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sophadel
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Low Quant Score - 680 Top Tier B-school applicant 31 Dec 2009, 12:29
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Hi All,

I'd appreciate your thoughts on my situation.

I took the GMAT for the first time in november and scored 680 (V46, Q39). AWA 5 (I didn't study this which was an error)

So I scored 98th percentile for Verbal but a dismal 52nd percentile for quant. I'm not a quant person unfortunately. I did Maths Alevel and got an A which means I'm not a complete dunce and was at a top US investment bank for 18months before moving to my current job (executive search consultant for a top 5 firm).

My undergrad degree was not quant focused either (Geography/Social Studies) but was from Oxbridge which counts for something.

I have great references, I think my essays are pretty strong and I have a lot of Uni leadership roles to back me up. I'm a 'different' candidate according to my bosses who are all MBA alumni from top schools. Also I'm a UK female applying to US schools...

I'm taking the GMAT again on Monday to see if I can improve my scores but I am not confident. My practice tests are all in the 640-680 range and I haven't cracked the 700 barrier. My quant score has improved by 2-3 marks but my verbal tends to slip as I get bored by the end.....I'm sure adreneline will help that part!

I just need your thoughts on whether I have a hope in helll of getting into my target schools (HBS, Stanford, Columbia, INSEAD) with these scores and what your recommendations would be for dealing with Monday. I am very very stressed about it!

Thanks
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georgecharlielucy
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Low Quant Score - 680 Top Tier B-school applicant 10 Mar 2020, 19:22
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How did things turn out? I had a similar experience and am stressed about retaking! I took the GMAT yesterday and got a 680 Q41, V42. Bummed about the Quant score and worried that I won't be able to up my score to around 720-730 by March 31st when I retake. I'm applying to HBS and Stanford in April, so the deadline is approaching! Would love any advice you have!!
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Low Quant Score - 680 Top Tier B-school applicant 11 Mar 2020, 09:38
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Hi,

Just a word of optimism for you. Usually candidates manage a 30-40 point higher score in a 2nd take because of several reasons including more familiarity with the real exam setting.
Your verbal score is great. I am sure you can push up the quant easily towards a 48-49 range and get your desired score.

All the best.

Cheers !
TopTier

georgecharlielucy
How did things turn out? I had a similar experience and am stressed about retaking! I took the GMAT yesterday and got a 680 Q41, V42. Bummed about the Quant score and worried that I won't be able to up my score to around 720-730 by March 31st when I retake. I'm applying to HBS and Stanford in April, so the deadline is approaching! Would love any advice you have!!
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Low Quant Score - 680 Top Tier B-school applicant 11 Mar 2020, 09:43
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Thanks! That means a lot! Do you have any tips on how to bring the quant score up? Thinking about doing math revolution or a private tutor.

toptiermba
Hi,

Just a word of optimism for you. Usually candidates manage a 30-40 point higher score in a 2nd take because of several reasons including more familiarity with the real exam setting.
Your verbal score is great. I am sure you can push up the quant easily towards a 48-49 range and get your desired score.

All the best.

Cheers !
TopTier

georgecharlielucy
How did things turn out? I had a similar experience and am stressed about retaking! I took the GMAT yesterday and got a 680 Q41, V42. Bummed about the Quant score and worried that I won't be able to up my score to around 720-730 by March 31st when I retake. I'm applying to HBS and Stanford in April, so the deadline is approaching! Would love any advice you have!!
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Low Quant Score - 680 Top Tier B-school applicant 11 Mar 2020, 10:10
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Hi,

I would say you need to look at your performance trends in both PS and DS. Usually DS is the one where more effort is needed. But of course it varies from person to person.
Since you are in the 40s, your concepts must be good. Get targeted practice after identifying which area(s) need effort.
I am sure you would do great.
Also try and get the 1st couple of questions right in the actual test, while being careful not to spend disproportionate amount of time on them. It may help push up the score.

Cheers!
TopTierMBA

georgecharlielucy
Thanks! That means a lot! Do you have any tips on how to bring the quant score up? Thinking about doing math revolution or a private tutor.

toptiermba
Hi,

Just a word of optimism for you. Usually candidates manage a 30-40 point higher score in a 2nd take because of several reasons including more familiarity with the real exam setting.
Your verbal score is great. I am sure you can push up the quant easily towards a 48-49 range and get your desired score.

All the best.

