GMAT

I am currently in the process of applying to business school via the deferred admission route, and would like to give my $0.02 on the decision of whether to take the GMAT or GRE. When I first decided on whether to really focus on the GRE or GMAT for business school I looked at a bunch of posts on here as well as read articles online and saw (assumed) that the GMAT was pretty much the norm and - being strong in math - I opted to vigorously start studying for the GMAT. However, the plan to take the GMAT kinda blew up when (1) my in-person test got cancelled because of freaking COVID and (2) the

18 May 2020

Hey everyone, Just took my GMAT this morning and scored 760 (IR8/Q50/V44), which is at the 99th percentile. While this is certainly not the limit of what many of you could score, I think my experience going through the process might be valuable to share, so I'm hoping at least a few people can learn something new here or at least gain some confidence. I started studying about 5 weeks ago. I am starting with MBB in a couple weeks so yes, they paid for a full prep course, but I elected to take the self-study package rather than the in-classroom package. I got the Manhattan GMAT (MGMAT) Interact package that came with 12 study books, the Official Guide, the Official Review books for quant and verbal, online lessons, and 6 online computer-adaptive tests (CATs). This is definitely not a marketing post for MGMAT -- while it had a lot of good resources, it had its serious flaws as well. I appreciated having books for literally every topic covered on the GMAT, but I also found that it was way too much information. It seemed like the books were written for an absolute beginner, so I found myself skipping through most of the pages to find the crucial bits of information that would actually help me on the exam (i.e. the typical Pythagorean triples or the common formats of critical reasoning questions). In the end, I decided that the information in the books was not anything that I couldn't learn myself by doing a lot of practice problems.

31 Aug 2014

I know people will throw banana shit on me for this question, but I am being honest and not trolling. I appreciate in advance all advice! For my last 3 practice exams, I got 780, 780, and 800. For 2 of those exams, I finished with 5-15 minutes left for both Q and V. On two of those exams, I got perfect V scores. On the day of the exam, I had 1-2 questions on Quant that I found difficult and had to take semi-guesses on. These two questions put me back a bit on timing and I had to hurry up a bit for the last 10 questions. I finished with 3 minutes left, but felt rushed. On Verbal, I had 10

12 Jun 2020

So with round 1 mba admissions cycle starting to get into full gear, a lot of applicants are very anxious. I recently had a chance to catch up with an old friend of mine who just graduated from a top 5 business school and was a student member of the adcom. After talking about a lot of random stuff, I asked him about mba admissions and for his thoughts on the process. Since he graduated, he was able to give more details than usual. I'm gonna paraphrase what he said in quotes regarding a few issues that I brought up. 1. Importance of the GMAT

22 Jul 2012

Mod Note (Andy) - we're reposting the top Q&As from 2015, this one was originally posted 1/18/2015. I hope everyone is doing well. I just wanted to give back to the community who really helped me out more than I could ever ask for. Quick shout out to a few members who greatly helped me on my journey (Mod Note - I moved the shout outs to bottom of the post). I got into multiple top 20 programs with a 660 GMAT, no name undergrad (decent GPA), and I am an OverRepresented Majority (ORM). I don't want to get into school details yet, but I'm sure I will reveal where I end up going and try to help out the community onwards. My Abridged Story: I went to an unranked undergrad that had door to door sales for AT&T come for its OCR. I majored in business and accounting and loved it, but had no idea how to search for a job when I graduated (never did an internship either). I was EXTREMELY fortunate (lucky) to get a job at a startup about a month after I graduated. The pay was horrible, the hours were horrible, but the work itself was pretty good. The CEO closed the company down some time later, and I was back hunting for jobs (which I had no idea how to do). I thought it would be easier with experience, so I just shot my crappy resume all over monster and online into its black hole. I was thinking of applying for an MSF since I struck out, so I started studying for the GMAT. Studied for a long time and got a 660. A friend told me that I might have had jitters because I was doing much better on practice, so I took it again 31 days later and got a 650!

