Is GMAT a good reason for postponement ?

Thank you very much for your answers.

My previous post did not emphasize this point as it should have done : my main fear is to reach the "age cut". I know this is a good year to apply but I am quite sure I will not score enough, anyway I will do my best. If I wait one more year I will be 31yo by the intake which is by far above the average for us schools... Fact is I started working at 26. A really good friend of mine scored 760, perfect tracks, had interviews at H, S, W and was waitlisted and dinged in these 3 schools... Main reason from adcoms : he was 32 (he started working at 27)...

My mistake : I should have started the prep earlier but my job is time consuming

I decided to have the test this week : if I score poorly, I will have the opportunity to demonstrate I can improve, and if I my score is correct I will if you may come back to you and ask your opinion whether it is enough...

F.

Good plan. BTW, I did understand your age concernes. That is one of the reasons I am encouraging you to take it as soon as possible and appy this year.

Good luck!

Hi,

I would need more confirmation of age discrimination before deciding whether it is a genuine phenomenon in schools in the top clusters. Consider, however, the danger that schools would place themselves in if they act is this matter. This is not the same a saying that it does not happen, but it should encourage us to ask for more evidence. The schools that pass over students for nongermane criteria present a free gift to less discriminatory schools. Not surprisingly, there are many high cluster schools that would willingly take highly qualified candidates at any age. In short, I would not rush to meet some imagined deadline.

Hjort

Dear All,

I finally had the test this morning and no miracle occured. I scored in the lowest part of my range : 650 (49Q, 31V), knowing that my prep ranges were 49>51 Q and 29>39 V.

This score is really unbalanced and below the 75% threshold in verbal (62% if I remember well) : even if I was starting with no more than a 680 objective, I am quite disappointed and consider such a bad score is a killern concern for schools I am willing to apply to.
This score is the result of roughly speaking 3 months, 1.5 relax and 1.5 of intensive prep.

I won't surprise anybody in admitting verbal is my weakest point...
I do not feel ready enough to shoot within 1 month (maybe it is only the instantaneous effect of this bad result) but I am still hesitating whether it is worth, even with a weak 680 knowing my track.

Academic : my undergrad gpa is 3.85 & my grad gpa is 3.5, certificated from several French "Ivy league schools" - my major field of study is engineering and I hold 1 BS + 1 MSEE + MD Finance. Age : almost 30 yo grrrrrrrrrrr

Experience : 4 years of full time working experience, 2 cumulated years of part time exp during studies ; breakdown is 1 as R&D project manager, 2 as a strategy consultant and 3 at an investor in a venture capital equityhouse.

I will re-take the test, just for the very reason I can not endure failure.
Question is : what is the best plan to schedule ?

Thanks for reading that long post and for your time.

Frederic

Hi,

I would apply this year with your current score and re-take the test in several months to prepare for re-applying nexy year.
Have you researched the age discrimination issue any further?

Hjort

Thank you Hjort for your answer,

Whether to postpone my apps is something i am seriously thinking about. Before taking the final decision I am waiting for insiders from friends I have in MBAs on eastern and western coast, some off them being 2Y candidates involved in the recruitment process. In French we say something like "you never have two opportunities to make a first good impression" : a bad gmat is a good reason not to pass, regardless any age concern, a good gmat is one more reason to be in the good stack.

Maybe am I over reacting with this stuff but I have the feeling gmat is the big hurdle in my case regardless age. I think I have good thinks to tell in essays to render them really attractive.

Anyway I will go back to you with the insiders I mentionned previously...

Thx

F

I really thought I had replied to this. Oh well.

If you have the time to study intensively, schedule the test for the last week of November/first week of December. Then, assuming your score goes up, use December to work on your application and submit in January.

Also, as I said earlier, applications from Europe are down. Your quant score is good; your work experience is strong; your academic record is excellent. You still -- even if your score doesn't go up -- have a chance at the top schools. For a European, that score is not a disaster. It's nothing to celebrate, but it doesn't automatically doom your application.

Good luck!