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indianquant
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KAS1
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crackHSW
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mappleby
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KAS1
Bumping up this thread! Anyone have any new stories to add??

Give me a few months and hopefully I will!
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perfectblack999
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mappleby
KAS1
Bumping up this thread! Anyone have any new stories to add??

Give me a few months and hopefully I will!


Me too :(
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shatrujit
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My gmat score was extremely low (590). However, do I stand a chance with work experience of 5 years and willing to pay full fees?

Colleges of interest:
Dartmouth, Duke, HEC, NUS, esade and Nanyang.

Education - 15 years

28, Male, Indian.

Just an insight would be helpful.

Thanks a ton.

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shatrujit
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Hi aerien,

Thanks for the tip. I just did as you said.

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greatps24
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Any one accepted with Low AWA and IR scores? Please share your story
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brobeedle
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sesh
Good GMAT score is good to have. But that is not all. So, with a moderate GMAT score you can still make into a top B SChool. If you are not interested to give another shot at GMAT or if you dont see yourself with a much improved GMAT score in the near future, it's better to focus on criteria than spending more time on GMAT :)

This thread is a godsend. As you can see from my profile my GMAT score isn't the highest, so it is kinda intimidating to apply to the top schools where all the applicants are boasting 720+ scores. I've taken it twice, and I'm in the midst of preparing for it for a third attempt - I'm pretty sure that'll be my last take.

Any other low gmat/low gpa stories, please do share them here! Really, really inspiring thread.
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brobeedle
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I've taken the GMAT 4 times, and the highest score that I managed was a 660. It went up each time, and across attempts my best quant was a 48 and best verbal was a 37. I'm still going to go ahead and apply to a variety of top schools this year since I think I have a decent profile.

One suggestion for people with low GMAT concerns - take a look at www.mbamath.com; doing their online graded course might show a little bit of determination (and ability?) to get through the first year curriculum at most business schools
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pellantn
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I have yet to take the GMAT, but how did everybody overcome their low GPA? I could make excuses and say I had several full time jobs or that I was thousands of miles from my family as a 17 year old, but I know I only have myself to blame for the underwhelming performance and others have also had demanding jobs and distance from their family as undergraduates and did well. I've since earned an AA degree, and will be finishing up my MS in sports management in the Spring both with impressive GPAs (3.5 and 4.0). Will this help make up for my low UGPA?
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brandon432
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pellantn
...how did everybody overcome their low GPA?

I'm pretty sure most people have already answered this in their posts. That's the primary purpose of the thread. Scroll back a ways for ideas.
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hubbl3
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GMAT: 710(Q:47, V:41, AWA:6, IR: 8)
University attended: Top Tier University of California
Major(s): Biology
GPA / Honours: 2.96
Nationality: Asian American
Age: 28
Gender: Male
Work Experience: No. of Years / Industry / Role
Extra-curricular Activities: minimal
Community Services: minimal

Business Schools (Admitted): Johnson, Tepper, WL'd at Kellogg
Business Schools (Applied but Dinged): CBS, Ross

I felt that my GPA was a major hurdle for a very long time. These are the things that probably helped overcome the GPA.

-700+ GMAT (I personally think this helped the least. At most, it kept me from being disqualified outright)
-Steady work progression: I've been fortunate at my company. I've seen a promotion every year for 5 years at the same organization
-Not a banker/consultant: I work in pharma (oncology), and I believe this made my application stand out a bit
-Essays/Resume: I worked with Drew from Veritas Prep on my essays and resume. It was expensive, but there's no doubt in my mind that this helped my essays. I'm a good writer on my own, but the VP team really works to make your application an accurate and complete picture of your experiences and intentions
-Additional coursework: I retook calculus II at a community college and received an A. This was one course I struggled with in college.
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mari0o24
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Hi guys, I'm finding some of these posts to be really inspiring.

I just took the GMAT for the 3rd time and I topped out at 640 (Q44, V34), even tho my practice tests were Q46, V36 :(

I'm really not sure what to do, if I should even apply or not this year. I already applied to Columbia and got denied. I wanted to apply to Wharton, HBS and NYU in R2.

My profile:
Undergrad major: engineering, GPA 3.2
Masters major: engineering, GPA 3.5
2 years WE in a leadership rotational program at a well known company
Born in Tokyo, Asian American
Lots of extracurriculars, leadership experience and volunteer work

Is it worth applying this year???
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mari0o24
Hi guys, I'm finding some of these posts to be really inspiring.

I just took the GMAT for the 3rd time and I topped out at 640 (Q44, V34), even tho my practice tests were Q46, V36 :(

I'm really not sure what to do, if I should even apply or not this year. I already applied to Columbia and got denied. I wanted to apply to Wharton, HBS and NYU in R2.

My profile:
Undergrad major: engineering, GPA 3.2
Masters major: engineering, GPA 3.5
2 years WE in a leadership rotational program at a well known company
Born in Tokyo, Asian American
Lots of extracurriculars, leadership experience and volunteer work

Is it worth applying this year???

I think you really, really, really, need to bring that GMAT up. The other statistics look solid, but frankly since you are from an overrepresented majority (Asian American Male) that is known for its high GMATs, it puts you at a significant disadvantage. It would also help because you are also on the young side.
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mari0o24
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Does it help that I'm actually a girl and not a guy :) haha sorry, maybe I should have specified that earlier.

Do you think I could apply and take the test again and then submit my new score after I submit my apps?
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mari0o24
Does it help that I'm actually a girl and not a guy :) haha sorry, maybe I should have specified that earlier.

Do you think I could apply and take the test again and then submit my new score after I submit my apps?

It does help! But that 640 is still low. It's below the 20 percentile for NYU (680 is 20th percentile), which means its almost definitely even lower for Harvard. The lowest GMAT that Wharton accepted last year was 620; 80% of its students scored 710 - 750... You would need something relatively special in the other parts of your profile to compensate for this.
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mari0o24
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I think I might re-take, I've been getting a 680 in my practice test but it's not translating when I sit for the real thing. Just gotta keep practicing!
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Vmtp
Had a gmat score of 490 last year after taking it twice! I applied to wharton anyways and got invited to an interview.. Don't worry.. I did not get accepted. But the fact that I got the interview says something! I am convince that a score over 550 is enough if your background is unique and interesting! We shall see ;)

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This may be true, but it better be REAL unique and interesting. Dominique Foxworth got into HBS with 570 GMAT... but he also led the NFL Player's Union in groundbreaking negotiations with the NFL.

Meanwhile, the lowest GMAT of an accepted person at Wharton last year was 620.
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Vmtp
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While the GMAT is farely easy for some people, it is more challenging for others. I believe that it depends on the person and the education background. A former professional tennis player might have a harder time scoring a Q47 than an academivally drilled finance major.. That does not mean that the tennis player doesn't posess skills and experiences that are extremely intersting to top tier schools and top employers. The schools are aware of that! A great gmat score is important if academics have been your primary focus growing up... If you have other important skills, the universities will appreciate and respect that!

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