Harvard 2+2 Program with 660+ GMAT, 3.8 GPA (USC)?

[ShayaanN905]

Hi MBAMission

I would love to hear your thoughts on the circumstance below. I decided to apply for Harvard's 2+2 MBA program this application round (April 10th), but got a rather late start on preparing for the GMAT.

I wanted to know what range you would personally feel comfortable with, or suggest scoring, on the GMAT if you had a similar profile as mine below. I would really appreciate your advice and time.

I finished undergrad at USC's Marshall School of Business with a 3.79 GPA in Business Administration (B.S.) this past December (therefore still eligible to apply for the 2+2 program as a senior). I transferred to USC from UCSD (GPA: 3.67) my sophomore year.

My previous internships lie in consulting, my sophomore year with KPMG's Management Consulting group and most recently with Booz Allen Hamilton (Management Consulting). I'll be returning to Booz Allen to start work full time.

While I do feel I could make a compelling personal statement, and have extracurricular leadership in student organizations, I'm concerned my estimated GMAT score puts me too far left field.

HBS states the 2+2 program focuses on STEM majors, which is why I believe getting a high score on the GMAT (specifically Quant Section) will be imperative to proving I can handle the academic rigor (as a Business Administration, non-STEM major).

While the range for the 2+2 program admits last year was 610-780, the median GMAT admitted was 730. Out of the 120 candidates that got in (11% acceptance rate), 60% were STEM, 22% Economics/Business.


Given this information, I felt the score I should at LEAST achieve is 660+, as scoring 700+ is a little unrealistic for the time I have. I felt any score below the 660+ threshold would suggest I apply when I work a few years and reach my target score of 730.

Would you agree with this statement? Would you make the realistic threshold, given my profile, any higher, i.e 690+ ?

I also plan on applying to Stanford’s deferred admission program, however I believe their program is slightly more selective than Harvard’s (given the fewer amount of admits).

I would really appreciate any time you had to help. My peers have said I should apply regardless, but it is quite a commitment to follow through with, if my GMAT score is unrealistic to begin with!

Thank you in advance!

[mbamissionjenK]

Hi there,
Thanks for your post and sharing a lot of your situation and thoughts. You've been analyzing options and scenarios carefully, and while I agree it's good to think through what realistic GMAT scores would be to apply etc, you also don't know until you go in and take your test how it will come out... so-- when is your test date? How have your practice test scores been going? How many have you taken and do you plan to take before test day? What preparation options are you utilizing? All of those may provide more insight into your best plans.... yes the 2+2 program is extremely competitive. The closer you get to 700 the better given the selectivity. But if your goal is to try for it, then I'd say onward.... work on your app and essays and prep HARD for that GMAT, and then see how that shakes out and re-assess at that point if needed. Feel free to jump back in at that point, or to sign up for a free 30 min consultation for more feedback if you'd like. Good luck either way!!