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BenjaminC428
Course Students
 
Posts: 10
Joined: Thu Nov 06, 2014 5:45 pm
 

GMAT & Resume Feedback

by BenjaminC428 Fri Mar 04, 2016 11:28 am

Hello,

I scored a 690 (47Q/38V), 6 IR at the end of last year and am looking to get into an MBA program that ranks in the top 20 (presumably looking at universities that rank 10 through 20). My professional experience is engineering & project management for manufacturing companies (i'm a male also). I'm assuming I represent a demographic that is heavily represented at business schools, so I will have to stand out more so than minority candidates. I have a few questions I was looking for feedback on:

(1) Regarding the GMAT score, is 47 (67%)/38(84%) a balanced score?

(2) Any tips for highlighting "promotions" that didn't include title changes? I have always worked for smaller companies where typically a promotion consisted of maintaining the same title but receiving increased compensation

(3) Is the stigma of getting a 6xx score vs. a 7xx score as big as I perceive it? There is a psychological piece to getting a 6xx score that has taken me a long time to come to terms with. I plan to retake the test if I don't get into any schools for 2016 entry (filling out 2 round 4 applications for IE & IESE in Spain). I know deep down i can do better because I was dealing with several personal issues at the time of my test.

(4) How important are undergraduate grades? I had a cumulative GPA of 3.4, but had one year where I was completely disengaged and my grades reflect such. Unfortunately this time period was my senior year (part 1). On a positive note it took me an extra semester to graduate and I crushed the final semester grade wise.

Thanks for any help you are able to provide,

Ben
mbaMissionKate
Prospective Students
 
Posts: 169
Joined: Fri Mar 27, 2015 8:50 am
 

Re: GMAT & Resume Feedback

by mbaMissionKate Fri Mar 04, 2016 4:54 pm

Hi Ben!
Thanks for sharing your profile here. Manufacturing is not typically considered an overrepresented pre-MBA field so I don't think that will hurt you. Now coming from a more technical field will mean you'll need to show you've got strong soft skills too like teamwork, relationship building, motivating /influencing others, etc. Regarding your specific questions....

(1) Yes I consider your score to be balanced. We usually look for at least a 47 quant and at least a 35 verbal.
(2) Perhaps ask your recommenders to explain that title promotions are not typical at your company? I think it will sound more credible coming from them, and then they can speak to all the increased responsibilities you have. Make sure your resume highlights these increased responsibilities too. When it comes time to fill out the application you'll also be asked to report your starting and ending salary so they will see those increases there and know that you've been rewarded. Otherwise, if you feel it really looks unusual, you could explain this in a very brief optional essay.
(3) I don't think it's as big as you think it is...to me, 690 and 700 are so close! And your score is high enough to show you can manage the curriculum. Now your score is not really doing anything to increase a top school's overall average, so that's why retaking could help you. It also doesn't hurt to try again (they always accept your highest).
(4) Undergrad GPA is definitely important. But it's not as easy to compare between applicants as the GMAT is. Your overall GPA is very good, so I wouldn't stress about it too much. Plan to write an optional essay explaining the circumstances of that semester, perhaps retake the GMAT to get a higher score that "counteracts" those lower grades, and if there are any courses (particularly quantitative ones) that you did really badly in / failed, you could consider taking them again through an extension program or community college. But I would focus on GMAT above that.

Good luck and keep us posted if we can help!
Kate Richardson
mbaMission
www.mbamission.com
kate@mbamission.com


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