Is 740 too low for Indian applicants?

Question

Is 740 too low for Indian applicants to take a shot at Columbia/Wharton/Booth/Stern? I took the test today, and scored 740, am disappointed, had expected at least a 750. This was my first time ever taking the GMAT though. But am quiet old, and have never been a studious type (not even in my younger days), so I don't think I will take the test again. In fact I thought I will study around 100 hours for the test, but ended up putting in only about 80 or so.

Btw I am not a stereotypical Indian candidate (male, techie), I am female and come from healthcare/biomedical research background.

Posted from my mobile device

Btw I am not a stereotypical Indian candidate (male, techie), I am female and come from healthcare/biomedical research background.

Posted from my mobile device

EMPOWERgmatRichC · Answer

Hi mbaspire,

First off, a 740 is a outstanding score (it's well above the 90th percentile overall), so you should apply to any Business Schools that interest you. As an aside though, saying that you're 'disappointed' with a 740 makes you sound silly. You're ultimately asking Admissions questions, so you would likely find it beneficial to speak with an Admissions Expert about your overall profile. There's a Forum full of them here:

ask-admission-consultants-124/

GMAT assassins aren't born, they're made,
Rich

Ekland · Answer

Hi,
I feel you. here is my suggestion.
740 is just too low. You should try again and aim at 800.
How could you have scored 740?
that's not even up to 800 that everyone gets.
Retake before it's too late.

Ekland · Answer

Hi,
I feel you. here is my suggestion.
740 is just too low. You should try again and aim at 800.
How could you have scored 740?
that's not even up to 800 that everyone gets.
Retake before it's too late.

PersonalMBACoach · Answer

740 is not too low for those schools. While it is true that many Indian applicants do better, 740 is still a great score and at this point I would be more interested in the rest of your profile. Given where we are in the year, you would probably better spend your time working on other parts of the application. However to give you a full analysis I would need more info. Feel free to email me your resume and we can discuss an application strategy further. Scott@personalmbacoach.com Best, Scott

Anonymous · Answer

Hi there - I echo the thoughts of others - 740 is a great score! Your quant percentile is something important to look at too just to check the box. But in my opinion you meet the baselines with your GMAT but remember that's only one data point. I'd say the bigger issue is that you need to differentiate yourself from a very competitive group! It's great that you come from an industry other than engineering / tech, but my advice to you is to start right now assessing what could set you apart from other candidates from India. Start working on your "story" and make sure it's clear and concise (and interesting!)

Best of luck to you! We offer a free consult if you're interested - I worked with a female Indian candidate last year who sounds similar to you. We found some great personal experiences of hers to focus on as a way to differentiate, and she ended-up getting into her top choice!

Best of luck to you! We offer a free consult if you're interested - I worked with a female Indian candidate last year who sounds similar to you. We found some great personal experiences of hers to focus on as a way to differentiate, and she ended-up getting into her top choice!

VeritasPrepEdison · Answer

Thanks for sharing your profile.

Your GMAT score is okay, you should focus on the rest of the application components to differentiate yourself. How you communicate what you gained and learned about yourself through your experiences, how you demonstrate fit with each of the target schools, and how these will help you toward your post-MBA goals will greatly impact your chances.

A convincing personal story that allows admissions to understand you as a person, substantiated by your track record would help present a convincing case for admissions.

Wish you all the best!

Is 740 too low for Indian applicants?

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