760 but low GPA

Question

I just took the GMAT and got a 760 (48Q, 47V) - I'm guessing I did fine on the AWA.

I am content with my score overall, though I think I should have done better on quant.

The problem is, I have a pretty low GPA (3.2) in a quantitative major from a solid, but not ivy level, university.

My work experience is solid, analytical, and at well known companies, but nothing spectacular.

What do you think my chances are at:

HBS
Sloan
Wharton
Columbia
Stern

Hussain15 · Answer

Congrats on a great score!!!

I hope some experts will answer your query, while I have a query!

How did you manage to get V47?? :shock:

Any tips you wanna share with us?

gurpreetsingh · Answer

Great score. Please share your preparation strategy, experiences, and tips.

randompattern · Answer

I got lucky on verbal, no other way to but it. I consistently scored in low 40's on practice tests. Also, I was unable to tell the difference between the "easy" and "hard" questions, which may have helped me not get psyched out.

I'm guessing that I lost the most verbal points on SC's, because I was always stronger at CR and RC. I studied consistently for just under a month during my lunch breaks and evening hours, and I tried to split my time evenly between Quant and Verbal.

I found the OG to be particularly helpful for verbal because timing was not an issue for me (unlike quant). I've read great things about Manhattan GMAT SC, but I've never read it myself. I also used Kaplan 800.

In quant, I know I could have done better. I am naturally strong at math and I struggled with careless errors, timing, and falling for GMAT traps during my practices. I found it particularly difficult to master timing because I knew I would only be seeing tough questions, but the OG had a random mix. I used Kaplan 800, to focus on hard stuff, but I found it wasn't enough and I needed to use the OG to get more realistic questions. I improved my timing by doing short bursts of 10 to 30 questions at a time and aiming for an average of 1 minute a question. This may have been too extreme, as I finished the quant section with 10 mins remaining and I know I screwed up because of my need for speed.

In general, I read through the Princeton Review for tips, which I found great for verbal, but somewhat silly for quant. I also thing that PR has great AWA strategies, but I won't know until I get my AWA score.

One thing I think I did wisely, was plan my GMAC practice tests very carefully. I took one 1/3 of the way into my studying and the second 2/3 of the way in. I took them very seriously, in a quiet room with no interruptions, and I did the essays too. I did the free practice tests from Knewton, Kaplan, and PR too, but not as strictly test day like.

I was unsure how I would react to the pressure on the real test day. I took it at 8am on monday, so I went to sleep really early Sunday night and tossed and turned the entire night. In the morning, I had no appetite and an upset stomach (prob stressed induced) I forced down part of a corn muffin and raspberry snapple on the way in. I arrived an hour early, tired, hungry (but no appetite - awful feeling), and an unsettled stomach. I was way too early and I had to wait around for a half an hour. The check-in/security process was long, painstaking, and nerve-racking, but once I started typing the essays, I forgot about everything but the GMAT.

gurpreetsingh · Answer

You got massive verbal score

. Transition from 40 to 47 is great. Please spare a minute and review you test center. review-gmat-centers-96476.html

vwjetty · Answer

nice nice. I wouldn't worry too much about. My in-major gpa ain't that great either but i think the gpa thing is just one piece of the puzzle.

adalfu · Answer

congratz w/ the awesome score...

Gives me a bit more confidence for my exam in 2 days!!!
I'm stuck scoring at the 43-44 (my maxes) in Verbal. I hope I get "lucky" as well!!! Also reminds me not to neglect my quant
.
I'm worried nonetheless. ack!

johnnyGMAT2k10 · Answer

Awesome score!! i am interested in the response you get to this question as well, as my gpa inst strong so i want to know where i would have to score to have a chance at a top program like stern.

vwjetty · Answer

https://www.tweak3d.net/forums/imagehosting/12254a885fadccc3b.gif

randompattern · Answer

If anyone wants to see what Alex Chu had to say, check it out here: profile-evaluation-98107.html#p755479

Pako · Answer

great score and forget your GPA:))

frank1 · Answer

congrats on your great score...
but please dont forget to update(may be after few months),where did you end up?

just curios..

in every gmat book i read 'gmat is just part of whole thing .....nobody counts gmat scores only ...bla bla bla....your undergrad gpa and experience also counts and so on...'
so this can be good case study for other....and for me as well...

YourDreamTheater · Answer

Your GMAT score is more of a "checked box" than anything else.

As long as you hit over 700, you're pretty much fine. A 750+ is just icing on the cake.

I've seen an 800 with a Ph.D, a 790 with a 3.9 GPA, and a 780 with a 3.8 GPA all get rejected from every single school here on GMAT Club.

Your GMAT score will NOT get you into the schools you want -- you have to remember that business school applications are very holistic.
Now that you've got your GMAT score out of the way, go focus on your essays!

Check out this EXTREMELY small sample of people in the "going nowhere" thread -- the first poster has a 760 and a 3.7 engineering GPA:

the-going-nowhere-thread-91884.html

Here's a 660 in Stanford from a no-name school:

https://www.businessweek.com/bschools/mb ... ller/1.htm

adalfu · Answer

obviously a great score will not get you to the top schools, but it sure helps!

same analogy as ... money doesn't buy you happiness,  but damn, it sure does help!   (emphasis mine)

anyways, im back from my mini vacation couple days ago... and i have my exam tomorrow! i've been diligently studying for the past few days... so i hope to ace this sucka... i'll post my results shortly (within the next few days). (oh, and earlier if it's an awesome score).

YourDreamTheater · Answer

Best of luck!!!

bb · Answer

Congratulations!!!

I think you have a good chance.

randompattern · Answer

Great tips guys, I appreciate the incredible feedback. I plan on focusing right now on writing the essays and obtaining recommendations that will paint the best story possible.

Will definitely update.

ImJun · Answer

your gpa aint low, mine's even lower like 2.3 or something but i believe if i get a higher score on gmat, i will have the same amount of chance other high gpa people have unless you're talking about schools like harvard or stanford, which would probably keep you out for low grades.

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