710 45Q 41V Retake

[rshih562]

Hello,

I just came back from the GMAT, and came away with the score in the subject line. I wanted to get some input as to whether I should re-take the exam.

My background is in Accounting, I have a MAcc, and have work experience in a Big4 and a hedge fund doing accounting and operations. Total experience at the time of application (this year, shooting for round 1), is 5 years.

I want to move into finance or consulting in the MBA (am a career changer), and am applying to Chicago, McCombs (I'm a texas resident), NYU, Columbia, UCLA, Kellogg, and others of that similar level.

My concern is that my Q score was below 80th percentile. Is it low enough that I should re-take or should I focus on my essays and such to get into round 1 of applications?

Thanks.

[mbamission]

Hi rshih,

Thanks for writing in. Given your work experience in Accounting and hedge funds, it's likely that you can point to areas where you use Quant skills in your everyday job. Plus you can ask your recommenders to mention your quant skills in their letters. The schools you are looking at are quite competitive and will likely notice your Quant score, but your overall score is in good enough shape that you can likely balance it out with other strengths.

Given the number of schools you are focusing on and your desire to submit in R1, I suggest you shift your focus to essays, rather than reinvesting dozens of hours into the GMAT again.

Good luck!
Daniel Richards
http://www.mbamission.com

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