Aiming for Stanford, great GMAT but low IR?

[LouiseB814]

I scored overall 750 (48Q and 44V) but only a 4 in the IR section. I am wondering if I should resit the exam bearing in mind I would like to apply to Stanford MSx program, I consistently scored better than this in my practise IR’s, but I am not sure I can go much higher than 750 again. I have a law / finance background so am strong in both Maths and English (although my English has shone through in GMAT). Any adivce on how Stanford exec business program would view an IR score?
thanks, Louise

[HailV663]

Hi Louise,

I know the program well -- first I would say that it is an outstanding and elite program; almost universally alums consider it the single best year of their lives.

The admissions process is rigorous; however, there is as much emphasis on leadership capacity/ potential as there is the GMAT (perhaps even more so). Additionally, many business schools, including Stanford, have not yet decided on whether to even consider the IR score. There is simply not enough history with that metric. The Stanford application allows for an essay with any explanation -- I would simply add there that you have had a very strong background in math/reasoning and that the IR score is incongruent with other data points (quant score, academic history and career performance). And while you are disappointed with the IR score, you would ask the admissions committee to consider the entire picture of your academic abilities.

Happy to discuss further and best of luck.

[mbamissionjenK]

Hi there,

Good advice from hailv663. ;) Congratulations on the 750! That is an outstanding score and I would not stress over the IR. Let us know if you have further questions or would like to discuss other application questions at any time, either here or with a free consultation at http://www.mbamission.com/consult.php. Best wishes!

[seerat.vedvyas]

I am facing the same problem.

I scored overall 760 (50Q and 42V) and 6 on the essay but only a 5 in the IR section. I wanted to know if things have become different now - are reputed b-schools such as Stanford, Harvard, Wharton, Kellogg, Chicago Booth, etc. putting emphasis on IR score in the current scenario? If yes, please could you help me understand which schools (among the ones mentioned above) are doing so and if there are some schools which are still undecided on this subject?

Thanks in advance,
Seerat

[mbaMissionKate]

Hi Seerat,
You might want to check out this recent article: http://poetsandquants.com/2015/10/06/sc ... s-on-gmat/
It seems that based on one survey, that more schools are using the IR score. But it's still not used by all schools, and is certainly not as important as your overall GMAT and your Quant score. In our experience, it's not become very important yet, so I would not worry about your score. In fact I think a 5 still puts you above the mean score so you should be just fine. You have an excellent score and I would definitely consider your GMAT to be a strength!
Good luck!