Not a very happy day

Question

I scored 680(Q 49, V32) today. 

I am not trying to be a showoff but I did aim to get to 700, and really worked hard at it, but I guess it did not work out for me. Its rather frustrating, I am not sure what good will I do with this score in dreaded Indian IT pool.

Nonetheless I do wanted to drop a thank you note to this forum. It is one of the best examples of how internet has changed things, the forum has some of the excellent contributors, and high achievers, any words wouldn't suffice to say how great of a place gmatclub is. Special thanks to nervousgmat for her tips.

As for my experience today, test went rather as expected. Two GMATPreps I took I scored 680 and 650, so I had a sense of what is coming, I am just disappointed that I could not bring it up after how hard I worked in last 5 weeks. Ironically my math always hovered around 47-48 but Verbal did fluctuate with 38 one time to 28 other!, on mgmat cat I got 34 and 35 in verbal in most recent attempts, so I am bit disappointed to see verbal fell so low, math I felt was bit easy then gmatprep today. I wonder it was burn out as after some point I did feel like I lost the touch by doing too much practice. (yes I did always look at my errors and had error logs and used all the advise that you would see on this forums, but I just capped out regardless) I spent about 3 months in prepping with most of my effort in last 5 weeks. 

Anyways, as to where to go from here, I am not sure yet. I never give up so I have to come back somehow, retake is going to be tricky as I have very demanding job with fairly high level of stress and it is going to be next to impossible to manage a retake in next couple of months with all the things I have to worry about at work. Anyways, so much for my rant, s*** happens, one has to keep moving.

Thank you.

raptr · Answer

Congratulations, 680 is a great score. Your quant is impressive. Keep your head up!

bsd_lover · Answer

680 is still near the top 10% mate. Where did you want to apply at ?

trahul4 · Answer

a3d , dont lose your heart. Such things happen. I too faced a similar fate yesterday with the GMAT. Screwed up up in verbal

To which schools are you plannig to apply?

zakk · Answer

if I could call it a day and get a 680 with a Q score, I'd take it. In fact, I won't admit in public what I'd do for that, or my political career would be dust.

Just an off day. Lots of room to work on the verbal.

kryzak · Answer

congrats on finishing the first one with a GOOD score! 680 is nothing to sneeze at. Just because other GMATClubbers got higher scores doesn't mean your 680 is a bad score, not at all!

You seem to have done everything right, but maybe just got bad luck with a few guesses here and there and maybe a few tougher questions... It seems like if you take it again in 31 days, with some minimal practice in the last 2 weeks you should be ok? Just a thought.

ioiio · Answer

Guyz... I think this "dreadful" Indian IT pool is just a bit overplayed. I bet there are as many "equally dreadful" american IBs in the applicant population as us.

680 is no where near a bad score to fret and fume about. You would have been happy with 680 if you didnt join GMATCLUB. You probably would not have got 680 without GMATCLUB. But that story is irrelevant now

All the best with your apps and/or your second attempt!!!

nervousgmat · Answer

a3d,
First, 680 is a great score. It is definitely in the 80% range for all top schools out there. Nothing against gmatclubbers but I do feel like we tend to over emphasize the importance of the GMAT score here, forgetting that GMAT score can simply put you on the map but will not get you in.
That said, I believe that how you sell yourself and differentiate your pitch from other candidates is equally if not more important than your GMAT score.
So what that you are in the "dreaded" Indian IT pool? It's how you are different from the applicants whom you are competing with what really matters. I think a lot of applicants get stuck with the notion that the higher GMAT score will really make them stand out. Well, this is NOT the case with the demographic group that already has the highest GMAT scores out there.
Think about what you've done that makes you truly unique. Are you involved in competitive bungee jumping? Have you traveled to Africa to save the children? Or maybe you've won the best dresser in town award? These are all over-exaggerated examples but I'm just trying to make the point that putting something different in your application would definitely make you stand out among the thousands of people trying to get into the same school. Meanwhile, getting a higher GMAT score will not differentiate you at all. You will be just another Indian applicant with a high GMAT score.

Good luck with your applications. Get some rest and get on the essays!

ioiio · Answer

>> Meanwhile, getting a higher GMAT score will not differentiate you at all. You will be just another Indian applicant with a high GMAT score. Smile 

nervous... Well said!!! You rock!!!

a3d · Answer

Thanks guys. Nervous gmat - well said - I agree. It's ironic that we fall into such stereo types when from little I can glean, b-schools are looking for exact opposites probably, differentiators of the group. Kryzak, I will keep what you said in mind, I know by V/Q breakup is not balanced. Once I come back from my work trip through next week, will have to see if I can take my chances, for now I just need a break. As for which school, thats a great question that I am starting to ask myself

I had an anxiety attack when just before going to test I realized I need five school to send scores to. I need to do some research to understand whats out there except the standard big names we all know of W/H/S - the usual long shots. The tricky part for me I think is really going to be to think through this, because if I were to come back to same company I am at with MBA, I'd start at lower level then where I am already ( I am 30Y old, with MS degree and 8 yrs work ex after that). The exorbitant amount of financial compromise I will have to make, has to be hedged against more that the fact that I just need time off from corporate slogging!

700willdo · Answer

i am in absolute agreement with what nervousgmat had 2 say. 680 by any means is not a bad score. I think GMAT score is bit of hygiene factor in admissions(management graduates will understand what m sayin here). I mean a pretty bad score will definitely get u out of the running in top schools admissions race but a high score doesent do u much good other than maybe the adcoms lookin at ur essays more attentively. I think 680 is not a score which gets someone out of the running. If u look at the middle 80% range of all top b schools it will range from 640-750. So I guess if u have a 680 it does not out u out of the race. Its right that GMAT is a bit overrated here at GMATCLUB so my only advice wud b not 2 lose hope with a 680 score. It just means that like everyone (even someone who has a 800) has to work hard on the essays n differentiate urself from the rest of the applicants!!!

jamesrwrightiii · Answer

Well if firsty ou don't succeed, try try again

jgmat · Answer

besides MGMAT cAT ..... would you recoment kaplan or other CATs?

kryzak · Answer

no, i would not recommend Kaplan nor Princeton Review CATs. I don't know how the other ones are, but I only used GMATPrep, PowerPrep, and MGMAT CATs

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