Do I need to retake GMAT after 720 Q51 V36 IR6 AWA 5?

[Tutu87]

Hi,

This is my second attempt at GMAT already. The first time I got 710 with exact same scores for all sections except quant(50). I am worried that the low verbal score will lead adcom to question my reading and writing skills--especially since English is not my first language.

Here is my background.
Female, Asian, 27, 3 years of working experience(4 by the time of matriculating)
Undergraduate degree in electrical engineering from a top 5 engineering school in US. Work for a big chip company as a hardware engineer. Some project management experience.
Undergrad GPA: 3.3
Extracurricular: regional(including couple states up north) executive board member for a major women in engineering program. Tons of event and program planning/managing involved.
MBA Concentration: Tech Entrepreneurship

I am interested in Wharton, Harvard, and MIT. However, I am a little worried that these schools are out of reach with my current stats. Do you think taking GMAT a third time will help in my case? My biggest problem with GMAT is my stamina, I always got tired towards the end of the exam and my brain stopped working no matter what kind energy drink I took. I don't really know how to improve my score by now. Your help and advice will be highly appreciated!

[mbamissionjenK]

Hi there,

Congrats on the 720, a great overall score and at or near the average at all top b-school programs. I would not stress over a re-take at this point. Keep in mind, while a GMAT score well below the school's average can easily keep you out.... a good score does not guarantee you'll get in. You have a good score-- now focus on the rest of the application! ;)

On one hand, there are a lot of engineering applicants to b-school these days, so you'll want to be sure to think about how you can stand out from that crowd, and to show you have more than just technical skills! On the other hand schools are looking for qualified female applicants, and likely Asian applicants as well, so you have a plus there.... the GPA could be higher, but you can't change that now and the GMAT is solid and more recent. Be sure you can clearly articulate WHY you want the MBA.... if you can't answer that in a compelling way, acceptance will be difficult. ;)

You may want to add a slightly less competitive school to the list for best chances, but only apply where you'd be happy going. And really focus on the applications and essays-- that is your chance to create something from scratch to represent who you are, what you'll bring to the program, and what you'll do with the degree.

Good luck to you!