02 Jan 2016

Plus make sure to see my post How I got a 770 on the GMAT with minimal effort while working banking hours

16 Sep 2012

Moderator note (Andy): this was originally posted on 5/17/12, Here is the link to his study guide Background: I recently took the GMAT and scored a 770 on my first and only try. Long story short, I studied and took the exam under conditions that would not be considered ideal by most people. I work 80+ hours a week and pull all-nighters relatively frequently (which led to a lot of days off from studying). If you are interested in taking the exam, or simply in hearing about my experience, please read on. Here is what you will need and the process of how to do it: Manhattan GMAT book series (8 books total - 5 quant, 3 verbal)

10 Apr 2013

Hey guys, new to the community, and looking for some advice. I'm hoping to go to either McCombs or Rice for my MBA, but I haven't taken the GMAT yet. My profile is as follows: - BS Mechanical Engineering, large state school in TX - 3.7 GPA / magna cum laude - Hispanic (edit: half hispanic, look white but have the hispanic last name etc.) - 3 years Oil & Gas experience - EC: Mentor to underprivileged middle school student; head of one of the subcommittees at my current company; volunteer for various organizations in the Houston area - Career goals: Consulting or IB - Looking to matriculate in

29 Mar 2018

Hi everyone, I'm aiming to take the GMAT in a couple months and I'm looking into prep options. After trying out the free trials, I've limited them down to Veritas and Manhattan Prep. I'm looking for an online self-study method that is comprehensive and will help me to reach my 700+ goal (I scored 600 on my first practice exam, still rusty on material). I like Veritas because it seems very straight-forward, has a strategy focused approach, and has about 5000 practice questions. But I also like MP due to the interactive nature of the online course that will help me identify weaknesses while

03 May 2019

These are my top 5 schools. Do I need a reality check? 1) MIT 2) Columbia 3) Tuck 4) Oxford 5) Fuqua I want know with my profile what are my chances at a M7 or T10. School: No-name state school. Finance degree(change degrees around a lot) Demographic: White male GPA: I received a 3.71 GPA, Only took 12 credits a semester as I had to work while in school. One semester I got a 3.2 GPA the rest I was around 3.5-4.0 GPA. Took me 4.5 years and I had to drop 1 class due to COVID and one semester due to health issues..(7 W's on transcript) Intern Experience: Accounting role at a Asset Management firm

14 Sep 2020

Hi community, I don't want to spark another general „MBA worth it or not" discussion, instead I'm interested in your opinions based on my specific situation. Some background info: - European citizen - 31 years of age (yes, old but quite normal where I'm from) - Master's degree in Economics at a Tier 2 uni - 2 years DCM at a Tier 2/3 bank in Frankfurt (think HSBC, BNP, RBC) - 2.5 years Private Debt Fund at Tier 1 AM in London (think Pimco, BlackRock, MetLife) Last week, I have been accepted at INSEAD for the full-time 1-year MBA program starting in summer 2018. When the program starts I would

19 Dec 2017

Applying to deferred programs this march. I currently attend a top 20 undergrad and have a 3.9+ GPA. I also interned last summer at a BB and will be going back FT there next year. Do you think taking the GRE instead of the GMAT would hurt my chances at a top 5 B-School? I'm really torn as I don't want to put the effort into the GMAT only to be able to score higher on the GRE instead... Thanks!!

14 Dec 2020

Hi All, I recently scored a 710 on the GMAT after a long and arduous journey in which I crawled my way up from a 430 I began to realize what worked and what the most effective methods are to get there in the shortest amount of time possible and I created a couple of videos (with more to come if you find them beneficial) to help others who are in a similar position or who want to maximize their score.

