Two gmat scores - which one to use

[akalfaya]

Hi I just completed the gmat this weekend for the second time and again scored a 700 but i am confused about which exam i should report? any help or guidance is greatly appreciated. Also is there a way i can point out the strength of the other subset score during the admission process?

Test 1: Q45 (78%) V40 (90%) 700 (92%)
Test 2: Q49 (87%) V36 (78%) 700 (90%)

thanks!

[mbamission]

Hi Akalfaya,

Thanks for writing in. This is a bit of a tricky question. Technically the GMAT report will list all of your recent GMAT reports, so the schools will see both scores. The schools look at your highest overall score. In that case, the only situation where you will have to select which score to highlight is the part of the application where they will ask you for your score and breakdown (which, of course, gets verified when you send your official GMAT report to the school). Given that many schools like to see a strong Quant performance, I recommend citing "Test 2" when you are asked to provided a breakdown.

In regards to your second point, I don’t believe it is appropriate to mention the other test in an essay or interview, as you will have made the decision not to make it part of your application.

Daniel Richards
mbaMission

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[akalfaya]

Thank you for the response. Do you think then it makes sense to try and take the exam again and match up the good quant with the good verbal score? I just ran out of time on the verbal and had to randomly guess on the last few questions the second time around.

Would a 710 or 720 give me a significantly better chance at getting into the schools i am considering vs. a 700??

Schools I am considering:
Dartmouth
Northwestern
U. of Chicago
MIT
Duke
Michigan

[mbamission]

Hi Akalfaya,

On GMATs alone, a 700 should be competitive at the schools you mention. An extra 10 points is unlikely to make-or-break your application , and remember your college GPA, work experience, extracurriculars and demonstrated fit are all factors in your application. Unless you think your GMAT is the weakest part of your profile, you may want to focus your effort on your essays rather than trying to get a small bump in your GMAT score.

Best of luck,

Daniel Richards
mbaMission

[akalfaya]

Thanks a lot Daniel. I just wanted to make sure that the 700 vs. 720 wasn't a make or break it difference. I will focus on getting my recs and essays in order. I appreciate your help!