Reschedule GMAT / Effect on Round 1 Application

[Guest]

Hi there,

I've run into a bit of an emotional dilemma and thus would greatly appreciate any help you can provide (questions are numbered):

I am scheduled to take the GMAT next Friday (7/13 - aka 8 days) and tomorrow is my last day to decide whether I want to take it at a later date, without incurring the full price of $250. Anyway, I made the mistake of solely using paper exams until just last week when I began using CAT exams. I noticed my score to be TREMENDOUSLY different (on the paper exams, I would score in the 630s, whereas I am even ashamed to mention my score on the CAT exam (x < 520). Thus, I personally feel that I should postpone the exam for another month and in the interim take CAT exams religiously. My only concern is that this will push me out of Round I and into Round II. [1] If that's the case, will this put me at a disadvantage?


[2] Would you agree that it's better to postpone the exam than to continue with the test, get a mediocre / crude score of x < 520 but then turn around with a 650+?

[3] Also, in terms of GMAT transcript, will it be shown that I postponed my exam, and if so, how does this look with the Admissions Committee at top schools (Goals: UCLA, Marshall, Stanford GSB, YSM).

My apologies for being "all over the place." It's been a rough day :(

Thank you again for your help.

[Relax...]

Even if you delay the exam - you will still have enough time to apply to schools in round 1. If you take the exam in August, you'll still have the latter part of August, and the whole month of September to put together your essays. Hopefully you've already dealt with finding / communicating with recommenders, resume updates, school visits, school assessment, etc.

If you don't want to push it, the advice I hear consistently is that there is not a big difference between Round 1 and Round 2 - with regard to admissions decisions - so apply when you are ready. Round 3 is decidely more difficult.

Your goal should be based on the schools to which you plan to apply. So if you're aiming for one of the Top 10...there's no point in taking the GMAT now and then having to take it again to "be in the ballpark". If you're aiming slightly lower than that you have more flexibility.

I don't think the admissions office sees / nor cares about you postponing the GMAT. Most ask you to submit and then later verify your highest score on the test.

so RELAX......there's no reason to hyper-ventilate =)

[Guest]

Hey - i stumbled across this posting and it leads me to ask/follow up:

would the AdComm prefer to see one SOLID score (700+) the first time around -OR- something as the poster mentioned: a 520 or less on the first and a significant improvement on the next exam?

i'd be interested to hear what Alex or Jeremy (counselors) have to say about this.

cheers.

p.s. all the best to the initial poster. i'm sure you'll do great in whatever you decide.

[MBAApply]

They care to see a strong score, whether that's your first time, fifth time or any in between.

You can microanalyze upward/downward trends, variance, frequency, etc. with far greater granularity than what an adcom will actually do. Just shoot for a good score (and "good" means somewhere in the vicinity of the school's averages). Or from a practical standpoint, shoot for the best score you can get, and move on. If it's below the averages and you've done your best, you can either cry yourself to sleep at night wondering how it will impact your chances, or you can simply focus on doing the best you can on the rest of the application.

There are people who obsess over their GMAT score, and there are others who see the bigger picture and focus on other things once they've done the best they could on the GMAT. I'm sure you can guess which one tends to be more successful.

Good luck!

Alex
alex@mbaapply.com
http://www.mbaapply.com
http://mbaapply.blogspot.com

[GMATPaduan]

Alex -

I am applying to b-school in the fall and have been keeping up with several blogs. You have written some of the most interesting and candid blogs I have seen so far. I just finished reading your Blue Chips / Vagabonds / Average Joes column and it definitely struck home -- esp given friends of mine that have been recently accepted to H/S/W.

I am a mix of Blue Chip / Vagabond (Ivy League undergrad, Goldman for 2 years, 2 years+ Biz Dev position at smaller vc-backed firm, gobbled up by a Fortune 500 company a few months prior to my arrival)

...now if I can just get my GMAT up to par....

Keep writing the blogs!

[please help]

mdmdmd63@gmail.com

[Guest]

Where is this Blue Chip response? I havent seen it but I come from a non-Ivy background (Big 10) with an average GPA (3.3) and am working for a fortune 500 industrial company in a finance role but have a very unique experience throughout, especially leadership. I am on the Youth Board of a non-for-profit, had several unique leadership positions throughout school that may have pulled GPA down a bit, and my work experience is varied, high exposure and unique. How would this compare to Ivy/Wall St cookie cutter applicant at a top program and what is the mindset on this comparison? My GMAT is competitive (710) but weighted towards verbal although I have strong finance background. Anything I should focus on to bring the best application to offset my background?

Thanks.

[Guest]

http://mbaapply.blogspot.com

I wouldn't call an Ivy grad / Wall Streeter --"cookie cutter" -- where you went to school and what you do for a living are only a part of who you are as a person.

The point of the article is that you can segment a b-school into three populations -- the blue chips (top schools, Mck, Goldman, Morgan, etc), those who went to top schools and did something different after graduating, and those who went to good/ok schools and did good/ok jobs.

All three types are at all the top schools - however at the three most selective (H/S/W) you'll find a greater proportion of blue chips relative to other schools.