Feel free to ask me anything. Enjoy

28 Dec 2019

Hi everyone! I hope you are well. I just did my GMAT yesterday and got a disappointing 680 (Q43, V40). My simulations always ranged between 700-750 and Q44-Q50. I would like to apply for a Master's in Finance at the following schools (especially Bocconi): - ESSEC - HEC - Bocconi - Imperial - ESCP My profile: - 21 y.o. Italian - 3rd Year BSc Political Economy student at KCL (on track for a 1st/ 4.0 GPA) - Taken modules like Microeconomics, Macroeconomics, Advanced Macroeconomics, Mathematics for Economics, Econometrics etc. - Undergraduate Research Fellow - Worked as research assistant and

26 Sep 2020

I am a senior at a Public Ivy graduating this May, and beginning work full time at Big 4 Consulting firm the last week in July (I was originally under the impression I'd be starting in October.) With the adjustment in my start date, I am now unsure how realistic it is for me to try and get the exam done before I start. I would have all of June and the majority of July to study essentially 7 days a week with no other responsibilities. Would love an opinion on the matter---- part of me thinks this is possible as I've read study time is suggest at 2-3 months for people who are working full time

28 Mar 2017

Just graduated from ASU with an EE degree and business minor and am becoming increasingly disenchanted with working as an engineer. Finance appeals to me because of the high ceiling on career growth and performance based compensation. I went to high school in AZ and got a 90%+ tuition academic scholarship which means I essentially went to school for free (cheaper than community college). Big difference in my opinion between kids at ASU that are from in-state on scholarship and those that are from out of state and at ASU just to party. Learning that employers tend to not make this distinction

13 Oct 2020

Hey guys, I go to the University of Miami. Im trying to decide if i should try to get into UM's MSF program, which doesn't require me to take the GMAT or have any recommendations as I am already a student of the undergraduate business school OR if i should go back home, study and take my GMAT and then apply to higher ranking MSF programs at the next round of admissions. Current situation: Been trying to get a job in 1)IB 2)PE 3)VC but have not found anything promising. Hoping this program will set me apart when I apply for IB next time.

28 Feb 2018

Just took the GMAT the other weekend and scored a 700 (Q47, V40) and I'm wondering if I should retake to improve my likelihood of getting into a top 20 school or work on other aspects of my application. I studied a lot so any improvement would likely be negligible (maybe 700 to a 710-720). Post MBA goal is IB or Corp Dev and here's a little more about my background: - majored in finance. 3.92 cumulative GPA from top 25 public university (50-60 overall) - pretty solid leadership experience while in undergrad - currently employed by F500 bank in operations (no promotions to date, potential for 1

05 Mar 2021

Hi there fellow monkeys, I have been a long time lurker here, only recently started posting and was wondering if I could get some input from you guys regarding my struggles with GMAT. I am trying to apply to M7 schools this coming fall and have taken the GMAT three times, I am an international who studied undergrad in US and work in Big 4 consultancy in Eastern Europe. My first attempt was more of an feeling out process, to see how the exam was, how would I do and what my weaknesses would be. I only practiced around 70-90 questions in problem solving before going in. Surprisingly I got 700

20 Jul 2018

I am curious to see if the GMAT study material actually makes people smarter or is studying just an exercise to achieve a certain score on some standardized test.

26 Sep 2018

Fellow aspiring monkeys and experienced gorillas, I'm currently weighing the options on whether to pursue an MBA or a Master degree in order to break into Investment Banking (BB, EB, MM) and would like to hear your thoughts. I graduated in 2018 from a non-target on the east coast with a few finance internships (PE and IB) and a 3.6 GPA. Upon graduation I returned to my home country (developing country: not yet recognized as an emerging or frontier market) to work in a small (10 people) family owned government supplies business. I'm planning to give my GMATs soon in order to apply to the

12 Jan 2021

Mod note: "Best of Bankerella" - this was originally posted 6/22/12 Do you want to go to a top b-school? You should have a 99th percentile GMAT. This is hugely controversial. I have no idea why. If you're already assured of getting into your top school because you're so awesome or your dad's name is on one of the buildings, go ahead and flame me. This post is not for you. If you already got into your top school with a sub-99th percentile score, awesome -- but this post is not for you. If you currently lack certainty around getting into your top school, here's why you need a 760+ score:

