What to do with my gmat score of 650!!!!!

Question

Hi Experts, I am posting an update from my last test, i scored a mere 570 on my first attempt.

Today i appeared for gmat again and score a modest 650 (quant 47 and verbal 34). While i am not happy it is definitely an improvement over my last score in a matter of two months.!!! I have over 5 years of work ex in the finance industry with frontend investment banking experience. Do you suggest that i retake for a better score or apply with this score?? waiting eagerly for a reply

ccooley · Answer

It entirely depends on what schools you're applying to and how the rest of your profile (and your GMAT score) fits with the typical profile for those schools. A good place to start would be by looking up the GMAT score data for admitted students for the schools you're interested in, then possibly adjusting up/down a bit based on your overall impression of the strength of your applications. And if your situation is more complicated than that (and many are), I'd recommend talking to an admissions consultant. I can't recommend mbaMission highly enough (and they do free consultations: https://www.mbamission.com/consult/)

EMPOWERgmatRichC · Answer

Hi nehjha02,

Raising your score 80 points in about 2 months is a significant achievement. By extension, a 650/Q47 is a strong score (it's right around the 80th percentile overall), so it could be enough to get you into your first-choice School. As such, a retest might not be necessary. Depending on the Schools that you plan to apply to, you would likely find it beneficial to speak with an Admissions Expert about your overall profile. There's a Forum full of them here:

ask-admission-consultants-124/

1) When are you planning to apply to Business School?
2) What Schools are you planning to apply to?

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

nehjha02 · Answer

Hi Rich,

i really appreciate your prompt reply. thank you so much.

With quant i feel like i have now developed a good understanding while verbal remains a mystery. following are my scores from the gmat prep pack 2 mocks :

exam 5-750 (q-50, v-40)
exam 6-700 (q-48, v-38)

Also the R2 deadlines are approaching fast, im afraid that improvement in verbal scores might take more time but i am hopeful that i can give another attempt in jan. Having said that, below is my brief profile alongwith details of schools i want to apply in.

Brief note about my profile:
I am from an army background and have completed my schooling across various places in india. I am a commerce student with over 5 years of work exp in investment banking/financial risk consulting industry. I have worked with firms such as capital iq, jp morgan and protivti. In my last corporate profile was handling a team of 10 and was involved in various consulting and research projects pertaining to M&A and PE. I also have frontend investment banking experience with the indian subsidiary of a US based boutique investment banking firm. Currently working as a researcher in area of budget allocation and social responsibility at an outfit called CBGA ( comes under purview of ministry of finance).

Schools that i want to Target

1)NUS
2)Nanyang
3)ISB
4)HKUST
5)INSEAD
6)IIM'S

Again thanks a lot rich, you are awesome

EMPOWERgmatRichC · Answer

Hi nehjha02,

Your score is at the low-end of the 'range' that the Schools that you listed would find acceptable, so you can certainly apply with that score. I imagine that most Admissions Experts would recommend that you retest, but you should ask them anyway.

In regards to the 2 CAT scores that you listed:
1) When did you take those two CATS?
2) Did you take the ENTIRE CAT each time (including the Essay and IR sections)?
3) Did you take them at home?
4) Did you take them at the same time of day as your Official GMAT?
5) Did you ever do ANYTHING during your CATs that you couldn't do on Test Day (pause the CAT, skip sections, take longer breaks, etc.)? 
6) Did you ever take a CAT more than once? Had you seen any of the questions BEFORE?

You could potentially pick up some points and retest in January, but you would have to be really efficient about your studies (and you'd have to learn/practice some new Tactics).

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

What to do with my gmat score of 650!!!!!

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