GMAT score evaluation: low quant percentile

[_chaparral_]

Hello,

I recently took the GMAT and was fortunate enough to score a 44 verbal, 47 quant, and 8 IR for a total score of 430. While I am pleased with the overall score (and owe much of it to Manhattan Prep's classes and coursework), my quant percentile is a 65%. I have read online about how some business schools follow an 80/80 rule with regard to percentiles (and if not 80th then at least a 70th percentile for quant scores). This frustrates me because adding additional quant points on top of a 47 to get into the high 70th or 80th percentile bracket is a fairly challenging prospect for me.

With the above information in mind, a couple of questions:
- How much will this 65th percentile quant score affect my chances of getting into a top 10 business school?
- I scheduled a retake of the GMAT soon to try and improve my quant score. Would getting a similar score breakdown be disastrous in that it would reinforce the impression of poor quantitative ability in the eyes of business schools?

Some additional information to note about me:
- I am based in the U.S.
- I just graduated from undergrad and so will not be applying to business school for another three or four years
- I will be working in consulting
- My undergrad majors were Business Administration and Social Work and my GPA was a 3.80
- Target schools: Haas or Columbia

Thank you in advance for any insight!

[mbamissionjenK]

Hi there! Congrats on what I think was a 730?? Typo perhaps. So that 80th percentile focus was from years ago before the percentiles got so skewed!! It doesn't mean that your score of 47 Q is somehow lower than 47 years ago... just that test takers in general are scoring higher and demographics/backgrounds of those taking the GMAT have skewed. Schools know that too!

Check out our blog post on the topic at:
https://www.mbamission.com/blog/2014/08 ... to-get-in/

Of course if you scored higher overall or in Quant on practice tests and feel you can do better then go for it, but if not you it's less critical to re-take in my view. Good luck and keep us posted!

[_chaparral_]

Definitely a typo! Thank you for your advice and for the link, it is much appreciated!

[mbamissionjenK]

You are welcome, good luck with everything!