GMAT after admit

Question

I had read about retake of GMAT after admission and was wondering about a retake of GMAT. I had taken the GMAT in Nov 07 and had scored 690 (Q47, V38). The score was much below what I had expected or what I was getting on the GMAT prep. I had decided then to go ahead with the application as the first round of application was already over and I didn't have time to wait for the retake. 
I was looking for a one year programme because of my age, experience and, what I had thought to be, the lack of worth to make it to the UEs. I had applied to Oxford, Cambridge, and Cranfield. My first choice was Oxford because of its emphasis on social entrepreneurship and the presence of Skoll Centre.

I have got admissions from Oxford and Cranfield while I have been dinged by Cambridge.

I don't want a career in the IB, PE, VC or consultancy, where I understand, GMAT score is looked at at the time of recruitment. If I am seeking a career in the development finance (work with the development agencies in the short term and eventually be a social entrepreneur in the area where I have experience of more than a decade), and have some time to study, should I retake the GMAT? Will the higher score be of any help, apart from just proving to myself that I could have done better in my first attempt at the GMAT?

Please share your thoughts. GMAT Club has been of great help in my endeavour and I thankfully acknowledge the benefit derived from the contribution made by the experts here. Undoubtedly, this is the best of all the fora that are trying to help the MBA hopefuls.

So, I look forward to hearing from you all.

Best regards.

helg · Answer

Given your post-MBA goals, I do not think you should waste your time and money retaking the GMAT.

aaudetat · Answer

heck no!

no one in the nonprofit/social entrepreneurship sector cares two rips about gmat...i would guess a good number don't even know what it is. Grades and specific coursework don't matter much either.

as long as you're sure you're not into those industries where they care, save yourself the $250 and find a better way to spend your time!

R.E.D. · Answer

Guys, and what do you think about 700 (Q48; V39, AWA 5.5) and career in MC? I improved my English significantly since last year and sure that can get closer to 730-740 by raising mostly verbal score. From the other point of view, range of scores of consulting people starts from 700 and time could be better spent for doing listening comprehension of different American accents to understand classmates almost as a native speaker (which is an issue for many international students) and advance in additional language.

aaudetat · Answer

agh, who knows? You've hit 700, so there's that benchmark. The GMAT just sucks so much, I wouldn't do it again unless you paid me.

I know that MC recruiters pay attention to your score, but I don't know how much they care about the difference between a 700 and a 750.

I do know that int'l students sometimes have trouble in class, in social environments, and in recruiting due to comprehension issues. They probably even have an unfair burden of proof during recruiting season, so language work might be a good idea. I would say that a higher GMAT score MAY help you in one specific area of your life - recruiting for MC/IB. Better language skills, of course, return premanent dividends in every situation.

You might consider calling your future career services office. This is probably a good time to do so - they bulk of recruiting is over, so they've probably got more time now than the rest of the year.

holdengk · Answer

Anybody else have a take on retaking GMAT to hit a higher score for future MC recruiting purposes?

helg · Answer

I am 730 and happy with it.

Artemov · Answer

Thanks helg and aaudetat for your comments and advices.
I will catch up with other things in my life for the time being.

GMAT after admit

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