GMAT,Yield,and Selectivity(Kellogg)&Crystal Ball Gazing

It does seem like 710 is the new 700. Once you are 30-40pts over the avg you are still well above most applicants and its not going to keep going up too much. Its probably safe to assume that certain groups are really helping to jack up those scores and also that the increased use of prep courses plays a roll in that.

I think people need to remember its going to be a bell curve with the majority of the applicants being crowded around the 700 range. With that as the benchmark for most people its where a lot of people have their scores. People with 650 test to bring their scores up to a 700, while people with 700+ generally don't. If you get a 700 the first time you usually don't attempt again unless you know you can really improve. So the further towards the high side of the 700s you get the more you improve your chances. A 780 is going to balance out 3 or 4 scores slightly below a schools average. If a school wants to accept some billionaire's kid who has a 640 they are going to have to have someone with a 760-770 just to equal our his score. A high score isn't going to get you in but I think given the choice we all would take the highest score possible.

I would like to say to all the schools that I am applying to: I am perfectly fine with being used in this fashion.

Hmm .. so the billionaire kids do serve a purpose in life. May Wharton need a lot of billionaire kids this year.

LOL! Same here... please "use" me as much as you like, oh great Elite schools!

But this whole discussion has definitely dug up some very interesting "math" that the adcoms must do when they decide on candidates. I'm imaginging this scenario:

A: "Ok, we have a pile of 10 very good candidates with GMAT scores of 650 here that we'd like to admit. Hey B, how does the pile of good candidates with GMAT scores of 750 look?"

B: "Hrm... we have 10 750's here too that are good, but most likely more of them will ditch us for the H/S/W, so we probably need 15 750's. Let's admit 5 more 750's with slightly weaker backgrounds."

A: "Good idea, but we may have to drop a few 600's to fit the extra 750's..."

and so forth...

I think of them doing more ok lets pile everyone up and depending on your score its a harder hill to climb. I just think that if you are way at the further below the average that much harder it becomes...probably doesn't work the other way as much since there are going to be enough solid candidates with 770s to choose between to balance out that gold medal winning former nun.

<650 You better be spectacular, a dad whose name is on a building, a mom who is a senator, Or some very under represented minority.
650-680 You have to be a very very good candidate, under represented minority, or have a great story to tell.
680-720 You have to be a solid candidate overall this is where most everyone falls so what sets you apart from the 100 other bankers from Yale?
720-760 Getting easier, slight weaknesses (GPA) can be overlooked but still need a solid app.
770+ Ok how many do we balance out the Bush twins?

it is somewhat unfortunate that kids of famous people or rich people get so many benefits... Then again, we do need *some* people in our classes to make us feel better about ourselves.

Darn... wish I got a 770+...

If Paris Hilton applies to a B-School, then I am certainly going to apply to the same school. They will have to pick so many 770+ers to make up for Hilton's GMAT score of -500 that I will certainly get an admit

I am getting this feeling of hatred towards rich people right now. I wonder why

mNeo, dont fret.

I just gazed into my crystal ball and had a vision that you are going to be IN at Wharton. Seriously, donno why, but whenever I think of your profile, I sense that Wharton is going to take you.

Sure, go ahead and slap me for not saying Stanford.

I can certainly manage with Wharton. So as long as your crystal ball sees Wharton or Stanford for me, I am more than happy. Thanks, ncprasd

One thing is for sure. 20 years from now, when I have some money in my bank, I am certainly going to set-up "mNeo center for entrepreneurship" in U of Penn, so that mNeo junior has it easier than me when his time comes

May be ncprasad junior can then get angry at rich spoilt kids like mNeo junior, who have it easy for them.

Come to think of it. I have a gut feeling as to where all of us are going to get in. kryzak, kripal, aviroop, dabots, river et al.

I will bite my lip for now and let it remain my own private little game.

EDIT: Compelled by mNeo's request, here's my prediction. Now, dont slam me if you dont like it.


grad_mba - Stanford
kryzak - Haas/UCLA
kripal - Darden
aviroop - Chicago
dabots - MIT
river - MIT
Last but not least, ncprasad - Ross

Are you kidding me? How can you keep that vision to yourself?

I've edited your post to give you more space for each of us. Now start telling us who is going where.

Done.

I'm interested in seeing where the crystal ball will say I get into!

Kellogg essays look hard again... I hate this daily "easy, hard, easy, hard" roller coaster...

Come on then. Look into your crystal ball for me ncprasad...

bsd, mNeo already did that for you. He predicted Columbia-J Term and Princeton M-fin if I remember this right.

haha, thanks ncprasad! I would still prefer to get into Stanford though, but that's just wishful thinking

Bernie