INSEAD Hopeful - 730 GMAT with a twist

Question

Hi everyone!

I've come to seek some guidance on how to play the weird hand i got dealt with my GMAT Score. I took the test recently in less-than-optimal conditions (I hail from Pakistan and overestimated the quality and professionalism in our test centers) but I scored a 730 - with

3 in IR (27th percentile) 
 45 in Quant (59th percentile)  and a 
 46 in Verbal (99th percentile)

The score is pretty much what i wanted for my applications to the three schools I'm most interested in- INSEAD, Judge and Said. The breakdown, however, is less than optimal. I mentioned the less than optimal conditions above because I feel if I take it again, my IR score will DEFINITELY improve, but I can't be absolutely sure about scoring such a high Verbal score again (who can?!) so there's a risk my score will decrease with an increase in quant.

So I'm torn between retaking it or pushing ahead with the rest of my applications (Planning on applying in R1 and I have yet to begin on the essays and recommendation letters) since there's clearly going to be an opportunity cost. Any help to push me one side of this dilemma will be greatly appreciated!

My profile in a nutshell:
Male, 26
Eduacation: Bachelors in Business from top ranked business school in Pakistan, 3.5 GPA (As and Bs in Quant courses)
Work Experience: 4 years in core Brand Management in FMCG working for market leaders. A lot of my work consists of interpreting different streams of data and translating them into strategy, so I am confronted with a lot of quant regularly, even if I'm not creating complex financial models.

EduSimplified · Answer

Hi there, Well it is a difficult situation. But if you are applying to INSEAD there is no doubt. Check the link below, INSEAD is the only school which has put a minimum 6 requirement of IR. Check Academic Capability https://www.insead.edu/master-programmes/mba/admissions Maybe you'd want to email them and enquire about some exceptional cases ? Best,

jendenyes · Answer

I can tell you what they told me.

I had similar, though slightly worse, results with a 96th% verbal and 30th% math. I applied to INSEAD anyway because I wanted to see if they were interested in the whole package before I dedicated more time to studying for the GMAT.

They got back to me that they WERE very interested in the whole package, but concerned that the math was too low and I might struggle with the coursework.

They kept my application open and invited me to take the GMAT again. If I meet the requirements within the timelines for J 2018 start, I do not have to apply again.

Based on my experience, if you are planning on submitting to R1, and willing to retake the GMAT if you know the investment is worth your time, I would submit R1 and see what they come back with on the GMAT score. You would have tons of time to beef up the math before r4.

BUT
I am not a pro or anything, just based on what they told me :-)

Mkrishnabdrr · Answer

Hi, congratulations for breaking the 700+ barrier. 
Here is the gmat score requirement from the insead's admission page, which may be helpful for you:
"GMAT: all applicants are required to take a GMAT test as it provides us with a standardised way of evaluating candidates. While we do not have a minimum score required for admission, we advise candidates to aim for a score at or above the 70th-75th percentile for both the quantitative and verbal sections of the GMAT.For the Integrated Reasoning section, we recommend achieving a score of 6 or above.  Please keep in mind, however, that standardised tests are just one of several admissions criteria. A high score does not guarantee admission, and a below average score does not eliminate a candidate."

RecoveringDebater · Answer

Thanks everyone for the advice. The 6 in IR is a strong reason for me to retake it, even if there's a chance my verbal drops.

@jendenyes, that seems like a solid plan. The more I think about it, however, the more I'm leaning towards the Jan intake- which gives me adequate time to prepare and retake.

For Judge and Said, I might consider applying in R1 and follow that strategy.

Sent from my iPhone using GMAT Club Forum

Mkrishnabdrr · Answer

Best of luck for the retake!

MBADecoder · Answer

Hi,

I am in agreement with your decision of retaking GMAT. Firstly because of the b-school's requirements of 75the percentile and the IR score requirement. Secondly, INSEAD wants to see significant changes in your profile if you reapply, which may not always be possible to garner if you reapply within 1-2 years. So try to get it perfect the first time around if you can manage that with some effort right now.
All the best!!

MBAPrepCoach · Answer

I like the idea of going for January and intake for next year, however are you willing to accept an offer from Judge or Oxford before having submitted for INSEAD? I would just make sure that you're very committed to INSEAD because again that's really the only school that's requiring or stating a strong preference for an IR score 6 or above. If you eliminate that one from the list you're sort of good to go. I helped somebody get into Booth with an IR score of 1. And she was Chinese with a 700 GMAT, from a no-name school and no quantitative background to speak of.

MBA Prep Coach
https://MBAPrepCoach.com

shivthukral · Answer

Hi All,

This is my first post on GMAT club and I, too, have an issue similar to the one discussed above.

Background:
Work Experience - 8+ years; 2 in consulting (big 4) + 6 in Corporate Finance (after 5 promotions, at Director Level).
Education GPA -- 4.00 undergrad, 3.86 grad school (4 point scale)
International Exposure: Indian national, U.S. work experience - 6 years, U.S. educated - 2 years; International workshops across multiple countries across continents
Languages: English + Hindi (Fluent); Spanish (Basic / Conversational)

Problem (in bold):
GMAT: 690; Q49 (74%ile), V34 (71%ile); IR 5!!

While my Q and V %iles fall within what INSEAD deems "competitive", my IR falls behind by 1 point. I had a prior attempt where my overall was 650 (don't remember the split, V was below 70%ile) but IR was 7.

I had cancelled that score given that my aim was to be closer to 700 -- but do you think I should re-instate it to show that I can "reason" reasonably well

. Or do you think I should retake the GMAT? Or should I not worry about it too much for now and just focus on creating compelling essays etc?

Thank you for your time.

. Or do you think I should retake the GMAT? Or should I not worry about it too much for now and just focus on creating compelling essays etc? Thank you for your time.

ARLeeConsulting · Answer

Hi shivthukral , thank you for your post. While you definitely have a strong profile, your 690 score (even if meeting the 70% recommended by INSEAD) will put you in disadvantage. I would recommend you to give it another try at GMAT. If you don't get a higher score, then maybe re-instate your first score so that INSEAD can consider your whole GMAT history. Please, keep in mind that compelling resume, essays and LoRs are always a must even with a +750 score, especially for Indians. I hope this helps. For a more detailed discussion, feel free to PM me or email me directly (alex@arleeconsulting.com). Good luck! Alex

bb · Answer

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