next year or 5 years from now.

I think it's quite alright to fill in the score that you are given when you self-report your score to the school. But they will get an official copy that will reflect the scoring breakdowns at the current moment.

That is just impossible to answer without more information, but if by top tier NYC schools you mean Columbia and NYU, you're looking at about 700 average GMAT. Columbia is harder to get into than NYU - its admit rates are much lower.