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Posts: 6
Hi All,
So I recently took the GMAT and got a dismal score of 460. I am now looking to retake the GMAT in mid-January to make the Round II deadlines, however, realistically I am not sure if I can significantly raise my GMAT score between now and then.
As such, I am juggling with idea of waiting to apply to b-school until next year and study for the gmat and ideally take it sometime in May and hopefully get a better score. Also, that would allow me to apply for Round I instead of Round II.
The schools I am looking to apply to are as follows: NYU, Yale, Georgetown, Hopkins, Baruch, and maybe a few others.
In terms of my background, I had a 3.3 GPA for my undergrad and upon graduation, I was in the Peace Corps in West Africa, worked in Egypt on a USAID-project, worked in Yemen at an Arabic Language School, and now work at UNICEF.
Any suggestions would be much appreciated!
Thanks!
Dave
So I recently took the GMAT and got a dismal score of 460. I am now looking to retake the GMAT in mid-January to make the Round II deadlines, however, realistically I am not sure if I can significantly raise my GMAT score between now and then.
As such, I am juggling with idea of waiting to apply to b-school until next year and study for the gmat and ideally take it sometime in May and hopefully get a better score. Also, that would allow me to apply for Round I instead of Round II.
The schools I am looking to apply to are as follows: NYU, Yale, Georgetown, Hopkins, Baruch, and maybe a few others.
In terms of my background, I had a 3.3 GPA for my undergrad and upon graduation, I was in the Peace Corps in West Africa, worked in Egypt on a USAID-project, worked in Yemen at an Arabic Language School, and now work at UNICEF.
Any suggestions would be much appreciated!
Thanks!
Dave
David, apart from the GMAT, your profile seems very competitive. Let me lay out the strengths:
worked in Africa? check
worked in the Middle East? check
worked in "volatile" regions? check
worked in the Peace Corps (HBS and Stanford love this, btw!)? check
worked in international global-level diplomacy/similar stuff? check
decent GPA that doesn't need explaining? check
Of course, I know nothing about your age, ethnicity, nationality, background, but based on what I see, you're competitive at schools ABOVE the range you're shooting for - I've seen people with profiles like this at HBS and Stanford, for Christ's sake!
Other than the GMAT part. I'd strongly recommend retaking it to push it above a 680ish score somehow (maybe even 700+), and reapplying next year. Don't sell yourself short in your hurry to get to bschool. Candidates who comes from international policy/diplomacy backgrounds are often a little older, so a year won't make too much of a difference.
worked in Africa? check
worked in the Middle East? check
worked in "volatile" regions? check
worked in the Peace Corps (HBS and Stanford love this, btw!)? check
worked in international global-level diplomacy/similar stuff? check
decent GPA that doesn't need explaining? check
Of course, I know nothing about your age, ethnicity, nationality, background, but based on what I see, you're competitive at schools ABOVE the range you're shooting for - I've seen people with profiles like this at HBS and Stanford, for Christ's sake!
Other than the GMAT part. I'd strongly recommend retaking it to push it above a 680ish score somehow (maybe even 700+), and reapplying next year. Don't sell yourself short in your hurry to get to bschool. Candidates who comes from international policy/diplomacy backgrounds are often a little older, so a year won't make too much of a difference.
cant agree more with ANTMBA . Get close to 700 and with ur profile ull rock man 
Posts: 6
Well that is downright encouraging! 
I didn't even consider applying the top top schools like Harvard or Wharton, but based on what was said, it seems like my background is competitive enough to do that. Not sure, if this would help strengthen my application more, but I speak 5 languages besides English (Arabic, French, Spanish, Italian, Mandinka), all of which I learned from the age of 19 on. In terms of my nationality, I am an American white guy.
So I guess it's decided. I will focus on the GMAT for the next few months, hopefully score close at or around a 700, and apply for Round I.
I didn't even consider applying the top top schools like Harvard or Wharton, but based on what was said, it seems like my background is competitive enough to do that. Not sure, if this would help strengthen my application more, but I speak 5 languages besides English (Arabic, French, Spanish, Italian, Mandinka), all of which I learned from the age of 19 on. In terms of my nationality, I am an American white guy.So I guess it's decided. I will focus on the GMAT for the next few months, hopefully score close at or around a 700, and apply for Round I.
You can add that to the list of things that schools love - 5 languages! If that isn't indicative of strong analytical skills (assuming you make the argument that learning a language is a very analytical process), I don't know what is!
So yes:
work on the GMAT
put together a compelling story about what you did and where you want to go
choose recommenders who will champion your cause and will be coachable
reach out to student groups that align with your past and your future plans, to find people similar to you in terms of background; talk to them about how they laid out their essays and stories
Good luck!
So yes:
work on the GMAT
put together a compelling story about what you did and where you want to go
choose recommenders who will champion your cause and will be coachable
reach out to student groups that align with your past and your future plans, to find people similar to you in terms of background; talk to them about how they laid out their essays and stories
Good luck!
Posts: 169
Updated on: 25 Jan 2011, 19:26
Originally posted by globalcitizen on 10 Dec 2010, 10:34.
Last edited by globalcitizen on 25 Jan 2011, 19:26, edited 1 time in total.
Last edited by globalcitizen on 25 Jan 2011, 19:26, edited 1 time in total.
.
you have a very interesting profile: I encourage you to focus on your gmat, and don't be afraid of applying where you would like to go.
Cheers
Cheers
Posts: 6
Wow! Thanks for the encouragement. I was actually thinking about the Harvard Kennedy school. Doing a joint MPP/MBA would be a good idea.
Are there are other schools that might seem like a good fit based on my background? This application process can be very arduous; there are so many schools to choose from!
Thanks!
Dave
Are there are other schools that might seem like a good fit based on my background? This application process can be very arduous; there are so many schools to choose from!
Thanks!
Dave
Posts: 169
l
Shivam2027
Joined: 19 Dec 2025
Last visit: 30 Aug 2026
Posts: 73
Location: India
Concentration: Strategy, Entrepreneurship
Schools: CBS '27 Duke '27 Haas '27 INSEAD Jan '27 Kellogg '27 LBS '27 Ross '27 Sloan '27 Stanford '27 Stern '27 Wharton '27 Yale '27 Booth '27 Darden '27
GPA: 3.1
WE:Consulting (Non-Profit)
Products:
happened with me too, got 585 , last year may , now im gonna bomb the testdavide261982
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