Taking my 3rd GMAT, may need to do a 4th time as well.

[rohitcyril]

Hi,

I'm in a bit of a fix. I'm scheduled to take my third crack at the GMAT on the 16th of July, and so far preparations have been going well. Unfortunately, my grandfather fell ill a couple of days back and is currently hospitalised. The prognosis is not good and we don't think he'll make it.

My schedule has been disrupted over the last few days as a result, and I'm probably not in the ideal frame of mind going into the final two weeks. However, at this point I am considering going ahead with the test as scheduled, while keeping in the mind the possibility that I may need to take it again (which would then make that my fourth attempt) if I don't hit my target score of 700+.

My question is - Will taking it for a fourth time be considered a red flag in my application? I am targeting schools in the top 15 in the U.S. For perspective, my first attempt was in November 2012, and my second in May 2013 - so it has been well over a year since my last attempt and over 18 months since my first. Would that be a mitigating factor when considering the number of attempts I've had?

I got a 640 in my first attempt, and a 680 in my second. I feel I should be able to crack 700 in my next shot. I guess the safer thing to do would be to postpone my date by 2-3 weeks. But for personal reasons (one being that I need to cancel a trip I've been planning for long), and because it messes up how I've planned the rest of my application process - I would much rather give it as scheduled currently and take it again only if needed. So essentially I'm trying to weigh up postponing the date against how negatively a fourth attempt would be viewed by those reviewing my application. Any advice would be much appreciated. Thanks!

[mbamissionjenK]

Hi there,

First of all, my condolences and I'm so sorry to hear about your grandfather's health.

I'm sure that makes preparing for the GMAT challenging.

I think at this point you could go either way with it, but if you feel like that is still the most ideal point in time to take it, then stick with it and see what happens (continuing to prepare as much as you can until then of course). You may be pleasantly surprised. Also, schools take the highest score, so I wouldn't worry TOO much about it. There is a new feature/option too, where you can choose to cancel your score if you are not satisfied with it right after the exam. It will show up as 'C'/cancelled on the score report, but worse case, you could also explain your personal circumstances as the reason for cancelling, if for some reason it came up. Many applications just ask you to self report your highest score, and it's verified later with the score report.

Wishing you all the best!