02 Jul 2013

Hello, I am applying to the Msc in Finance programmes at LSE and HEC as I just received my GMAT scores. I am a bit worried because I will likely not receive my official GMAT scores until a couple weeks (late application will hurt my chances) plus my GMAT quant score is not stellar. Could you please tell me how likely do you think it is for me to get into the programs, considering my situation? My profile: -GMAT: 710 (90%) Q47 V40 -Bachelor: Economics a target university in Spain with a 8.60/10 (8 out of a class of 160) -1 year Exchange: University of Chicago: Booth (Economics, Corporate

26 Jan 2019

Hi all - I'm an analyst a few years out of undergrad looking to start studying for the GMAT. I've read numerous threads that all seem to throw support behind Manhattan's line of books/materials for the GMAT. Does anyone have any suggestions on GMAT prep materials and/or general thoughts? Much appreciated.

22 Mar 2018

Hi guys, I'm an average undergrad student(20 yo) from an average uni in Bangalore, India. GPA - 7.5, 2 internships in wealth management ( not well-known firms), 1 on-going internship in quantitative finance( not a well-known frim). I'll be writing CFA L1, feb 2021. yet to take the GMAT, I'll probably get around 680-700. I've completed a bunch of Insidesherpa virtual experience modules and I'm doing 2 courses on coursera ( python and investment management). I've recently started to trade penny stocks with a small sum, I'd like to take this forward too. I want to make big money in the comings

23 Aug 2020

I know The top MBA programs accept a GRE score instead of a GMAT but how important is having a GMAT Score when applying to internships and jobs at a consulting firm (specifically Boston, Bain and McKinsey)? Does applying with a GRE score when aiming for an MBB make the application look inconsistent or under-researched?

27 Aug 2021

Hi there! I am selling my barely used Magoosh account (decided not to take the GMAT). A friend of mine used it, said "you can definitely achieve 750+ with the material". Premium account worth 250$, still has 10 months to go! Price is negotiable of course. Let me know if anyone is interested :)

10 Nov 2020

As the title suggests, I'm looking to begin studying for the GMAT and have a roughly ~2.5 month timeline. I was thinking of taking Manhattan's course as I've heard good things about them. Looking to score 720+. Any advice would be appreciated Thanks!

19 Feb 2021

What's the best prep for GMAT? Is the GMAT easier than GRE?

06 Nov 2012

I am an international student, and I have been admitted to WUSTL MS Finance (Quantitative track) and U Rochester Simon MSF. Both programs have given me some funding (25% from WUSTL and 40% from Simon). Both are 17-month programs and I would like to do a summer internship in BB IBD or Asset Management company (e.g. JP Morgan, Goldman Sachs, BlackRock, Putnam, Fidelity). My preferred location is NorthEast, i.e. Boston and New York. For me, the main distinction is in the program content, since WUSTL MSF (Q) is very quantitative including courses such as Stochastic Finance, math.fin and advanced

23 Feb 2017

I've been trying to find a thread that relates to this, but haven't found a relevant one. I'm planning on pursuing a MBA dual degree with a masters in another field (leaning towards urban planning, but basically something that doesn't require the GMAT). The plus side with urban planning and some other masters programs is that there isn't as much of an emphasis on rankings as business schools, with it mostly being driven by going to school in the market you generally want to be in post grad. Post grad I'm interested in a combination of infrastructure investing/project finance as well as in

28 Dec 2018

Hello WSO, Firstly I am very grateful that I have found this forum and I sincerely hope that this community can aid me in attaining my goal. At any rate, from June to July/August 2016 I will have the opportunity to study for the GMAT. My aim is 740 and I plan to study seven hours every day from the start of June (after my University exams) to the end of July/beginning of August. 740…is such goal achievable for an individual with average intelligence? I would assume that I am most likely above; but I don't think I am as smart as most people here. I have read that some people on here only needed

24 Mar 2016

Time to share one of my most useful mantras: Fuck it up faster. This mantra alone got me (and one of my two students) from the low 700's to the mid-700's. Warning: if you're already 750+, do not use this. It may hose you. You get roughly two minutes per question on the GMAT math section. This section is designed to keep shifting you into higher and higher gears until you reach a problem you can't solve in two minutes. In fact, the whole GMAT is designed to make you screw up... and it will succeed. The key is learning how to screw up like a 760+ student and not like a 700 student.

