Where do I belong?

Question

Hi guys, I don’t belong here yet (that I know), I am still struggling with my Gmat but I just wanted to figure out something. I am starting to wonder if I am ever going to hit the 700+. No matter how hard I work I keep bombing my verbal, particularly RC 30-35 (in my very diagnostic test I also got V30 without opening a book :shock:

) as a result I just don’t score past 660 despite tremendous improvements in quant. My question is, could a score of c.660+ be sufficient for someone who is not a MAN, not INDIAN, not CHINESE and not WHITE? I heard of something called affirmative action, what is that? (I have seen that some people really hate it, as much as I hate the advantage that English Speakers (including all commonwealth countries) have on Verbal… :lol:

Given that I am a woman from the Democratic Republic of Zambezi and that I will probably be the only one from my country to apply, if a school has one place for people from my country, does that mean I am automatically in? :twisted:

Seriously, what do American Business Schools consider minority? Us minority or even international students? Also I have a double nationality (French + African) and I just don't know who I am supposed to be for my applications. Would I be better off as a French candidate for an American school or as a minority (if that's who I am?). I am kind of confused right now :roll:

Thank you for your time.

VeritasPrepDozie · Answer

Focus on being YOU. Admissions teams hate when candidates try to pander and structure their app to read as what they think the AdComm wants to hear. That is the basis of your issues. Focus on communicating genuinely who you are and what you want to do. As far as the GMAT score goes it is one data point. You want to do your best here and get the highest score possible, the process is truly holistic and the other areas of your app will be assessed equally. As a diverse candidate you do bring something unique to the table but do not think of it as a quota, that is not how it works, The school wants to create a diverse student community and if qualified to be a part of that then you're diversity can certainly be advantageous. So there can be a bit of wiggle room with your GMAT if the rest of your app is strong.

Hope this helps!

Hope this helps!

Icecream87 · Answer

Thank you for your answer, it does help. Then again I still have to choose a nationality. I guess I will go for Africa :arrow:

Thank you!

VeritasPrepDozie · Answer

Yes, for what its worth I would recommend you select Africa as well. Good Luck!

Icecream87 · Answer

Thank you expert and happy holidays!

VeritasPrepMike · Answer

A score of 660+ could be high enough for an American business school, but your score is just one piece of your application. Business schools value candidates that show potential business leadership in a diversity of situations. I have not heard of your country, but no one is guaranteed admission. I would focus less on how your background compares to others and more on communicating your strengths and learning experiences in the application. Continue to study for the GMAT as even a few points can help. You may have better chances than an American male with the same credentials. Regardless, focus on what you can control, invest in your GMAT and your application, apply, and see what happens.

Where do I belong?

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