Scored 720, should I retake? All mocks +750

Question

Hi all,

I just got out of my gmat and got a disappointing 720 (Q48*(editted had put q49, V41).

I know its a decent score but in my 4 mocks I got 750(q50 v41), 750(q50 v 42), 760 (q51, v42) and 760(q49, v45).

I expected at least a Q50 so was rather disappointed with that.

Also, I am planning in applying to Top 5 programs. A little about me:
- latin american born and raised
- work for mbb consulting
- have a pretty **** gpa from my university in Colombia
- i recently moved to the states, transferred by company
- i have 3 yoe
- have 1 year of military service

Should I retake given I can probably improve the score or not worth it? What do the experts think?

Appreciate the help!!

Posted from my mobile device

AndrewN · Answer

Hello,  sebgutur22 , and welcome to GMAT Club. That profile information sounds more pertinent to a discussion you may want to hold with  admissions experts . Admissions experts should know more about MBB versus MBA programs. That said, you do seem to have hit the lower end of your range in both Quant and Verbal, and a higher GMAT™ score could make up for your—shall we say  lackluster ?—GPA. Also, since you tagged Target Test Prep, I am assuming you went through its e-course. You should reach out on this forum or directly through that platform to the team to see what advice you can get. Finally, be honest with yourself. Did you earn this score because you felt intimidated during the exam? Were you too nervous? Did you have trouble letting go of a question or, on the other hand, rush to finish on time, only to discover that you were way ahead of the clock? These are the sorts of questions you should ask yourself while you consider a retake.

Good luck, whatever you decide. (A 720 is a fine score. It is just that your target schools are more competitive than others.)

- Andrew

sebgutur22 · Answer

Thank you for your reply AndrewN, I have reposted in the other forum per your suggestion and will give thought to your other tips.

Best,

Seb

PyjamaScientist · Answer

I am not an expert. But, a 720 is not deplorable by any stretch. Going by your mocks, you sure seem to possess  stronger  Quant skills, so a Q48 looks like an  outlier . So, if I were you, I'd definitely be writing another GMAT as soon as possible, because you certainly are a 750+ candidate so why settle at a 720? 
Best of luck and looking forward to your 750+ debrief, if you choose to retake.

AjiteshArun · Answer

Hi  sebgutur22 ,

720 is a very good score. As for taking the exam again, do you think you have the bandwidth to give the GMAT another shot? If you do, I'd recommend that you go take the exam again.

It's also possible that you could take the exam again with no additional prep, but it'd be safer to assume that you need to work on your quant.

MartyTargetTestPrep · Answer

Hi Seb.

I'm not an admissions expert, but given that you have been scoring significantly higher on official practice tests, and given that your GPA is not strong, I think it's clear that you should retake. After all, the average GMAT scores for top 5 schools are in the mid 720s and 730s. So, with your current GMAT score, you'd be applying with a below average GMAT score and a below average GPA. So, what makes sense is to make the one of those two that you can change now stellar.

To lock in a higher GMAT score, you could consider what areas of quant you're least strong in and work on each those for a few weeks before you retake by reviewing the concepts involved in that area and then doing practice questions for that area until you can get them correct in long streaks of 20 or more hard questions of that type correct in a row.

Also, you may be able to lock in a higher verbal score by continuing to practice verbal as discussed in this post.  Three Key Practice Tips for Mastering GMAT Verbal

Also, since you're shooting for a rather high GMAT score, you may get some key insights from this post.  How to Get a Perfect 800 GMAT Score

bostonwhether · Answer

Hey  sebgutur22  - highly relate to your test-taking experience. I underperformed on my first live test after some promising mock exams, but, just like you, got a score that I felt was "good enough" for my targets. After a week or two of focused prep, I retook and improved +60pts.

If you're feeling up to it (and have a spare $275 + tax), I would recommend re-taking the exam. Your GMAT score is the one part of your application you can control - and for M7's, it certainly doesn't hurt to get a number above the median.