29 Jun 2012

I would be interested in postgraduate study in future and henceforth would like to clear the GMAT as quickly as possible. I have read a lot about the GMAT on this forum and on other websites in recent weeks; but I have my concerns. One user on this forum stated "The GMAT is a complete joke, if you can't score 700+ with only a few weeks of practice and learning data sufficiency, you weren't that smart to begin with." What worries me is that I am not as smart as you lot, I am a very hard working person (which is what I am relying on to achieve 740), but the fact that there are people who are

14 Aug 2015

Currently a senior in college going to graduate in a few months and per the suggestion of friends, former colleagues, and many users on here I decided that I wanted to take the GMAT before I start my full time job in June. A few days ago I took a GMATPrep practice test cold through their software and scored a 460 (27Q,27V). Although I haven't prepped at all yet and I am scheduled to start a prep class in February to further prepare for the test, I am concerned because I am starting out at such a low score and I want to get the best score as possible. I was originally planning to sit for the

24 Jan 2015

I'm going to start off by saying this is not another CFA vs. MBA thread. The purpose of this thread is to address a completely different issue. I'm trying to figure out what percentage of the college educated population is even capable of passing all three levels of the CFA and what percentage of the college educated population is capable of getting a 700 gmat score. MBA: Looking at gmat practice tests, I get the impression that it is more an aptitude test than a test of knowledge. If someone's raw score is 500, no matter how much they study, odds are they're never going to get a 700.

06 Nov 2013

I've never actually met or even heard of anyone getting a perfect GMAT whereas it seems pretty common on SAT and GRE. Is that b/c its just that difficult or because the creators of the test won't let you? i.e. if you got all 41 V and 37 match questions right they would just give you a 790 or something?

10 Aug 2012

What does the GMAT test you on outside of math? I'm looking for a masters in finance at a target uni.

16 Jan 2021

The M.B.A. degree used to be a sure thing, but today it may be becoming obsolete. T-Rex with a busted ankle, hobbling towards the Cenozoic. How quickly the world can change... Not too long ago, with a Top 5-10 M.B.A. in tow, you could write your own ticket. Guys and gals going through the M.B.A. pipeline in the late 90's/early 00's had six-figure offers in the multiples by the end of their first-year summer. I'm including the undergrad physical recreation majors and latin poetry majors with little tangible work experience.

28 Aug 2010

Hi Monkeys, I've been working as a Corporate Banker at a tier 2 non american bank since summer 2018 after graduating from a middle of the road state school. I've been trying to make the move to IB for over half a year. I've had multiple final rounds at a number of reputable shops (think bottom tier BBs, solid MMs, and top groups at not top tier shops), but have not received any offers. It's no longer them now, so it has to be me. I feel as if I really crushed some of them, so I'm at a bit of a loss. Because feedback on rejections is fairly sparse , I imagine my experience isn't up to snuff and

23 Dec 2019

How important are gmat scores? I would like to apply to LSE or HEC Paris MSc Finance program and saw that the average gmat score of applicants was around 700. I will take the GMAT soon and I'm wondering if I should apply if I have a score of 650, or even below that. What are the boundaries; when should you apply and when not based on GMAT? Apart from that, I have an undergrad of GPA 3.5 and masters degree of GPA 4.0 from a non target in Europe and have done an excellence (honor) program. I think this will not ruin my chances, but just how important is GMAT for applications? It seems like (B)-schools are publishing average GMAT scores because they are very proud of it. The upward trend seems to be a quality statement.

