GMAT FE 695 (QA 88, VA 83, DI 82) - 2 months self prep with work

Question

Hi all,
Happy to share that I scored 695 in the GMAT FE on my first attempt.

Profile:
10th, 12th- >95%
CS undergrad from Tier 2 engineering college with CGPA ~8.5
Working in an American bank for ~2 years as a software engineer. Awarded twice in two years for being great at execution.
Volunteering exp: Teaching volunteer at an NGO
Co-curriculars: Singing, public speaking

My first preference is ISB.

1) What can I add to my profile to make a good case for myself for any business school in general?
1) What are the odds of me getting into ISB?
2) How do I decide which universities I should send my 5 free scores to within 48 hours?! Is that something I should have decided before the attempt?
3) Should I consider a re-attempt, with 4 official mock scores being 645, 705, 675, 705.

kingbucky · Answer

It's a great score, and it should be enough for ISB! I wouldn't recommend retaking the GMAT; instead, focus on building your profile further. You have stellar academics and impressive work experience, which will definitely strengthen your application.

For your questions about odds and sending scores, I suggest reaching out to admission consultants like GoalISB, RedPen, or ExpertsGlobal. They can provide tailored advice and help you decide which universities to send your scores to.

Again, congratulations on your stellar GMAT score, and best of luck with your admissions to ISB!

MBAandBeyond · Answer

Hey, Harsh_Sharan Your profile, with a 695 GMAT score, strong academics, and relevant work experience, is well-suited for ISB. However, admission is competitive, so focus on strengthening your essays, recommendations, and program fit. To enhance your application, take on leadership roles at work or in extracurriculars, build relationships for strong recommendations, earn certifications like CFA or PMP to boost your skills, and gain diverse experiences to show adaptability. Continuing community engagement, especially in areas related to your career goals, will also be beneficial. When sending GMAT scores, research programs carefully to ensure they align with your career objectives.Your GMAT score is competitive enough, so you should now focus on strengthening the other aspects of your application. Good luck

LamboWalker · Answer

Congratulations on an amazing score.

Can you elaborate a little more on your GMAT preparation journey? Including starting point, progression through mocks, materials used, etc.

Harsh343 · Answer

LamboWalker 
I started my GMAT preparation around 3 months back by watching youtube videos, but started preparing seriously only the month after that. Usually studied for 2 hours after office every weekday and ~3 hours every day on the weekends.

I was confident in my quant skills but lacked critical thinking required in verbal. GMAT Ninja's RC/CR strategies did wonders for me.
For verbal and DI, GMAT ninja is the bible imo. Just watching the playlists once is enough to start solving questions. Post this, it's just about practicing, correcting mistakes and gradually improving till you reach your desired score. I did the same. Started off by watching gmatninja videos, then solved questions from the official guides. That is pretty much all I did for 2 months- read and practiced. The ratio of time dedicated towards practice increased as time progressed.

Although I have a quant background, I struggled with getting a good score till the very last mock I gave. It is important to understand that this section can't be taken for granted, you need to practice hard irrespective of whether or not you have a strong quant background. Similarly, it is crucial to give every quant question in the exam the respect it deserves, to focus on the wording and re-read if required. I subscribed to gmatpoint for quant practice and it helped a lot. Each question on the website has a video tutorial explaining the solution. I found Sayali mam's approach to solving questions unique and would recommend gmat point to anyone who wants to practice quant questions topicwise.

I booked my exam as soon as I got my target score of 705, around two weeks before the exam date. I made sure that I didn't lose touch and kept practicing rigorously.

Exam day-
My exam was scheduled at 10:00 A.M. at Pearson Professional Center, Shivajinagar, Bengaluru. Please make sure you have a passport before scheduling the exam because that is the only acceptable form of ID in most Indian test centers. I came to know this only the day before the exam. Luckily I had my passport with me but I know people who had to forfeit the exam because they did not take their passport with them. The test center is excellent- clean, quiet, helpful staff.

GmatKnightTutor · Answer

All the best going forward. If you decide to retake, including working with a study buddy could be helpful. If you can find someone who is strong on Verbal, for example, who needs help with Quant, that could be a good fit.

5 Verbal tips

playthegame · Answer

Wow what a score don’t retake unless absolutely necessary lots of other battles to fight to build the profile and start networking with current students good luck

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ScottTargetTestPrep · Answer

Hi Harsh_Sharan,

Congrats on a great GMAT score! Regarding whether to retake the GMAT, do you know the average GMAT scores at your desired schools?

Harsh343 · Answer

ScottTargetTestPrep  The average score at my desired schools is around 720(classic).

Although my score is above average, a lot of people with similar profiles apply to the schools I want to get into which is why I was considering a retake.

Posted from my mobile device

ISBeacon · Answer

Well, overall a decent profile  Harsh343  and so, the focus should now be on projecting your strengths in the  application .
 
Frankly at this stage, the focus should be on getting an invitation for the  interview . Admission to ISB would obviously to a large extent, depend upon your performance in the interview.
 
 No , since your actual GMAT score of 695 is pretty much in the higher range of what you were getting in the mocks. It's a pretty decent score anyway.
--
Ashish.

ScottTargetTestPrep · Answer

I mean you could give it another shot. You have nothing to lose right?

playthegame · Answer

Well then the question to ask is if a score improvement will differentiate you better or is time better spent elsewhere. Also, depends when are you applying, do you have enough extra-curricular, leadership, other examples of character....or do you need to invest time there. At best you will improve how many points say 20? So weigh all those in before you spend the time and money on another take....you can only do it after 14 days from your current attempt so you have a few days to mull it over. Good luck.

bb · Answer

I think this will be a great score for S.B.. I don’t think you need to try anymore.... And as  playthegame  mentioned, likely your time could be spent better elsewhere but since the S.B. application seems to be fairly slim, you can do another go around at the score but only if you can afford the time and the test because it will be a gamble.

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GMAT FE 695 (QA 88, VA 83, DI 82) - 2 months self prep with work

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