Profile evaluation please

[clarka85]

Hi,

I recently took the GMAT and scored a 710, but with a skew in my scores on the sections - 97th percentile in verbal, 69th percentile in quant. While 710 is a decent score, I heard that a skew in your scores can be viewed negatively, especially if the lower score is quant. I would just retake the test, however, I'm concerned because I studied a good amount and didn't score higher than the 75th percentile in any of my practice tests.

So before I devote another 75 hrs to studying, wan to determine my likelihood of getting into my target school, and if I would be better puttin my time into other areas of my application. My other info is as follows:

GPA: 4.0 with majors in business administration and communication from a respected, but only regionally known, midwest liberal arts school. Took Quant focused classes in accounting, Corp finance, stats, and macro/micro.

Work experience: by the time I matriculate, I will have worked 4 years for a major consulting firm. During that time I've been promoted, received very good ratings, and led several groups within the firm.

Community service: very active in undergrad, and attempting to build this area on my resume through work in community outreach programs that use film as an educational tool (I want to go to b-school for M&E).

Other relevant demographic info: white male, age 26 at target date of matriculation.

My target schools are ones with great access to M&E industries or that are known for brand mgmt (another interest area): nyu, ucla, kellogg, stanford, USC, and uc-berkley.

Looking for a candid evaluation of my chances at these schools given my profile above. My essays will be great, but want to make sure my profile fulfills the hard cutoffs for most of these schools.

Thanks!

[mbamission]

Hi clarka85,

Thanks for writing in. A 4.0 at any reputable college is going to draw attention and I agree that a 710 is an overall high score. While it would be preferable if your GMAT breakdown was more balanced, there is no such thing as a "hard cutoff" in the MBA admissions process. The general rule is that for the more competitive schools, you’ll want to be above 80% in both areas.

Still, this does not mean you should not apply to your list of schools, which I think is a good list given your stated interests and the competitive range of the schools. For your Stanford and Kellogg applications, you may want to use the optional essay to address any concerns about your Quant percentile. You can point to your strong, relevant college coursework, and give examples of how you use quantitative skills in your consulting job.

Since you seem confident that retaking the GMAT will not lead to a big change in your score or breakdown, I would recommend spending that 75 hours on writing stellar essays and crafting a great application.

Good luck,

Daniel Richards
mbaMission

http://www.mbamission.com

Read the mbaMission Insider's Guides (14 individual school titles)

Visit the mbaMission Blog