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16 Apr 2011, 14:10
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Hey guys, I just took my test. Although I am naturally pleased to get a 720, and furthermore to score in the 97th percentile in verbal, I am very concerned about having such a low (relatively) quant score that puts me in the 75th percentile for quant. Overall I'm sitting in the 94th percentile. Should I be concerned about having such a run-of-the-mill quant score? I want to go top-10, and will retake if this is not a suitable score. On my practice tests was averaging out to around 86th percentile in quant and have scored as high as 93rd percentile (with verbal always falling above 95th percentile).
I'm not trying to poo-poo what is probably a fantastic score, but I'm paranoid. Please I need help on this.
I'm not trying to poo-poo what is probably a fantastic score, but I'm paranoid. Please I need help on this.
16 Apr 2011, 14:46
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Here is what Rhyme wrote in his MBA Application Guide:
I'VE HEARD THAT QUANT MATTERS MORE THAN VERBAL, IS THIS TRUE?
It depends a bit on what one means by “matters”. If the question is whether or not quant is more or less predictive of your expected performance in graduate school programs, the literature is mixed. Virtually any study conducted in the last twenty years agrees that undergraduate GPA and total GMAT score are predictive of overall MBA performance, but at least one study suggested that the verbal score, not a quant score, better differentiates high performers. (For the truly curious reader with lots of spare time, see Wright, R. and Palmer, J. (1997). Examining performance predictors for differentially successful MBA students. College Student Journal; Jun 97, Vol. 31 Issue 2, p 276-82.)
Odds are however, most people really mean to ask whether or not one is weighted more heavily in the application decision process. Although Admissions offices typically respond to such queries with poetic yarns about “holistic” approaches and “no cutoffs”, there’s at least some anecdotal evidence that there is such a bias. For instance, Sally Jaeger (Assistant Dean at Tuck) has publicly stated as much. If you google her name and a few key words, you’ll find various statements, but the clearest I think came from an interview she conducted in June of 2008 with EssayEdge. In it, she flatly states: “We focus more on the quantitative side of the GMAT because our program, particularly during the first year, is extremely quantitative in nature.”
There is however some truth to the other side of the coin as well – there are no “hard” cutoffs. By themselves GMAT scores just don’t tell enough of a story. A weak quant score can be mitigated by any number of other factors: A strong undergraduate performance in math intensive courses, a high mathematical job, a strong alternative transcript, etc. It is this combination that truly provides more of a picture of where a candidate falls.
The bottom line is that you should evaluate your GMAT score in conjunction with the rest of your application, because, quite simply, so will admissions.
I'VE HEARD THAT QUANT MATTERS MORE THAN VERBAL, IS THIS TRUE?
It depends a bit on what one means by “matters”. If the question is whether or not quant is more or less predictive of your expected performance in graduate school programs, the literature is mixed. Virtually any study conducted in the last twenty years agrees that undergraduate GPA and total GMAT score are predictive of overall MBA performance, but at least one study suggested that the verbal score, not a quant score, better differentiates high performers. (For the truly curious reader with lots of spare time, see Wright, R. and Palmer, J. (1997). Examining performance predictors for differentially successful MBA students. College Student Journal; Jun 97, Vol. 31 Issue 2, p 276-82.)
Odds are however, most people really mean to ask whether or not one is weighted more heavily in the application decision process. Although Admissions offices typically respond to such queries with poetic yarns about “holistic” approaches and “no cutoffs”, there’s at least some anecdotal evidence that there is such a bias. For instance, Sally Jaeger (Assistant Dean at Tuck) has publicly stated as much. If you google her name and a few key words, you’ll find various statements, but the clearest I think came from an interview she conducted in June of 2008 with EssayEdge. In it, she flatly states: “We focus more on the quantitative side of the GMAT because our program, particularly during the first year, is extremely quantitative in nature.”
There is however some truth to the other side of the coin as well – there are no “hard” cutoffs. By themselves GMAT scores just don’t tell enough of a story. A weak quant score can be mitigated by any number of other factors: A strong undergraduate performance in math intensive courses, a high mathematical job, a strong alternative transcript, etc. It is this combination that truly provides more of a picture of where a candidate falls.
The bottom line is that you should evaluate your GMAT score in conjunction with the rest of your application, because, quite simply, so will admissions.
whiplash2411
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16 Apr 2011, 16:12
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As bb rightly said, there really is no right or wrong answer to this question and without knowing the rest of your profile, its hard to say if this will be a game changer in any sense. However, if you're looking at a more quantitative school and you come from a non-quantitative, say, liberal arts background, then yes, it might matter. But if you're, say, an engineer, then it might not matter as much. It really is up to the program you're applying to, along with your other credentials. But a 720 is not a bad score. By any means.