Cheers !
TopTier

georgecharlielucy
How did things turn out? I had a similar experience and am stressed about retaking! I took the GMAT yesterday and got a 680 Q41, V42. Bummed about the Quant score and worried that I won't be able to up my score to around 720-730 by March 31st when I retake. I'm applying to HBS and Stanford in April, so the deadline is approaching! Would love any advice you have!!

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Low Quant Score - 680 Top Tier B-school applicant 11 Mar 2020, 19:33
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Hi georgecharlielucy,

While a 680 is a fantastic overall Score, the Q41 might be seen as a 'red flag' (especially at the Schools that you're interested in). Many Business Schools view an Applicant's Quant Scaled Score as an indicator of how that Applicant might handle the 'academic side' of the Program - and a Q41 won't impress anyone. That score implies that you did fairly well on most of the "math" questions that you saw on Test Day, but you made a number of little mistakes throughout the section and you missed out on LOTS of 'strategy-based' points. This is meant to say that by focusing on Quant Tactics, you'll be better able to increase your GMAT Score AND better impress how Business School Admissions Officers will view your potential to handle their respective Programs.

Before I can offer you the specific advice that you’re looking for for this next phase of your studies, it would help if you could provide a bit more information on how you've been studying so far:

1) How long have you studied? How many hours do you typically study each week?
2) What study materials have you used so far?
3) On what dates did you take EACH of your CATs/mocks and how did you score on EACH (including the Quant and Verbal Scaled Scores for EACH)?

You might also choose to purchase the Enhanced Score Report. While the ESR doesn’t provide a lot of information, there are usually a few data points that we can use to define what went wrong on Test Day (and what you should work on to score higher). If you purchase the ESR, then I'll be happy to analyze it for you.

GMAT assassins aren't born, they're made,
Rich
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Low Quant Score - 680 Top Tier B-school applicant 11 Mar 2020, 20:10
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Hi Rich! Thank you so much for your feedback. I really appreciate you taking the time to help me!

Practice CATs:
MGMAT diagnosis (11/18): 620 Q38 V36
MGMAT (1/6): 640 Q40 V37
MGMAT (1/28): 640 Q42 V36
MGMAT (2/14): 680 Q44 V38
GMAC Prep Test (3/4): 690 Q44 V40
Actual GMAT (3/9): 680 Q41 V42

I've been studying since November and did a full Manhattan Prep online course. Since then, I self-studied by going through the GMAT club quant book chapters in content that I was weak on and making study guides, then doing practice problems out of the OG and on GMATClub. I did this until I got through the whole book.

November - early February I studied ~10-15 hours a week.
February - March, I ramped it up and have been studying ~30 hours a week.
Luckily, I'm a senior in college and have the spare time to be able to commit up to 40 hours a week to studying and working on applications between now and March 31st retake date.

I realized that my accuracy was much higher under practice conditions. In practice, I get 90% 500 questions right, ~70% of 600s, and a solid amount (~50%) of 700s. In CATs the accuracy drops and silly mistakes on a few 500 level questions put me in a low score category I can't get out of. Even on the Q44 CATs, when I went through the incorrect answers and tried them again with a 2 minute timer before checking the solution, I got almost all of them right the second time around.

I tried to work on this by grinding GMAT club quant tests but my scores are consistently low (in the 30s! much lower than other platforms) and aren't improving. I would really appreciate any tips or advice on how to get there! I just gotta be capable of better than Q41 :/

I purchased the ESR! Attached :)
So so appreciate your help!!


EMPOWERgmatRichC
Hi georgecharlielucy,

While a 680 is a fantastic overall Score, the Q41 might be seen as a 'red flag' (especially at the Schools that you're interested in). Many Business Schools view an Applicant's Quant Scaled Score as an indicator of how that Applicant might handle the 'academic side' of the Program - and a Q41 won't impress anyone. That score implies that you did fairly well on most of the "math" questions that you saw on Test Day, but you made a number of little mistakes throughout the section and you missed out on LOTS of 'strategy-based' points. This is meant to say that by focusing on Quant Tactics, you'll be better able to increase your GMAT Score AND better impress how Business School Admissions Officers will view your potential to handle their respective Programs.

Before I can offer you the specific advice that you’re looking for for this next phase of your studies, it would help if you could provide a bit more information on how you've been studying so far:

1) How long have you studied? How many hours do you typically study each week?
2) What study materials have you used so far?
3) On what dates did you take EACH of your CATs/mocks and how did you score on EACH (including the Quant and Verbal Scaled Scores for EACH)?

