Retake GMAT or focus on Essays?

[robertrdzak]

Hello,

First of all, thank you for taking the time to review my profile. It is time out of your day which you could spend doing something else so I just wanted to let you know how much I appreciate you doing this.

I want to apply to a top 5 business school for 2010 admissions. Overall I think I have a strong application but my GMAT score is low (660) for the schools I am targeting. I am wondering if you can help decide whether I should re-take the exam or just focus on the essays. I am pretty well compensated at my current job so I am being very selective as to which schools I apply to.

Target Schools: Wharton, Kellogg, Chicago Booth....possibly Harvard


Work Experience:

5 yrears upon expected matriculation.

2005-2007 Worked at a very well known multi-billion dollar Hedge Fund. I worked in a operational role building out futures clearing business and coordinating financing arrangements for the fund.

2007-2010 Worked at a multi-billion dollar Fund of Hedge Fund which is owned by one of the largest banks in France. I work as an Investment analyst. My job is to select outperforming hedge funds for our portfolios and communicate these investment ideas to our Portfolio Managers. We have offices globally so I regularly deal with colleagues or clients in London, Paris and Tokyo. As part of my job i regularly speak with Hedge Fund executives regarding their trading strategies and securities in their portfolio in order to make investment decisions. I have been able to have conversations with people like Mohamed El-Erian (CEO of Pimco), Myron Scholes (Nobel Prize winner and principle at LTCM) as well as many other famous persons in asset management.

Academics

3.9 GPA with a Major in Finance from a slightly above average university. I graduated within the top 3% of my class.

Passed all 3 CFA exams and have been awarded the CFA designation.

I took the GMAT twice, 1st: 640; 2nd: 660 (Q47 & V35).

***The 660 was 100 points below my practice exams (I was scoring 750-760, Q50 and V42) so I think I can cross the 700 mark with additional effort but am not sure it is worth sacrificing time from essay writing as there are only a few weeks till R1 deadlines. I am a pretty bad standardized test taker.


Extra Circulars

I am involved in a Alumni mentorship program from my undergraduate university. I spend a few hours a month with students helping them with their career goals which also include practice interviews and Resume critiquing. I also help coordinate Alumni networking events a few times a year.

Other Things Unique

I lived in a foreign country for 5 years. My parents were involved in a faith based institution which founded a school for Pastoral Studies in Romania. I have no biological links to the country. I learned the language while i was living there and am fluent in Romanian to this day. I am still very attached to the Romanian community and help a Romanian charitable organization coordinate cultural events a few times a year.

[mbamission]

Hello,

You do have a very strong profile and I believe that you will be able to demonstrate achievement (and hopefully leadership) at work and outside of work. Your grades are very strong, with the exception of the GMAT. If you think that you can improve your score by 30 or so points, I would recommend taking it again. If you do not think that you can improve your score significantly without taking away time away from the rest of the application, then I would not retake it. Instead, I recommend highlighting the quantitative nature of your work as well as your CFA in the optional essay, explaining that your GMAT score does not truly reflect your ability to do the work required in a rigorous MBA program. Your challenge will be showcasing your leadership in the essays. I hope this is helpful to you!

Sincerely,

Akiba Smith-Francis

MBA Mission

646-485-8844

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