GMAT Score of 720 for Top B Schools
I recently got 720 on the GMAT on my fist attempt (Don't think I worked incredibly hard to be honest)
I was just wondering if this score would be sufficient for the top Business Schools in 3 years time (HBS, Wharton etc...), considering I will be joining a second tier consultancy (just below MBB). I'm sure there will be people who would have accomplished more than me. So should I redo my GMAT and get a higher score? Or is the marginal effort/cost not worth it?
Really appreciate any help I may get
Thanks
Definitely study and sit it again seeing as you have so much time. 720 is a bit of a meh score for the top schools you really want to hit 750+ or ideally 760+ for it to be a standout feature of your application. There is a graph floating around showing that scores peak at about 100 hours of prep. With 3 years to play with make sure you start work on the other parts of your application early as they will be more important than the GMAT - extracurriculars, volunteering, leadership, promotion at work, international exposure, etc etc
Ioncon1,
Today a 720 is a competitive GMAT score at all top schools including the ones you list. I can't tell you if it will be so in 3 years, but I think it will still be a competitive score. However to be a competitive applicant at these programs you need more than a competitive GMAT, you need impressive work experience with good on the job progression, leadership on and off the job, and good grades in your undergrad program. Nice to haves include international exposure, an extra-curricular hobby or commitment, and community service with impact.
Since i don't know the amount of time (the cost) of retaking the GMAT and the benefit (will it make the difference between acceptance and rejection is unknown) I can't really answer your question. At this point in time, I'd spend more time on the other elements of your profile.
You might be interest in Prep for Bschool: a 4-Year guide to College Students and Recent Grads at http://reports.accepted.com/mba-4-year-guide .
Best, Linda
Would you say the GMAT is more of a cut off thing or will a higher score really hold more weight? I'm just worried that being below the median score would hurt me when I'll have a standard consulting background
And regarding volunteering, how vital is it that you've done a significant amount of it?
Thanks a lot for taking your time to help
Ioncon1,
You're welcome!
The GMAT isn't looked at in a vacuum so it's not a cut off. . Certainly there is no downside to having a higher GMAT. At the same time, I think the advantage of stratospheric GMAT scores is somewhat over-rated. Once your academics are competitive, then the application evaluation is much more about demonstrating fit with the particular programs and showing that you are (in other ways) a stand out.
So your decision really comes down to the time you will need to invest in raising your GMAT to the mid-700's. If your prep is going to take away from the time you have to make a commitment outside of work that will allow you to show impact, or make it harder for you to excel at work, then don't retake. (My advice would be different if your GMAT was lower) It's very hard to show that you are a stand-out with the GMAT alone. If you can do both -- have a stellar GMAT and truly impressive distinctive experiences and achievements -- then go for it and retake!
Regarding volunteering, again it's not simply about checking the box. It's about showing that you are a contributor, a "leader who makes a difference in the world," as HBS says or a person of consequence. Work-aholics or one-dimensional human beings don't make that cut. Where you choose to invest your non-professional time is wide open. It does usually involve volunteering, but it can take many forms. And it's not so much about hours invested as about making a commitment, taking responsibility for something, and having an impact.
You might be interested in a couple of complementary podcasts I gave:
Hope this helps. Linda
720 is not going to set you apart. Everyone I know who retook the GMAT did better on the second time for what that's worth. Also, now that you can cancel the score after seeing it 1) there's no significant downside to you retaking every other saturday until you crush it 2) score inflation will absolutely happen - I would bet that a 770 becomes a top 1% score in the next 5 years or so (750 used to be top 1%). Also, consider your split, all 720s are not equal.
Unless you're going to completely change the way you're studying, you'll have definitely plateaued by your third take and either will stay there or possibly even starting doing worse. The test is more than adaptive enough that there's no way you'll improve unless you know what you're getting wrong and boost your study in that area. Very few people have the time and/or drive to do that.
I don't know why the average would go up unless the GMAC doesn't count cancelled scores. They should because otherwise it's not a true representation of performance and that's what they want. Even if they didn't include cancelled scores, I doubt you'll see much movement because you have to remember that I'd guess that maybe 10% of GMAT takers are applying to M7. There are many out there that would be happy with a 600.
How would the split affect how I should think about it? Got 49 in Quant and 38 in Verbal
Thanks for your advice
That's good. The better you do in verbal, the higher your score goes up. If you get mid 40's for both then that's typically around 730-750. If you can keep your Q at 49 and get your verbal to 43 or higher, that should get you a 750+.
Quant is great, honestly if you can just maintain a 49 Q (78th percentile), and improve your verbal (shouldn't be too hard, unless you're english second language), you should hit 760+ pretty easily. Quant is harder to move the needle on through studying. Also, consider how you approach test day, verbal is the last section and thats when things like nutrition, rest, etc. really impact your performance. for what its worth, I improved my score from 720->780 between my first and 2nd attempt (both with 49 Quants)
I do agree that there is no downside but I am pretty sure there is a limit of 5 tests a year. Either way I think 720 should be a retake for an M7 school.
I think for the typical top MBA applicant (ie. top undergrad GPA, work experience, ECs, etc), the GMAT is more of a check-the-box so as long as long you score above a certain score (and i would say that currently, 720 seems to be the level you need to score at or higher). For these, I'm not sure the actual score really matters so I would say that the marginal effort is not worth it. Now, it might be different if you didn't have a strong GPA, but then I would think that HSW is probably out of your reach anyway.
Right, but OP asked about top b schools like HBS and Wharton... 720 is below average for these schools, and by being from a non-MBB consulting firm OP is below average in the consulting cohort. 720 + 2nd tier consulting will get OP safely into UT, UCLA, Fuqua etc., but don't count on admission from any top 5 schools with that, the field is just too competitive. Sure, it happens (helps to be URM or female), but I'd argue that improving the score does a lot for OP in setting him/herself apart in a crowded consultant cohort, especially if targeting HSW.
Diminishing returns on verbal. I got Q49 and V46 for a 760 and know others who got a few points lower on verbal and got the same score.
Im targeting admission for 2018 to my schools and i can based on communication thus far with my target schools recruitment teams, GMAT is only part of the consideration.
For me, I'm in Big 4 consulting but I've had rapid promotion in my field (Manager at the age of 24) - again, this is only one aspect of the the application and they'll also consider your story, interview etc..
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I would retake. If you're second-tier consultancy (which is fine) know that you will be competing with first-tier consultancy and first-tier IB kids. Get as many factors in your favor as possible (Target, GPA, 750+ GMAT) and write great essays. You got this, whatever factors you can control from this point, control them
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