I took the GMAT recently and received an unofficial score of 710. This isn't as great as I had hoped, mostly because I didn't do very well on the quant section. I'm applying to Harvard's 2+2 program as a female (does that part even help?) from a top-10 liberal arts college with a 3.5/4.0 major gpa/post-1st year gpa and 3.1 overall gpa (which hopefully will be up after this semester). I'm going to be at a BB this summer in Risk Management, am a research assistant working on a paper with a professor, have my own business, and helped found my school's business/finance club (along with many other EC's). I'll be getting rec's from the prof I am a RA for and a very highly regarded Econometrics professor.
I figure I need a 750+ to counter-act the stinky GPA, which means I'd need to take the GMAT again. Do you (wonderful WSO members) think this is necessary? Will it help my chances? If so, what sort of prep (other than the official guide, which I used the first go round) should I do to improve my quant score?
Thanks!
Math/verbal breakdown? I am leaning towards retaking - your ECs look great and maybe if you have the time it could be worth it. Your situation is one of very few 710s where I think retaking is a viable option.
Did you feel that you didn't do as well as you could have? Felt sick, tired, was getting distracted, etc? Unless you can honestly say you had something impeding you performance, it wouldn't be worth re-taking
I don't have my sheet anymore but I believe it was 98th percentile Verbal and 67th percentile Math. Something in the high 90's and mid 60's, in any case. So, there's a clear discrepancy between Verbal and Math scores, which I've heard is undesirable.
I honestly feel like some of the math was stuff I just didn't know. I did every math problem in the Official GMAT guide, but ended up running out of time to really go through and learn everything I missed. A lot of the manipulating fractions type stuff I never have encountered in school, so if I retake I'd focus on learning that stuff cold. I didn't feel sick or tired, just incredibly nervous.
Don't retake it unless you are absolutely confident you can break 750, with a worst case scenario being a 730. The truth is that stats only take you so far -- a massive amount of weight is put on the softer part of your profile (essays, background, life experiences, etc.) If you're pressed for time (which it sounds like you were the 1st go around), you may just end up stressing yourself out without making any progress.
I think I can get at least a 730. I think I just managed my time poorly the first go round. I thought that the questions in the official GMAT book were a steady mixture of hard vs. easy, and since I was getting most right, I figured I was set. Then I realized that it got harder as it went along, so the last week before the exam I realized how much I had to go on the harder problems. Also, now that I've taken one exam and know what the time budgeting is like, I think I'll be more confident going into the next.
I'm glad to hear that so much emphasis is placed on the "softer part," though. So do you think that a 750 would make a huge difference over a 710 given my GPA and other qualities?
Don't worry about the quant score, adcoms understand the handicaps of the female mind.
Too busy getting taken to pound town freshman year to keep the grades up?
I don't know but are you single ?
+1
Also I got into HBS (not 2+2) with a lower GMAT than that, if that helps you. I did have a higher GPA, though, so it was kind of the other way around.
To some of the guys on this site: Please grow up.
Just got the official score report and it was 44 Verbal (97%) 43 Quant (65%) and 6 for the essays. As I said before, clearly the quant is what I have to work on the most. I'm going to think about it more this weekend and then decide if I want to take it again or not.
Thanks for your help!
If you have a spare few months, retake it. If not, move on with life.
OP, when i look at your name real fast i think anal....just my 2 cents.
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