650 670 630 - retake?

[VC437]

Hi all,

I've taken the GMAT a total of 3 times, with the following scores:

1. 650 (Q39, V40)
2. 670 (Q41, V40)
3. 630 (Q40, V36) <-- just last Friday

I was very disappointed by my 3rd score. In retrospect, I should have moved my GMAT date; I experienced a number of unexpected difficulties in both my work life and personal life in the 2 weeks leading up to my 3rd exam. I think those things severely affected my performance, although strangely enough, I scored an 8 on the IR of my 3rd exam where in my previous takes I had previously scored a 4. I decided to take the exam anyway as I had scored a 710 on a GMATPrep practice exam the week before and thought I would be able to make it.

For personal reasons, I cannot apply later than Round 2, and my target schools are HBS, Wharton, LBS, and IESE. All the deadlines fall on either January 4 or January 5, 2017. My questions about how best to proceed are as follows:

1. Would it be better to retake the GMAT, or take the GRE instead?
2. Would it be better to retake the GMAT, or invest my time in taking a short quant course instead? (eg. Macroeconomics, Calculus, and/or Finance)
3. Should I go ahead and apply with a 670 and make up for my low score with my essays, optional essays, recommendations, and interviews?

My background: female, Asian (not Chinese), in a family business, graduated with a degree in Architecture, 2nd in my class, with 5 years of experience in design and operations. I went through all the MGMAT Quant books (Quant is my waterloo - the books were a huge help!) and finished answering almost all the OG 2016 and Quantitative Review practice questions. I thought I would do well in the Verbal section (scored 40/41 in my previous takes with barely any studying) so I was surprised that I scored a 36 on my 3rd take.

Any opinions on how best to use my time from now until January to increase my odds of admissions at my target schools would be most appreciated.

Thank you in advance!

[mbaMissionKate]

Hi there! Thanks for reaching out. Sorry you didn't reach your target score on your most recent attempt. Sounds like it was just not a great testing day for you but you have the potential for a higher score. Because of that, yes, I would give the GMAT one more shot and see if you can get closer to that 710. I think switching to the GRE at this point (if you must apply Round 2), is going to be pretty time consuming, so I would stick with the GMAT. Generally, a higher GMAT is preferred to a quant course. But, if you don't think getting a higher GMAT is possible, or would rather switch gears to something else, then yes, then you could take a quant course. You certainly could go ahead and apply with your 670 -- it is just one component of the application. But the schools you are looking at are very competitive, and your 670 is going to be below average, so if you do that, make sure you have a backup in mind.

As far as maximizing your study time, have you considered private tutoring? Many of our clients have great success with that option via MGMAT.

Good luck!
Kate

Hi all,

I've taken the GMAT a total of 3 times, with the following scores:

1. 650 (Q39, V40)
2. 670 (Q41, V40)
3. 630 (Q40, V36) <-- just last Friday

I was very disappointed by my 3rd score. In retrospect, I should have moved my GMAT date; I experienced a number of unexpected difficulties in both my work life and personal life in the 2 weeks leading up to my 3rd exam. I think those things severely affected my performance, although strangely enough, I scored an 8 on the IR of my 3rd exam where in my previous takes I had previously scored a 4. I decided to take the exam anyway as I had scored a 710 on a GMATPrep practice exam the week before and thought I would be able to make it.

For personal reasons, I cannot apply later than Round 2, and my target schools are HBS, Wharton, LBS, and IESE. All the deadlines fall on either January 4 or January 5, 2017. My questions about how best to proceed are as follows:

1. Would it be better to retake the GMAT, or take the GRE instead?
2. Would it be better to retake the GMAT, or invest my time in taking a short quant course instead? (eg. Macroeconomics, Calculus, and/or Finance)
3. Should I go ahead and apply with a 670 and make up for my low score with my essays, optional essays, recommendations, and interviews?

My background: female, Asian (not Chinese), in a family business, graduated with a degree in Architecture, 2nd in my class, with 5 years of experience in design and operations. I went through all the MGMAT Quant books (Quant is my waterloo - the books were a huge help!) and finished answering almost all the OG 2016 and Quantitative Review practice questions. I thought I would do well in the Verbal section (scored 40/41 in my previous takes with barely any studying) so I was surprised that I scored a 36 on my 3rd take.

Any opinions on how best to use my time from now until January to increase my odds of admissions at my target schools would be most appreciated.

Thank you in advance!

[VC437]

Hi Kate,

I think I can squeeze in time to take another shot at the GMAT again, and I will definitely be considering private tutoring this time around. Thank you for your advice (and now, I know not to pivot towards the GRE)! I'm worried about having about 4 weeks or so left to do the applications. Based on your experience, would that be enough time to get all my essays done? How much time do applicants spend on average for each application?

Thanks again!

[mbaMissionKate]

Hi again! Obviously depends on how quickly you work, how many essays, whether you have others review your essay drafts, and also things like how much research you've already done on your career goals and target schools. With our clients, we usually allow for 4 weeks for just one application, and it often takes longer. The subsequent applications definitely go a lot faster, but 4 weeks to do all 4 seems tight. I would try to start working on a few essays in parallel with your GMAT prep, or do things like updating your resume in the meantime. I would also go ahead and sort out your recommendation letters sooner as you'll want to give your recommenders at least one month, especially with the holidays that time of year.

Good luck!
Kate

Hi Kate,

I think I can squeeze in time to take another shot at the GMAT again, and I will definitely be considering private tutoring this time around. Thank you for your advice (and now, I know not to pivot towards the GRE)! I'm worried about having about 4 weeks or so left to do the applications. Based on your experience, would that be enough time to get all my essays done? How much time do applicants spend on average for each application?

Thanks again!