Need shortlisting + gmat advice

Question

I have gmat 685 (Q85-V88-D80)
I have 11 colleges in mind which fit my profile :
UCLA, Fuqua, Darden, Ross, Stern, Tepper, Marshall, Esade, Oxford, Kellogg, Booth
Post MBA - Tech/tech consulting
YOE - 5 at a telecom giant
Decent ECs 
 I am planning to give gmat again, as my undergrad quant grades are D. Also, from the competitive Indian/engineer/M pool 
 With gmat, how many schools can I realistically aim for? with 5hr/day for essays 
 Also should I not give gmat again?
I absolutely have to get in this year. 
 Thanks

TheRedPen · Answer

Hi scream7 , You already have a profile that is competitive for several of the schools on your list, a 685 GMAT, strong work experience in a telecom giant, clear tech/tech-consulting goals, and meaningful extracurriculars. The challenge is your D in undergrad quant, combined with being in the Indian engineer male pool. That’s the only reason a retake even enters the conversation. Here’s the most realistic, affirmative guidance: 1. With your current 685, you can confidently target 6–7 schools from your list, programs like Marshall, Tepper, Darden, ESADE, Ross, Fuqua, and even Oxford remain very much in play if your essays are sharp and your story is well-positioned. These schools regularly admit candidates around your score when the rest of the profile is strong and well-presented. 2. If you retake and reach 700+, your chances improve meaningfully at the more competitive schools on your list - Stern, UCLA Anderson, and you start becoming a realistic contender (though still competitive) for Kellogg and Booth. A stronger score helps compensate for the undergrad quant grade and differentiates you in your demographic pool. 3. Whether to retake comes down to one thing: If you think you can reasonably push into the 700–720 range, even with a tight timeline, then it’s worth doing, because you said “I absolutely have to get in this year.” If not, a 685 can still get you into strong programs, provided your essays show clarity, maturity, and leadership impact. You’re in a good position; what you need now is a targeted school strategy and disciplined execution. If you’d like, we can schedule an appointment and map out exactly which schools to prioritise, how to frame your quant profile, and how to structure essays with a 5-hour/day schedule so you maximize admits this cycle. You can also contact us directly at team.mba@theredpen.com or +91-7780769732.

admitStreet · Answer

scream7 - interesting profile overall. Some thoughts and clarifications: How was your undergrad GPA, and which university was it from (Tier-1, Tier-2)? The GMAT score is good. Was it in-line with your mocks/ expectations? A retake could be worth it if you scored higher in mocks, but assuming you're looking at R2 (Jan) deadlines, focusing on the applications would be more prudent at this point. Which company/ companies have you worked in, and which role(s)/ functions? Have there been any promotions? Prioritizing the list to arrive at a strategic mix of 5-7 schools across Ambitious, Reach and Safe buckets (aligned to your profile and goals) will help increase your chances. Hope this helps. Feel free to reach out for a discussion. Regards, Arvind Founder, admitStreet | Testimonials W: https://admitstreet.com/ | LinkedIn | Request a Free Profile Evaluation

ExpertsGlobal · Answer

Hi  scream7 ,

You should aim for a retake only if you were scoring higher on your mocks and are confident that another shot will help improve your chances. If not, you have under a month to work on your applications and when it comes to the top league of schools, the applications will be time consuming; so, take this time to work on your overall applications - even connecting with alumni from your target schools to have greater personalisation in your essays. The need of the hour is to, therefore, prioritize.

Since you definitely have to get in this year, having some Practical options will be important to reduce the risk involved.

All the best!

Experts' Global

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