Taking GMAT more than 3 times

Question

Hi All,

I took GMAT 3 times and still my score is not satisfactory to get in a good Bschool( top 30) so planning to take it fourth and final time.

Pl advise this would have bad impression in my application.

Thanks in advance,
Rrsnathan.

mikemcgarry · Answer

Dear Rrsnathan , I'm happy to respond. :-)

Certainly, this situation is less than ideal. Even if you get an elite score on your fourth try, it's unclear how adcom will view that. Remember, this is not the SAT and college --- when colleges look at teenagers and their SAT scores, they are magnanimous in that they only look at the highest score and automatically ignore the others. Teenagers are young and can be forgiven for failings. That's not necessarily the case with b-school adcom. This is the grown-up world, and the stakes are higher. There are so many people who get the elite scores on their first try, or maybe their second try, so by comparison, an elite score on the fourth try is just not as impressive. Think about it this way: by saying you want a spot in one of the top 30 schools, you are saying, in essence, that you want a job at a top company in which you will handle millions of dollars. If someone is thinking about trusting you with millions of dollars, is the message you want to give them that you are able to get the job done at the requisite level, not the first time, not the second time, not the third time, but the fourth time? Having had three mediocre GMATs already, you are already in a situation in which it will be hard, even with an elite score on the fourth try, to make the case to the top business schools that you belong there. If you take it once more, you had better make sure that you completely blow the doors off. If you improve only a little, it's definitely not worth the retake. If you try for one more retake, you really should transform your entire life so you can strive for over-the-top excellence in absolutely every aspect of your preparation. You should be exceptional in every aspect of your preparation. I can make specific recommendations if you would like to hear them. Does this make sense? Mike :-)

TheEconomistGMATTutor · Answer

Great advice.

If you do take it a 4th time, make sure that you employ a solid study plan. Make some decisions -- what about this study round will be different than the first three rounds? If your scores for your first three GMATs disappointed you, you must make a drastic change in your strategy.

Good luck! If there is anything I've learned from the GMAT Club boards is that is IS possible to improve significantly.

Regards,

Elizabeth

rrsnathan · Answer

Thanks a lot for your advise. It was really helpful

Regards
Rrsnathan

rrsnathan · Answer

Thanks mike for your thought and Ideas. Indeed its very helpful.

Regards,
Rrsnathan

	Target Test Prep - Save up to $599 $400 Discount + $99 Bonus GMAT Club Tests
	e-GMAT: 60% Off on GMAT Focus Get to 735+ from any starting point
	Magoosh increases your score, guaranteed - 15% off ALL Magoosh GMAT plans with code GMATCLUB15 + Free GMAT Club Tests.
	Manhattan Prep: $99 Bonus Score Higher on Your GMAT Exam. Guaranteed.
	Experts' Global - ~~$1720~~ $960 End-to-End GMAT Prep + App Support: 150+ Videos, 2000+ Questions, 15 FLTs +
	GMATWhiz - $299 ~~$499~~ Experience the course through a free trial.
	GMAT Club Tests - Free Included with every course purchase of $149+ View all deals

Taking GMAT more than 3 times

Prep Toolkit

Top 5 GMAT Debrief Videos

615 to 715 in 15 Days (Ria's Strategies)

More than Quant/Verbal Abilities: Speed vs. Accuracy

745 with Only Self-Prep and GMAT Club

From 555 to 765: 210-point Improvement

Perfect 805 Score Debrief by Julia

My Rewards