Just curious which schools are still on the table with a 710 GMAT but, 97th percentile verbal and 65th quant split.
Obviously admission depends on other factors, but let’s say:
- 4 years NY BB Public finance
- 3.9+ GPA in Business Economics from semi-target state school
- Quant classes include Calc I (A), Finite Math (A+), Stats (A+), Econometrics (A-), Microecon (A+)
- Average extra curriculars / community service*
- Good essays and recs*
- White American male
Would the low quant be an instant-ding at the M7? Would stuff like Yale SOM, Haas, Said, Judge, LBS, INSEAD still be on the table?
Not sure I could improve the GMAT quant score much, but could take local college courses in math classes and probably get A’s.
Wouldn't say its a ding, but I would think the adcom would wonder why there is a relatively large gap between the quant and verbal scores
I have a better question. How did you score a 65% in Quant with a 3.9+ GPA in Business Econ and 4 years in Public Finance?
Are you sure you can't retake it and land a 750+ GMAT?
To clarify, I took the GMAT as a college senior, before starting work.
Not sure if I could to any better, to be honest. I studied 5 months with the Manhattan GMAT books and the official guides. I got the same score on my first practice test 3 months into studying as I did on my second practice test 4 months in as I did on the real thing.
Maybe I wasn’t studying efficiently, or maybe a prep course could help, but I’m a little doubtful I could improve that much.
No idea. We did some linear programming and matrix stuff in Finite. Not sure if that overlaps with linear algebra or not
The GMAT quant just tests the exact stuff that my mind was not made to naturally do lol. The advanced number property stuff, rates, etc I thought was really hard. If there was no time limit I think I’d be okay, but I can’t think through that stuff in 2 mins. I also accidentally took 2 minutes too long on the break before the quant section (no clock in the room, and no one alerted me !). That’s the biggest factor I think I could improve, cause I was definitely rushed at the end.
That’s encouraging!
Wonder if public finance is lumped together with other bankers or not? Hell, I actually wouldn’t be that opposed to a stint in the peace corps....I think I actually have an outstanding app going haha
I don't think it would hurt to retake it, but I have a friend who got into Wharton this year with that same spread. His work experience is unique, which might have given him a leg up. Not that its necessarily more impressive than yours, but your GMAT scores might matter more if you can be more easily compared to other candidates.
Unrelated, but how did you take econometrics without linear algebra or did you just not list it?
How are you getting A's in all of those quant classes but only 65th percentile on a test that 14 year olds can ace? No offense intended, I am just curious. I would think those classes are MUCH harder than the material on the GMAT. I think you should study hard, retake, and ace that shit
If you frequent gmatclub some, you'd find admission consultants suggesting that the importance of having a 80 80 split is really overblown. Admissions care a lot more about overall gmat score than individual split. This is obviously assuming that you have a series of A's in math related classes to prove your competence in quant.
Given that you're within one or less standard deviation below median of any M7 school, with a stellar gpa, as well as solid work experience, your shot is fair at most schools (maybe not H/W/S), assuming you execute well on your essays and have a consistent story.
If you did your GMAT in your senior year, isn't it going to expire by next year anyways? Public finance is not lumped together with other bankers so you're okay there. With your 4 years of work exp you're at the prime time to apply. So yeah, forget about peace corps.
Spend a month on your math and see if you notice any significant improvements on your practice CATs. If you truly don't believe you could do better than 65% then that's fine. Cast a wide net and hope someone bites. But you'd need to be mentally prepared for all dings from M7. Once you get past you're probably more than okay for the other schools. NY BB Public Finance, 3.9 GPA, "average" extras, good overall GMAT (they could easily blink at your quant since you don't hurt their GMAT average)
A+?? New.
How to make up a low quant score on the GMAT for T-15 scools? (Originally Posted: 09/21/2017)
So I recently took my 2nd gmat
the first was a 650 with mid 60s percentile on both which i just appeared for without much studying
However in this one I got a 700.
My verbal was a 94% but my quant is a pathetic 52%. its embarassing.
in the practise tests i was getting quants of 70-80% and verbal of 80-85%. So the overall score was around 720
However this has been a complete shock to the system
unfortunately i dont think i can reappear for the gmat again. And also im not sure how good a strategy it is considering theres always a chance i wont be able to maintain my verbal even if quant goes up a bit
So question is what can i do to assuade fears regarding quant. in undergrad i did not have a quant heavy major either. though i do work in investment banking
I plan to apply in round 1 (october) and round 2 (jan this year)
perhaps i can reappear for gmat in Jan but asides from then its not possible to take it
any help appreciated
best/easiest option is just to retake. Alternatively, take some math courses at a local college and get As
its really not an easy option at this point
Why is it not an option? How old are you? If you're under 28 then I'd spend a year prepping (take a class) and reapp next year. If you add 20 points from quant it will mean the world to your profile.
