Hi All! I'd love your honest feedback on my profile as a whole as I consider if the need to take the GMAT again. My current score is not ideal but this is not my first time taking it and after many months of prep and tutoring I'm skeptical of the likelihood of going much higher since I've never been a good standardized test taker. I'm hoping my other parts of the application will round it out.
Demographic: White Female, 27, Hoping to apply this coming fall
GMAT: 550 (Quant 35, Verbal 31, IR 4). This is actually the second time I've taken it, the first time went horribly but my verbal and IR scores were higher (Verbal 34, IR 6) - I canceled that first set of scores but would love your opinion on if it's worthwhile to reinstate them to show a story of progress and the higher verbal and IR scores.
GPA: 3.68 - I was a Political Science and Business Studies major wich means I have have taken quant classes including: Business Analysis (calculus-based math) - A; Emperical political analysis - B+, Micro econ A; Financial accounting A-, Managerial finance A, Business policy/decision analysis A
Work history: 5 years work experience by the time I apply in the fall. Started at a non profit focused in international development but transitioned into management consulting after 1 year and have been there for going on 4 years. I'm a research consultant at a leading IT (and now general managerial) consulting firm where I've worked with Chief Strategy Officers and Heads of Quality at Fortune 1000 and Fortune 500 companies. My job is to work with these senior leaders to identify the most pressing challenges facing their functions and develop unique peer-based approaches to solve these prevailing but pressing issues. Though much of the role is analysis/qualatative, I have also helped build two survey quant models and I am currently developing and running a benchmarking survey.
Post MBA I'm looking to transition into a strategy role, likely in CPG. Given my background working with and understanding the strategy function, as well as the practical/more tangible side of the business through work in Quality I'm hoping that this coupled with the MBA will help with the transition.
I'm targting top 50 schools but the dream would be Wharton, Stern, Darden, HEC Paris, Tepper, or LBS.
Happy to provide any additional detail in PMs. Thank you all for your thoughts and feedback.