Hello! Please evaluate my profile.
I just took the GMAT yesterday and scored a 640 (33Q 44V). How will my quant score affect my chances of getting into Kenan-Flagler (UNC), Goizueta (Emory), Fuqua (Duke), McDonough (Georgetown) or Ross (Michigan)?
Undergrad: University of Illinois at Urbana Champaign
Majors: English/Spanish (dual degree)
GPA: 3.6
Grad: Johns Hopkins University (obtained while teaching)
Major: Teaching (MAT)
GPA: 3.6
W/E
Teach for America/Public School Teacher (going on 4 yrs)
teaching 4th grade math
I also work for the school system's math office where I lead a team of teachers to analyze and write upper elementary math curriculum and assessments for the city used by all 4th and 5th grade math teachers. I collaborate with a different team to present monthly math workshops for city math teachers.
I also plan and present professional development for city math teachers.
I took a Manhattan GMAT course earlier in the year, wrote curriculum all summer and just recently started reviewing again for the test (last month or so). I scored 610 and 650 on the two practice exams provided by GMAT with 35 and 39 on quant, respectively. I'm not sure why I did so horribly on the actual GMAT quant section!
Any advice and/or comments would be greatly appreciated!
Thanks!
GMAT Forum
4 postsPage 1 of 1
- teacher
- MBAApply
Here's something to maybe inspire you.
If your score was in the high 600s (i.e. 680 or above), you may be undershooting your target schools. You may want to try schools like Kellogg or Stanford as reach schools, with Michigan and Duke being "sweet spot" schools where you'd be competitive (i.e. you don't need a lot of luck to get in; you just need a solid application), and the UNCs, Emorys and Georgetowns of the world being safety schools.
And scoring 40 points higher is certainly possible with better preparation (whether that means prepping differently, hiring a private tutor on top of the course, etc.).
With your current score, I think you *might* be able to get in if the adcom likes you enough to overlook your quant. Just know that if you don't have any quant background (i.e. you didn't take any math or stats courses in undergrad or grad), they will be concerned about your ability to handle the quant aspects of b-school.
My recommendation is to re-take the exam. And as a backup, be prepared to enroll in some extension courses (either online or through your local community college) and ace them to show that the GMAT isn't the sole reflection of your quant abilities. As for specific courses, any freshman intro level course in stats, calculus, algebra, microeconomics, macroeconomics, finance, accounting, etc. should be fine.
Alex Chu
alex@mbaapply.com
www.mbaapply.com
http://mbaapply.blogspot.com
If your score was in the high 600s (i.e. 680 or above), you may be undershooting your target schools. You may want to try schools like Kellogg or Stanford as reach schools, with Michigan and Duke being "sweet spot" schools where you'd be competitive (i.e. you don't need a lot of luck to get in; you just need a solid application), and the UNCs, Emorys and Georgetowns of the world being safety schools.
And scoring 40 points higher is certainly possible with better preparation (whether that means prepping differently, hiring a private tutor on top of the course, etc.).
With your current score, I think you *might* be able to get in if the adcom likes you enough to overlook your quant. Just know that if you don't have any quant background (i.e. you didn't take any math or stats courses in undergrad or grad), they will be concerned about your ability to handle the quant aspects of b-school.
My recommendation is to re-take the exam. And as a backup, be prepared to enroll in some extension courses (either online or through your local community college) and ace them to show that the GMAT isn't the sole reflection of your quant abilities. As for specific courses, any freshman intro level course in stats, calculus, algebra, microeconomics, macroeconomics, finance, accounting, etc. should be fine.
Alex Chu
alex@mbaapply.com
www.mbaapply.com
http://mbaapply.blogspot.com
- teacher
Alex,
Thanks for your quick and encouraging response. The only thing that concerns me about retaking the exam is that some of the schools' round 2 deadlines are in early December. I cannot retake the GMAT until the first Saturday in December due to work and the 31 day wait period between tests. Should I prepare the applications to submit to those schools that have round 2 deadlines in early December and hit apply right after I retake the test? What would you advise if my score does not increase? Would it be better to wait another year?
Thanks, again, for your input!
Thanks for your quick and encouraging response. The only thing that concerns me about retaking the exam is that some of the schools' round 2 deadlines are in early December. I cannot retake the GMAT until the first Saturday in December due to work and the 31 day wait period between tests. Should I prepare the applications to submit to those schools that have round 2 deadlines in early December and hit apply right after I retake the test? What would you advise if my score does not increase? Would it be better to wait another year?
Thanks, again, for your input!
- MBAApply
Don't wait another year. Apply this year, and if you get in great, if you don't get in then you can always reapply next year. By waiting, you forgo the chance of getting in at all this year.
It's a judgment call on your part - depends on how far along you are with your essays, and/or how much time you will need to dedicate to them going forward. Most lib arts folks tend to have an easier time with the essays so it will likely take you less time to write your best essays compared to the folks with analytical backgrounds. So it comes down to how well you can juggle your time - if you have the time, re-take it if you can. If you feel you need that precious time to get your essays in order, then go with the score you have and hope for the best. You can still get in with the score you have, but just know that it'll be a handicap.
Alex Chu
alex@mbaapply.com
www.mbaapply.com
http://mbaapply.blogspot.com
It's a judgment call on your part - depends on how far along you are with your essays, and/or how much time you will need to dedicate to them going forward. Most lib arts folks tend to have an easier time with the essays so it will likely take you less time to write your best essays compared to the folks with analytical backgrounds. So it comes down to how well you can juggle your time - if you have the time, re-take it if you can. If you feel you need that precious time to get your essays in order, then go with the score you have and hope for the best. You can still get in with the score you have, but just know that it'll be a handicap.
Alex Chu
alex@mbaapply.com
www.mbaapply.com
http://mbaapply.blogspot.com
4 posts Page 1 of 1