94% V is a killer and a shame to have overall have low points with Q.
basically these things would get you a solid 80% Q:
x, y, z variable reshuffles formulas, a= b+c, exponentials, fractions shapes, squares, triangles, a circle has 192 sides... testing answers back into questions (pick I, II, III, IV types) **data sufficiency: can you see what's needed to solve a problem (and pretend you have solved it)
I have that problem as well. Verbal 91st percentile, Quant sub-50th. I used my optional essay to point to specific undergrad quant courses (calc, stats, finance) as well as my current role as a finance analyst. I additionally had both my recommenders use the optional essay to describe how my quant heavy work is integral to the success of my team and a benefit to the firm. Advice from my overpaid consultant, is that schools are mostly looking to be assured that you can succeed in quant heavy classes (like calc, stats, finance). You come from a finance background so use that to your advantage with concrete examples. Also, hate to say it but perhaps bite the bullet and take one more shot at the GMAT. I have my last attempt scheduled Oct 5th, with R1 deadline Oct 6th. $250 and 4 hours of time is not that much to give all things considered..
theres no way i can get time off to study
Currently i have the following scenarios.
Apply with the current score I have to around 3 schools (1 MBA business schools">M7, two T15) and see where I stand. If its three dings without interviews I really have a lot to worry about. Also as soon as Im done with the three R1 apps I start on R2 essays
And for R2 (Jan) I have another gmat retake done by Dec-end and hopefully a higher score. And with that apply to 5-6 schools and see what i get assuming there were 3 dings in R1
Theres no way i can get another retake done in the next 2 weeks
$250 is nothing. But you need to put in time for studying. Its not like i was hitting 90 percentiles in practise tests. it was still high 70s.
Btw stupid idea but would a 800 math score in ancient SAT work as part of my pitch of why quant should be overlooked (said SAT was in 2009). Might come across as desperate
also if you're a native english speaker, there's no reason you can't get V up to 99% with some practice
not native.
actually till 10 years ago i could barely speak coherent english
I don't understand how you score 94% and are concerned. I'm 99.9% in IQ(not a lot of us on this forum) and I didn't score above 600 on the gmat. I think you should use your score to get into an Ivy league.
Tanked the Quant Section of the GMAT: What to Do? (Originally Posted: 12/06/2014)
I took the GMAT and completely tanked the quant section: I'm freaking out because this is the second time I've taken the test and my quant score got worse. I think what happened was that I was given harder questions this time around, and I ended up guessing for almost ten of the questions, because I ran out of time. My score was a 680 (math raw score of 40 and verbal raw score of 42). I was planning to apply to top MBA programs (Wharton, Booth, Columbia, Kellogg, etc). Do I have a chance? My quant score is in the 47th percentile and my verbal is in the 96th, and my combined percentile is 84th. I'm on the Poets side of the Quant-Poet spectrum and have a little bit of undergraduate plus a little bit of master's level quant work. I think my low score is going to be a huge red flag. What should I do??
I'd try your hand at the GRE. I don't think its quite as strong as the GMAT but the test is a bit different and a very high GRE scores beats the heck out a 47th percentile Quant GMAT.
Take it again. The GMAT penalizes you HEAVILY for a string of guesses at the end (more than many people realize) or not completing the last problems. Work your time management skills. If you learn to skips problems you don't know mid test to save time, your score will increase dramatically.
Some data: 1. 680 is below average for admitted students at all of the schools you mentioned. 2. Kellogg and Columbia give a bit more detail on their websites that show 680 is in the bottom 20% of admitted students.
Two ways to interpret this: 1. GMAT isn't a strength in your profile at these schools. 2. Hundreds of applicants with your score get admitted to these schools.
You should be able to get that math percentage up. The math section is all about recognizing patterns and understanding the logic behind them. If you have some masters level quant work then you can absolutely do better on the math section. Do you know what types of problems you're struggling with? DS or PS? Do you have any gaps in the foundation knowledge of GMAT math?
In my opinion you should try one more time and really focus on the math. Buy Jeff Sackman's Total GMAT math or the MGMAT math books and go through them. Maybe even consider a tutor for a few session just to work on Math. If you were struggling to move from the 90% percentile to the 99% then that would be tougher, but getting that quant score up to the 80% or so shouldn't be that tough with some dedicated work. You just need to practice enough so that you're not guessing and not panicking when those tough questions come up.
What is your GPA? Any A's in quant courses? Adcoms need to see that you can prove yourself quantitatively. If you are a "poet" with a low GMAT quant, they will need proof that you have some analytical ability. Are you applying for round 2 this year? If so, I would just apply and if you don't get in, retake and strengthen your profile with some community college courses over the summer.
Thanks for the responses. I do think I can get my scores up but my concern is that it's so close to the application deadlines that retaking the GMAT and stressing out about it is time I could be spending strengthening the rest of my application. If I don't re-take it, is it worth explaining in my application? If so, what should I say?
I took three intermediate calculus courses in college and got all Bs and took one statistics course where I also got a B (from a top 10 school). I also took a graduate level statistics course in grad school and got an A. I'm a market researcher and it's all quantitative analysis so I don't know if that'll help. I'm just so frustrated and disappointed right now because I don't think my score reflects my abilities and all my studying went down the tubes because I couldn't manage my time on the test.
I'd strongly suggest at least looking into the GRE. When I was applying I emailed the T20 about preferences between exams and only three had a stated preference for the GMAT and I don't think they were MBA business schools">M7.
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