should i retake?

[karink]

Hi,

I took the gmat 2 times:
Round 1:
Quant: 32 (36%) --big ouch
Verbal 41 (93%)
Total 600 (68%)

Round 2 (today):
Quant: 49 (88%) --very happy! Have MGMAT tutor to thank for this one.
Verbal 34 (69%) --always scored 41+ on practice tests. I think i ran out of steam after math.
Total 690 (88%)

How essential is it that I retake the test b/c of the low verbal score? FYI, I was an econ/international studies double major at U Chicago (school is known for its writing/analysis intense core classes; have 3.5 GPA). Female, ibanking/pe background. Naturalized us citizen--moved here when i was a teen.

The options i'm trying to decide between are:
I) apply Chicago, Kellogg and Michigan 1st round with 690, and more competitive ones 2nd round (with possibly retaking the test after 1st round apps are submitted, OR
II) Retake the GMAT now and apply all schools second round. Worried about replicating math performance though.

Thanks in advance for all your help.

[MBAApply]

You should really be focusing on your written applications, rather than taking the test a 3rd time. Unless your 3rd effort results in a 50+ point jump, the adcom will question your priorities. Yes, the verbal isn't great, but resist the temptation to be a perfectionist at the expense of putting together a stronger overall application, because it's really not going to make a huge difference -- and in your case, what will likely make-or-break your case isn't your GMAT score, but everything else (and a high GMAT score won't compensate for other aspects of your candidacy).

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