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Question

I would like to know which MBA program in USA i am eligible to apply for and i have a good chance to be accepted.

GPA: 77.3% out of 100%
GMAT: 530 (First Attempt)
Work Experience: 7 years
Background: IT

I am working now as Senior Business/system analyst for an IT company in Dubai-UAE, i am leading the incident management team (4 resources) i have several certificates.
I have been a volunteer for more than 1 year with IIBA and i have been selected as a reviewer for the new version of business analysis book.

I am thinking to retake the GMAT, however for the time being i would like to know which schools i could get in, i have found the following but i am not sure if its worth it to have an MBA from these schools:
1- American University Kogod
2- KATZ business school
3- Babson Business school
4- Hult business school
5- Manson Business school
6- Clemson University
7- The university of tennessee Knoxville
8- The University of Arizona Eller College of Management
9- Rollins University
10- Iowa State University
11- University of St Thomas
12- Ball State university
13- Kent state university

mbaMissionJenK · Answer

Hi there,

It will definitely be extremely difficult to get accepted with a 530... that is at or possibly below the average of ALL test-takers on the GMAT. Many of the schools even on your list actually have over 600 as an average GMAT score, and you'll want to be as close as possible to the average at the schools you apply to in order to have the best chance of acceptance.

I highly encourage you to take a GMAT preparation course of some kind if possible; even if online, in order to really learn more about the exam types and strategies for each, and brush up on the skills required to do well on the exam. The good news is, usually at score levels in the 500's, you can make very large jumps/improvements with some preparation!

As for whether an MBA from a particular school is worth getting, it really depends on what your post-MBA goals are, and how well that degree from that program will serve you.

Wishing you the best,
Jen

laithob · Answer

Thanks for your response , well i know my score is too low and my chances are low, therefore i am thinking to retake the GMAT, however i was looking for my chance in case i didn't increase my score as i have been studying for a long time and i have used different materials so i am not sure if i could increase my score !!

Materials:
OG 12, 13
Manhattan CR, SC
Verbal Review
Math Review
Veritas (All books)
The economist adaptive program
Private tutor

do i need to study the same material for retaking the exam !?! as it took me around 6 months studying

mbaMissionJenK · Answer

Hi,

So, one of the biggest challenges with GMAT prep, and I've seen this time and again during almost 10 years of GMAT prep teaching and tutoring, is that if you only prep with books... even if you DO master the material, you can still set yourself up for a struggle on the actual exam.

The format of the computer adaptive exam, in addition to the timing, take the GMAT to another level of skill testing and challenge, and to prepare to do well on the exam, you have to PRACTICE doing the exam, not just work out of books. You want to practice on the computer as much as possible. You want to do timed practice. You want to take anywhere from 2-8 or so full length, timed, computer adaptive practice exams.... and then the good thing is when you do these that are created by test prep companies (and even the 2 GMAT ones), you can then REVIEW them carefully with answers and often explanations and see where you went wrong and learn from your mistakes. That is one of the best ways to improve! And by more frequent computer tests that are realistic and timed, you can develop your skill in managing your time and prioritizing when to cut your losses and guess vs when to invest the time/effort etc.

It will be very difficult to get into business school with a 530, AND furthermore... if you don't re-take, many admissions officers will ask why not! They take the highest score and expect candidates to know that, and trying again shows determination... if you can't improve so be it, but if you don't even try to improve, some admissions reps may see that in a negative light, just something to think about!

In terms of your list, some of the schools listed do have average GMAT scores around 550 or lower, so in those cases you would have a shot. Some of them would be out of that range though (Babson, U Tennessee, Iowa for example). Look at all of their average scores to assess. But like I said, it can be easier for you at a 530 to increase 50-100 points than for someone at a 630 or 700 to do so, and a bump up in score from that level can make a big difference in admission so I do suggest considering it if possible.

Wishing you good luck!

laithob · Answer

Hi Jen:

well you are right, honestly i have done everything thing you have said, unfortunately even my mockups were almost on the same range i have never break the 600 (Only twice) , i start to feel depressed as i don't feel any improvements on my scores , i was trying to find were do i really stuck , but my score were inconsistent which leads me to nothing. At the end i found that i don't focus very well while i am solving the question and do silly mistakes, on the other hand the 700 level questions i do really stuck there in quan, while on verbal the my accuracy remains on 50% whatever the level of the question, i have listed below my mockups trials:

Exam Date Math Verbal Total
CAT 1 Manhattan 22-6-2013 37 21 490
CAT 2 Manhattan 5/7/2013 42 27 570
CAT 3 Manhattan 12/7/2013 37 29 550
Veritas CAT Test 14/7/2013 43 30 600
GMAT Prep CAT Exam 1 (1st) 20/7/2013 43 26 570
GMAT Prep CAT Exam 1(2nd) 27/7/2013 44 19 530
Manhattan CAT Exam 4 11/8/2013 36 32 570
Manhattan CAT Exam 5 14/8/2013 40 26 550
Manhattan CAT Exam 6 17/8/2013 39 29 560
GMAT Prep CAT Exam 2(1st) 18/8/2013 40 22 530
GMAT Prep CAT Exam 2(2nd) 19/8/2013 43 27 580
 
Please i would appreciate it if you tell me what do as i want to retake the GMAT but i don't want to do the same mistake again.

