mbaMissionBrianE wrote:
Hello andspeed2, thanks for your question.
As you suspect, your 700 would not move the needle as much as it would otherwise, given that you come from an overrepresented demographic in the MBA applicant pool. That said, I believe your overall score and your verbal and quantitative marks would open the door for you as every program you list. Whether you retake the GMAT depends on your confidence that you could raise your score by a significant margin (say, 30 points). If that is not a given, perhaps focus your energy on differentiating yourself through your essays.
I believe your competitiveness will come down to the quality of your leadership experience, both in and out of the office. Can you draw upon “moments” when you truly led: influenced individuals and organizations, drove results, took initiative? It sounds like you have some interesting experiences outside of your IT work (e.g., entrepreneurial ventures, Red Cross). I would try to write about those to set yourself apart.
Again, to summarize my view: Your GMAT score is not a problem, per se. Your score will open the door, but it is your leadership experience – as conveyed through your essays – that will get you in!
Best of luck!
Brian
Thanks for responding, Brian. It helped. I understand that my GMAT score will not be an asset but it will not pull me back either. One more question, if you could be kind enough to answer - Will it hurt if I hit a low score in my retake? :O ( Not that I expect it to, but I would like to have a back up plan! )
Thanks,