To GMAT or not to GMAT

[abhinav_iitg]

Greetings!!

I have gone through agony of taking GMAT 3 times in the order of 690, 690 and 710. AWA from 5.0 - 6.0

The last attempt was in last week of November and hence I could apply to only 4 schools and that too in the later stages.
Round 2 - Kellogg,
Round 3 - LBS, Berkeley and CMU

Result: Wailisted - Kellogg and LBS, Rejected straight up from - Haas and CMU

My dilemma is if i should attempt to take GMAT again to improve my chances for Top 10 schools. I am sure I can cross 750 if I put my head into it but I think working on my essays may pay-off better than taking gmat again considering I have already taken t 3 times. However, I belong to the most competitive Indian male IT pool. in which 750 is a norm

Please advice based on my profile or am I aiming too high (top 5 MBA such as Harvard, Wharton, LBS, KEllogg, MIT)?

Academics:
Undergrad - 3.4 from IIT (Top Engineering school of India)
Graduate - 3,56 from SNU (South Korea's best university)

Career Progression
- Started as software engineer in India with Samsung. Got the opportunity to lead a software module in the first year after joining at the client side in America
- Handpicked by Samsung for fast track program. Did my masters in Telecommunication in South Korea and then joined Samsung, Korea as project engineer with 2 years ahead in career timeline
- Have observed challenging opportunities. International exposure. Executed and presented products in international conferences
- Client Interaction. Lead international team of 4 people for various projects.

Extra-Curricular Activities:
1. Captain and Club Manager of a Cricket Club
2. Treasurer of an International affiliated Association dealing with budget of $100,000
3. Co-founder of International Student Association at Seoul National University
4. Co-founder of Foreign Employee Club in my company
5. Other associations

Others:
1. 4 publications in international conference and magazines
2. Published an article in a book
3. Failed Entrepreneurial experience
4. 3 rd prize in international essay competition
5. Other academic honors

[mbamission]

Hi,

Well, your perseverance paid off on the GMAT. Congrats on breaking the 700 hurdle! I would agree that your time is better served working on applications, visiting schools (if possible), talking with current students and alumni and approaching your recommenders, instead of retaking the test.

As you know, applying in the third round is extremely challenging as most of the spots in any school’s class are filled. With that said, I see it as encouraging that you were waitlisted at Kellogg and LBS (in the third round nonetheless!). It sounds like you have some interesting professional experience complemented by community service and unique personal experiences. Can you point to steps that you have taken to strengthen your candidacy since you first applied?

Your list of target schools doesn’t seem to include any "safety" schools. While you have a compelling candidacy, it may make sense to trim your list and then add a program(s) like Darden, NYU, Duke and/or Michigan to provide some balance.

Regards,
Erin

Erin Schuhmacher
MBA Mission
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