Retaking GMAT

Question

I recently took the GMAT on which I got a 730 (Q47 & V42 IR 8 AWA 6) and what I perceive to be a good background otherwise (3 years Big 4 Consulting w/ 2 Years in Tech Corp Strat after and a decent albeit not tier 1 undergraduate). I am slightly worried about my GMAT especially since I have done much better in practice tests (i.e., 760, 770, 740, 760) with highs of Q50 and V49. Overall, my question is how much stronger would my application be if I were to get a 760 Q49-50 V42-46, and would you recommend I spend the next several weeks studying and retaking it. I am really only considering M7 and of that would likely only consider the top institutions (e.g., Stanford, HBS).

MBADecoder · Answer

Hi,

As the MBA admissions is a holistic process, it really depends on how strong the rest of your profile is. That would include:
your GPA, 
quality of work experience and , career growth, achievements and impact created at work. 
Extra curricular activities and impact created
overall leadership potential.
Your nationality (applicants from some countries are expected to score much higher).

And then, there is the quality of your application- your essays, resume, recommendations and interview. Put together, there are several components that play their role in the admission decision, not just the GMAT. That said, if there's something you can do about the GMAT with minimal effort, then it would be worth the attempt. If you were consistently scoring better marks, then it should not take you too much of additional effort to get a better score. In that case, it can make sense to retake GMAT.

GeneralEducation · Answer

hi  barsellac ,

MBA programs strive for diversity across several categories: gender, ethnicity, industry, function or role, and home country. What does that mean for applicants from consulting or financial services? Or white males or Indian engineers (the most over-represented demographic buckets)? It means that you must work hard to stand out. You’ll need to prove you have something valuable to bring to the table. You need to clearly mention to the admission committee what your classmates will learn from your personal and professional experience.

While evaluating your CV, adcom members inspect each and every applicant in-depth, surveying the academics, extracurricular, references, test scores, etc. Adcom would seek for information on work done, the function the applicant is in and achievements in the firm. Leveraging resume elements to explain your experience is more important than having a strong academic arc or test score.

However, targeting M7 is always competitive even with 750+ GMAT but since your mocks show your ability to add 20 - 30 points more on your current score can ease your admission chances.

Talk to our  admissions experts  to evaluate your profile with your current candidacy.

AdmitExpert · Answer

Hi barsellac , A 730 is an impressive result. To answer your question, a 760+ score would certainly make your application stronger, particularly for the most selective schools such as Stanford and HBS. However, GMAT score is not the only factor that admissions committees consider when evaluating applications. Your work experience, academic record, extracurricular activities, essays, recommendations and overall fit with the program are all important factors too. If you feel that you can improve your score with minimum efforts, it may be worth retaking the test. Also consider the opportunity cost of retaking the test. If you spend the next several weeks studying and retaking the GMAT, you may be taking time away from other aspects of your application, such as essays and recommendations. So take some time to assess your priorities and decide the way forward. For a more detailed 1-1 strategy session, please write to contactus@admitexpert.com or fill the form at http://www.admitexpert.com Good luck!

Angry-Indian-male · Answer

Hey, this seems like a great profile for a top school, but I believe more in-depth review would be required to get an idea of the odds to get into the schools

ExpertsGlobal · Answer

Hello  barsellac ,

While it is tough to quantify how much your chances will improve with a better score, we do feel you should take a shot at improving your score. This is purely because you seem to have the potential to do so; besides, you are looking at applying to high-ranked schools and a score in excess of 750 will give you a strong chance.

All the best!

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