Giving GMAT 3rd time (after 730) , what do you guys think?

Question

Hi All,

I am confused and wanted to know your views on whether i should write the GMAT the 3rd time.

I am an Indian IT male applicant ,interested in top 20 US B schools and have around 4+years of exp.
In my first attempt i scored 720(49,40) , which was around 30 points below my expectations.The main reason was timing and acting too cautious , which finally resulted in missing 2 questions on each section.

I thought about giving it again but got busy in the applications.Meanwhile , I got dinged/Wl from all the schools i had applied too(mainly : ross,UNC,emory).In most of the feedback i got ,I was told that my GMAT score could be increased as from India Sub continent they get higher avg scores.

With that in mind , i started my prep again. I gave in a solid 2 months and was more confident this time of reaching the 760+ mark. My avg mock (Manhattan+prep) scores were in the range of 720-770 and avg being around 750. Around a couple of days before the exam i started having cold feet and doubts started creepin in.. On the D day , I was crusing in my Quant but paniked in the last 2 questions. The last question was of avg speed and very easy question , but in that panic i selected the wrong one. In that break i could not take my mind off that question and even with the start of verbal i could not give my 100% concentration. The end of the verbal was the same story , i paniked and got a few obvious questions wrong... After the test i got 730 (50,39) which was again very disappointing to me.

I want to make it clear that the main reason i want to reach 760+ is to get easy schols from the schools. But after having given it twice and getting 700+ scores , i am not sure whether the schools i would be applying to would take it negatively.

What do you guys recommend i should do?
Give it again after another couple of months of solid prep or forget about it.
My main goal is to get a good schol+admit from a US top 20 school with focus in consulting.

P.S:I understand that GMAT is just a part of the whole process and also realize the importance of having good essays , which in my case also need a lot of work.

Zarthul · Answer

Honestly I don't think it is going to make too much of a difference once you are above 720. You should focus on your essays and letters of Recommendation. I think you will get a higher return on investment than continually trying to take the GMAT after scoring higher than 720. What is your GPA and Work Experience like?

BM · Answer

Your performance has so far been excellent, although there is some disparity between the verbal and quant scores. But it's probably time to let go. As you acknowledged, there are other important parts of the application process to complete. It's time to focus on those now.

Besides, a 750 probably won't distinguish you that much from the 730 version of yourself. And if you do sacrifice other areas of the application to achieve that score, then you risk becoming just another IT applicant from India with a high math score.

I hope that this reply doesn't come off as too stern. That certainly isn't my aim. However, it's important to be realistic about your profile, abilities, and competition. In the end, I'm sure that you will make the right decision. Give yourself some extra time to think about it.

desiaggie1980 · Answer

It is kinda hard to believe that B-schools can get so picky beyond 700; "760-good, 730-nogood"--sounds ridiculous, but I am sure you know it as you have been there, I attended adcom sessions of schools like wharton, they ask for 700, couple of top schools don't ask for gmat, but ultimately you need to decide your gameplan

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KarishmaB · Answer

720 is par for the top schools (HBS, Stanford, Wharton). If you have a 750+ in GMAT, it is one point in your favor but it doesn't guarantee admission, far from it. Essays and interview all weigh in.

That said, schools like to have diversity in their class. If GMAT were the sole factor, half of their class would be full of Indian IT males (most tend to break the 700 barrier and many break the 750 one). GMAT 730, though not a bad score at all, is a disadvantage because each school will have 50 applications from Indian IT males with 750+. Hence, 730 doesn't weight against people but it does weigh against you. Your essays and interview have to be exceptionally great for them to consider you.

What should your next step be? That has to be decided by you. We can just help you with the perspectives. If you seriously think that 750+ is within reach, I would say go for it. But you need to consider your study plan seriously, if you do go for it. You will need to put in serious effort in Verbal this time (considering that you put 2 months and your score stayed basically the same, my impression is that you did not focus on your weak areas). If you do get 750+, you are at an equal footing and need to distinguish yourself with good essays. On the other hand, if you are sure that another two months will help improve your score, ditch it and put some serious work in your application.

gamer7 · Answer

Thank you for your reply and i totally agree with you that GMAT less than 750 is more of a disadvantage to Indian Applicants. A surprising fact for me was that i had put in all my preparation for verbal in the two months of my prep. It was the nerves that gave me away. I am thinking of giving a prep now after almost a month to gauge where i really stand. Maybe that will help me in taking the next step. I am thinkin of rewriting my essays along with the prep , what do you think about that strategy. Thanks again for your help :-D

gamer7 · Answer

I agree with you regarding the disparity in verbal and maths score , but all my focus was always to get that verbal above 95%ile. I think there s something still stopping me from letting go. I am thinking of working on my apps while keepin on with my preps and whenever i see a peak (anything that i think will get me through 770), i think i ll just give it again.What do u think about this approach. Thanks again for your help :-D

hopalong · Answer

You have a seven thirty. I think that is a score anyone should be comfortable with. Now would normally be the time to start focusing on your application.

However, anecdotally, I have been reading around the forums for a while and I understand that certain international students are expected to have higher scores. It sounds like this may affect you. Your verbal score could use some work if you have the time and are confident you can raise it significantly.

gamer7 · Answer

BUMP.
thinkin of more opinions..also any advice on hw shd i approach gmat this time..The main problem i face is the problem in concentrating

Shoumik · Answer

I know whats done is done...but if you do decide to take the gmat again and you find yourself in a similar situation...one way to not worry about it is to tell yourself that the last two or three questions don't matter as much as the first 10 or 11 (so I have heard) so you could've told yourself that there was nothing to worry about since they were last few questions. Obviously this doesn't mean that you should completely disregard them but just to make yourself feel better, you could use this approach?

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Giving GMAT 3rd time (after 730) , what do you guys think?

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