You might also choose to purchase the Enhanced Score Report. While the ESR doesn’t provide a lot of information, there are usually a few data points that we can use to define what went wrong on Test Day (and what you should work on to score higher). If you purchase the ESR, then I'll be happy to analyze it for you.

GMAT assassins aren't born, they're made,
Rich
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ESR copy_redacted.pdf [533.66 KiB]
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Low Quant Score - 680 Top Tier B-school applicant 11 Mar 2020, 21:39
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I would recommend checking out TTP as I have heard so many great things about them and certainly believe it. Your verbal is very impressive and should have no problem increasing your quant!
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Low Quant Score - 680 Top Tier B-school applicant 12 Mar 2020, 13:00
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Hi georgecharlielucy,

I've sent you a PM with an analysis of your ESR and some additional notes and questions.

GMAT assassins aren't born, they're made,
Rich
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Low Quant Score - 680 Top Tier B-school applicant 18 Mar 2020, 08:39
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Hi, I think you can try to solve many ps and ds questions available in this forum. Good luck

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Low Quant Score - 680 Top Tier B-school applicant 18 Apr 2020, 21:09
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georgecharlielucy
Hi Rich! Thank you so much for your feedback. I really appreciate you taking the time to help me!

Practice CATs:
MGMAT diagnosis (11/18): 620 Q38 V36
MGMAT (1/6): 640 Q40 V37
MGMAT (1/28): 640 Q42 V36
MGMAT (2/14): 680 Q44 V38
GMAC Prep Test (3/4): 690 Q44 V40
Actual GMAT (3/9): 680 Q41 V42

I've been studying since November and did a full Manhattan Prep online course. Since then, I self-studied by going through the GMAT club quant book chapters in content that I was weak on and making study guides, then doing practice problems out of the OG and on GMATClub. I did this until I got through the whole book.

November - early February I studied ~10-15 hours a week.
February - March, I ramped it up and have been studying ~30 hours a week.
Luckily, I'm a senior in college and have the spare time to be able to commit up to 40 hours a week to studying and working on applications between now and March 31st retake date.

I realized that my accuracy was much higher under practice conditions. In practice, I get 90% 500 questions right, ~70% of 600s, and a solid amount (~50%) of 700s. In CATs the accuracy drops and silly mistakes on a few 500 level questions put me in a low score category I can't get out of. Even on the Q44 CATs, when I went through the incorrect answers and tried them again with a 2 minute timer before checking the solution, I got almost all of them right the second time around.

I tried to work on this by grinding GMAT club quant tests but my scores are consistently low (in the 30s! much lower than other platforms) and aren't improving. I would really appreciate any tips or advice on how to get there! I just gotta be capable of better than Q41 :/

I purchased the ESR! Attached :)
So so appreciate your help!!


EMPOWERgmatRichC
Hi georgecharlielucy,

While a 680 is a fantastic overall Score, the Q41 might be seen as a 'red flag' (especially at the Schools that you're interested in). Many Business Schools view an Applicant's Quant Scaled Score as an indicator of how that Applicant might handle the 'academic side' of the Program - and a Q41 won't impress anyone. That score implies that you did fairly well on most of the "math" questions that you saw on Test Day, but you made a number of little mistakes throughout the section and you missed out on LOTS of 'strategy-based' points. This is meant to say that by focusing on Quant Tactics, you'll be better able to increase your GMAT Score AND better impress how Business School Admissions Officers will view your potential to handle their respective Programs.

Before I can offer you the specific advice that you’re looking for for this next phase of your studies, it would help if you could provide a bit more information on how you've been studying so far:

1) How long have you studied? How many hours do you typically study each week?
2) What study materials have you used so far?
3) On what dates did you take EACH of your CATs/mocks and how did you score on EACH (including the Quant and Verbal Scaled Scores for EACH)?

You might also choose to purchase the Enhanced Score Report. While the ESR doesn’t provide a lot of information, there are usually a few data points that we can use to define what went wrong on Test Day (and what you should work on to score higher). If you purchase the ESR, then I'll be happy to analyze it for you.

GMAT assassins aren't born, they're made,
Rich
Show more

HI! Happy to help you improve your quant score. I feel you can do it. Just a matter of getting some more practice and self-belief. How many official practice exams have you given? When are you planning to take the exam next?
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Low Quant Score - 680 Top Tier B-school applicant 19 Apr 2020, 09:53
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How did things turn out? Have you complete your MBA? Which final score did you use for your application to top tier biz school? Would love to hear that

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