Retaking the GMAT

Question

I took the first attempt last year, October 2022. Self study + mock tests + official guides and some recorded videos. No live classes or coaching

Score 670. Q - 42, V - 40, AW - 5, IR - 5

I sent my scores to these universities but didn't go forward with the application process because I believed the score would not be good enough

Durham University, United Kingdom
Imperial College London, United Kingdom
Indian School of Business, India
London Business School, United Kingdom
National University of Singapore, NUS Business School, Singapore

Profile: 28 year old, did my Bachelor in Management Studies from SSCBS, DU 76.4% (3.3 GPA?)

6+ years of work experience if I apply for the 2023 intake.
4 years of work experience in Real Estate (International Property Consultant firms) which includes
~2 years as Valuation Analyst at Cushman and Wakefield
~2 years as Senior Associate Consultant (promoted from Associate) at CBRE - inlcuded a 6 month international assignment (Kazakhstan - development of smart cities)

Switched industry and joined as an associate consultant at PwC (SDC Bangalore) - Financial Services fortune 500 clientele - all US based- worked here for 1.5 years 
Switched to Bain Capability Network in January this year - again management consulting associate.

Have been involved in a couple of startups during college (both didn't work out unfortunately). Not sure what else to portray in extra curricular.

About the retake, Quant was never my stronghold but I also missed out on the last question of the section so I probably faced some penalty on it as well, not sure how that might reflect in or affect my application.

I am thinking about taking personal coaching for quant topics which I didn't understand last time. Or would proper classes like Jambore etc be better?
I stay in Noida, India.

I am also thinking if I should apply to these schools with my initial 670 score itself

Any tips or guidance will be helpful.

Thank you!

MartyTargetTestPrep · Answer

Hi kapoor6295.

The information in this post could help you decide how best to prepare for your possible retake.

GMAT Online Coaching: Your Complete Guide

Admissionado · Answer

kapoor6295 :

It's good that you are looking at some sort of more formalized instruction.

It's always best to go through a private instructor rather than a course. Individualized attention is almost better for focusing on your own weaknesses and advantages. That said, it's of course the more expensive option so if you can't afford it you should go with the class.

If you have time and want possibly a balanced approach, you could do a hybrid approach: take the course and then supplement it with a few private lessons to shore up your weaknesses. Again, that's not the most cost effective but it's definitely going to be thorough.

A 670 is a tough score. It's good but it's definitely not a slam dunk for the schools on your list. Again, if you have the time and the funds, do the prep and give yourself the better chance at theses schools. If you can add at least 20-30 points, your candidacy will be greatly improved.

-Admissionado

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