Feel free to reach out if you'd like to chat more.

egmat · Answer

sebgutur22 - Congratulations on scoring 720. As Marty recommended that given your GPA and past mock scores, focus on improving your score. Given your background (Latin American, low GPA), a higher GMAT score will definitely help you secure a higher scholarship. Our research last year (500 students, 60% Indians) indicated that applicants with 760 earned ~$30K more in scholarship $$ than those with 740. So that $275 investment may be worth 100X ROI.

You can see a summary of the research here: https://e-gmat.com/admits-scholarships/

You can watch some scholarship journeys here: https://e-gmat.com/admits-scholarships/m7-admits/

I would recommend hitting that Q50 consistently and then improving your Verbal score by a few points. I would not recommend using any new resource; rather, I would recommend building an error and minimizing your mistakes. Rather than tagging a mistake as a careless mistake, attribute a cause to it and ensure that you don't repeat the same. Most of your mistakes in Quant can be categorized in one of the 6 process skills. Take a look at this video to know more:

I hope that the above helps.

-Rajat

GMATWhizTeam · Answer

Hi sebgutur22,

720 is a great score. Congratulations! However, if you feel this score doesn't justify your true potential and if you have time on your side, then you can go for a retake. A higher GMAT score never hurts!

For Quant, identifying your weaker areas and working your weaker areas should ideally get you a score of 49/50. You have to work a little more on the application of concepts while solving the Quant Questions. You should consider spending more time on analysing the solutions of the questions from the topics in which you are weak. By analysing I mean, go through each step of the solution, identify the exact step at which you made the mistake, compare your approach with the right one and then learn the right approach. This should help.

If you are struggling with some specific topics, you may share the same for better understanding.

Even for Verbal, you have to analyze even the minute things and make sure to work on them.

If you have an ESR, I can definitely help you in analyzing it.

Hope this helped and feel free to contact if you have any further queries.

You can always write back to me here or the better way would be to connect over a call and have a discussion. You can schedule a free consultation call using the below link.

Click here to schedule a call

sebgutur22 · Answer

Hey all,

Thank you again for your responses.

I wanted to update in case somebody stumbles upon this post.

I retook the gmat through the online version today (a week after my 720) and scored a 740 (Q48, V44). I was still disappointed with the quant score but I feel much better about the 740 than I did with the 720. I will actually retake again as before I figured out I could do the only gmat straight away I actually booked a test center gmat for 2 weeks from now and I guess might as well do it if the money is already spent.

I basically did zero studying this week, worked 90 hours during the week, including 15h yesterday (yeah on saturday, awesome job), slept <5hours, played golf and took the test at 7pm and did better. I think this just shows that despite all the advice you get about gmat day routines sometimes the best thing that you can do is just not think about it.

Thank you again for everyone who commented and hope this eases people who got a score below what they expected, sometimes it just happens and its ok to take it again.

Best,

Seb

AndrewN · Answer

Thank you for the update, Seb. If you are working 15-hour shifts on weekends, then I can see why you want to go to business school. I like that you had the confidence to give the exam another go, despite not studying the week of, and I suspect that the golf helped, too.  Sometimes it just happens —wise words, applicable to just about any situation. I love picking things apart and getting to the bottom of why something may have turned out a certain way, but learning to let go of concerns can be just as gratifying.

Good luck with the next step in your journey.

- Andrew

GeneralEducation · Answer

Hi,

740 is a good enough score to target the top MBA programs. You need not worry too much about that anymore. It will be more useful to understand your career gaps and how you can address them. You need to work on profile building, storytelling, and essay strategy instead.

You have decent experience and valuable diversity which will be of interest to the B-schools. It will be helpful to discuss with an admissions consultant or MBA alums from your target school about your fit for the specific b-schools and how you can leverage your profile to secure admission.

You can now find all the free resources for admissions on  our website  or try the free tools below for a self-evaluation:
 Intelligent B-School Selector Tool 
 Chances of B-school Selection

GMATWhizTeam · Answer

Hi sebgutur22 Congratulations! Happy to know about the improvement. We would be waiting to hear from you after your retake! All the very best to you for your retake!

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