710 sufficient?

[robert.kandart]

Hi,

I took the GMAT a few days ago after studying with the mgmat books for about a month. I scored a 710 overall, 95% in verbal but only 74% in quant (don't recall the exact scores, but these are the corresponding percentiles) - no news on AWA so far. In my two GmatPrep practice exams the week prior to the real thing I scored between 740 and 770 (99% verbal, around 80% quant), so I was hoping for something around 730-750 on the real thing and was hoping to at the very least reach 78% on quant. Given my quant performance, I am a bit disappointed with my score and considering whether I should retake.

My question is how much my low quant would impact my admissions chances to absolutely top b-schools such as Harvard, Wharton and Stanford. My profile: I recently completed my undergrad degree with a major in finance from a top tier university in the US (3.75 GPA, top 10% of class). I excelled in many quant heavy courses at college (A's in stats, advanced stats, derivatives, etc.) I have fairly strong extracurriculars to date and will be joining a top 3 strategy consulting firm (MBB) in summer. I hope to apply to b-school after 2-3 years work experience and simply wanted to get the gmat out of the way before I start work. How will my application be looked at by top schools? How strictly is the 80/80 rule enforced?

Thank you for your advice!

[robert.kandart]

Also, in case this is important/helpful: I am of European origin, not English mother tongue (although I have studied in English for a number of years now) and male.

Thanks!

[mbamission]

Thanks for your question. The "80/80" figure is more of a benchmark and not a hard and fast rule. If you think that you can do better on the GMAT, you should consider retaking the test so you can eliminate a potential weakness from your profile. With that said, your overall score is respectable, and if you don't think you can do better on the test, you can highlight your quantitative courses from college and any quantitative projects in your upcoming consulting position.

The GMAT is just one piece of the puzzle. The admissions process is quite holistic so just be sure to gain leadership position in your new job and maintain your involvement in the community so you can prepare a well-rounded business school application in 2-3 years.

Best of luck!

Monica Okrah
mbaMission