Regards,
Laith

mbaMissionJenK · Answer

Hi there,

I am sure it is frustrating; the good news is, the odds are that you will see an increase when you re-take! Even just based on your practice test scores I would be confident you are capable of at least a 580, if not more, and that is better than a 530 for sure! And a lot closer to the averages at more of the programs on your list. So I do encourage a re-take.

I didn't realize you actually had taken so many exams, bordering on too many in that they were often within a couple of days of one another. If you are able to do an online course or get a one-on-one tutor it might be useful to really develop some key strategies to maximize your skills and your time on the exam. It's hard to give much more advice than that without literally sitting with you and going over problems with you. But I'd take 1-2 more full practice tests, REALLY closely review every single QUESTION of each practice exam (look through each explanation!! great study tool), and then drill on questions and timing.

Good luck, keep us posted!

laithob · Answer

Hi Jen:

thank you so much i do really appreciate your help.

mbaMissionJenK · Answer

You are very welcome, keep us posted!

laithob · Answer

Hi Jenn:

I have re-taken the GMAT for again and unluckily i got lower score (480), i was really shocked as my practice this time was much better and my mockup exams i got better scores i even reached 650 on GMATprep. I don't know what to do now , i am not sure if i could increase my score if i took the GMAT for a 3rd time ?!

I have never faced such an exam before my practice does not really reflect my exam score !?

I have started to fill some applications wishing to be accepted as i am afraid i won't increase my score and miss the chance to apply for MBA while being busy with the GMAT.

please advise what is the best to do right now ?!

mbaMissionJenK · Answer

Hiya,
Bummer, sorry to hear about the score decrease! Well I'd not focus on that 2nd exam then, and your decision is whether to take it a 3rd time or not. I wouldn't worry about it being viewed as a negative to take it a 3rd time as it's more common than you'd think, and schools do take the highest score no matter what. It's surprising to hear a score so low with a practice exam of 650! I'd be curious about what practice exam that was; was it timed realistically, and adaptive? Were there any q's you'd seen previously on it? And then for the actual day-of the exam... did you feel anything was different or 'off'? Were you very anxious? Did you run out of time? Did you leave questions unanswered at the end of sections (which is a big penalty)??

Otherwise, I'd aim for the schools with an average GMAT below 600 for best bets and really work on the essays and applications. Good luck!

laithob · Answer

Hi Jen: well i have downloaded the new GMAT prep exam by GMATprep, for the first try i got 570, 610 , the second try i reached 650 this time i had a bunch of repeated question. i have done all the exams under exam conditions. what i really felt on real exam on both times that the quant section is much harder while the verbal i felt like i am walking on a dark tunnel. my experience on the second exam was really bad as on the verbal section i run on time because i got 3 long RC passages it was really devastating. Honestly i want to beat this exam because it became personal this time

, i have done everything and the last time i was really confident because i was really doing great on my mockups and crossed the 600 barrier , i believe i have timing issue during the exam specially on verbal, however i still don't know what to do. back to application process, my aims are high i want a good b-school to shift my career and salary after graduation, i feel its very hard to compare b-schools if they are on the top 50, moreover most of the schools encourage me to apply telling me the GMAT is one aspect of the application, i am not sure whether they are being polite or its really the case. Thank you, Laith

mbaMissionJenK · Answer

Hi Laith,

Hmmm, the 650 could be slightly high then due to the repeat q's. My suggestion would be a private tutor for GMAT prep. That way someone can literally watch every step you take in a test-like environment and help you see new/alternative approaches to both individual q's and the overall exam strategy. You need to have concrete strategies for each question type and scenario. You cannot leave any q's blank at the end!! that incurs a penalty worse than just guessing through the end q's! So throughout the exam, you are strategizing-- deciding when to invest the time and effort and when to skip q's. You NEED to skip some q's in the middle, in order to GET to the final q's! So you need someone to help you identify when you should try and when you should skip, based on your own skills and strengths and weaknesses. In terms of the GMAT, it is certainly just one piece of the puzzle, yes. But when you are say 80-100 points or more below the average at a given school, it does become a lot more difficult to gain acceptance, even with everything else being strong. Of course you can always give it a shot and with excellent essays, be considered at various programs.

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