14 Dec 2011

I recently got rejected from HBS after applying directly from college. 740 GMAT/3.8GPA. I'm graduating in the spring, and working at a $1B AUM early-mid stage VC fund in the US. I know that scores are valid for up to 5 years after I graduate. However, do schools keep the scores on record year after year after you've sent it to them once? I used my free score reports for Wharton, Stanford and Harvard after writing the GMAT. 1) If they do keep the scores and you don't need to resend them, then there is no risk in retaking in the event I have a bad day and get lower? 2) If I do retake, since I took it in senior year of college, will schools hold it against me as much as a regular applicant since I took it so early? 3) Should I retake or is the score adequate for my cohort? Breakdown of my score is below

29 Feb 2012

Mod Note (Andy): My mighty content intern compiled a list of the top 20 GMAT/B-School posts on WSO. Some of these discussions are no longer active but still are filled with GREAT info. If there are any ones we missed please link to in the comments. Enjoy monkeys! GMAT 1. phantombanker's GMAT Study Guide 2. How I got a 770 on the GMAT with minimal effort while working banking hours… 3. 760 on GMAT -- Game Plan 4. 15 Steps To Mastering The GMAT 5. My GMAT Study Plan B-School 1. What I've learned so far after 1 yr at a top MBA program (If I could do it over) 2. Reflections on Year 1 at Booth 3

27 May 2015

Hi guys, I will be graduating a semester early and wanted to get your take on what I could spend my semester off doing. I already have my IB offer and want to take this opportunity to study for my GMAT, build out my extracurriculars for business school, and most importantly, have fun before I sign my life away as an analyst. Some things that came to mind were teaching English in a foreign country, intensely picking up a new hobby (one of my friends who graduated last year took a semester off to go to culinary school, which I could definitely be interested in), volunteering in a foreign country

29 Dec 2015

Since a lot on the board have taken it just curious to see and hear what everyones scores breakdowns etc are/were 700 Overall, 48Q 38V, 6 AWA... 82/83/96 (or 92 forgot ;p) percentile each. Not sure if i want or need to bother with retaking since i got decently solid quant score and have both the 7-- handle and the 80th percentile and above on each section and AWA to offset lack of sentence construction ability :> lol

25 May 2011

I recently graduated from college and begin work on July 28th. I have studied for the GMAT for the past month and a half, and took them yesterday and got a 670 44Q/38V. I got a little tripped up on timing on the actual exam and have score mid-low 700's on several CAT's. (I have no doubt a low to mid 700 is obtainable) My tutor suggested taking a week or two as a break and then starting up again once my job is situated. (I am also most likely getting approved for extra time on the exam.) I definitely see a benefit to taking a small break as I think staring at that material every day for hours

20 Jul 2017

Hey guys, Bit of a backstory: 3rd year in a corp finance role, was looking to go into an MBA program this upcomng year. Submitted all my documents etc to the schools i was applying for, however I scored poorly on the GMAT exam (530). My question is, what now? its obviously too late to rewrite before decisions are made...so do I just suck it up and try again next year? BTW I am in Calgary AB, so i applied to University of Alberta, University of Calgary, Queen's and University of Toronto. Thanks in advance for any helpful input

16 May 2012

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.

05 Apr 2012

Took gmat some time ago and mid 600s... not bad not great but good enough i think to get into the schools I am trageting.. retaking to try to get a higher score and take a practice exam.... mid 400s..WTF....this happen to anyone else? it is playing major tricks on my focus now.... help your boy get back on track....

25 Oct 2010

Currently a senior with some time on my hands. Prepping/planning on taking the GMAT next spring before the changes. I know that the scores are good for 5 years but I plan on working at least two years in banking and possibly another 2 somewhere else. By that time most applicants will have taken the new version of the exam... will I be at a disadvantage with scores from the old exam?

27 Dec 2011