710 with 8 years experience

[CA_Applicant]

Hi,

I would like to get your thoughts on my profile and if I need to take the GMAT again.

I took it last weekend and got a 710 (Q44, V42). I was very happy with the 710 as I was shooting for a 700. The only problem is my Quant score is in the 66th percentile. I was very happy with a verbal score in the 95 percentile, and I am not sure if I could do that again.

I am applying to Stanford, Harvard, Wharton, Kellogg, and Booth. It seems like those schools want to see a higher Quant score.

My college major was Econ and I had a 3.42 GPA at UCLA. In addition I earned the CFP designation which was a 2 day 10 hour exam for financial planners. I also passed the series 7 exam, which was pretty easy compared to the CFP. So I do have a lot of Quant in my background.

My leadership experience includes being the CFO of my homeowner's association, I was president of my fraternity in college, and I was co-president of the HBS partner's club when my wife went to school there.

For community service I volunteer for the Wounded Warrior program and provide pro-bono financial planning to military families.

I am not trying to lead with my GMAT score, but rather I don't want it to hurt me. I am worried that some schools that are more quant focused will view my quant score as a negative. Should I address that in one of my essays? I just want to make sure I get an honest look from the schools I am applying to.

My reason for applying to b-school now is I see a big need for comprehensive financial planning for the "average investor." I am not satisfied with the current financial planning models that are out there (Merrill Lynch, Northwestern Mutual, Edward Jones, etc.). I want to create a new business model that will enable me to effect change for a larger number of people. I envision leveraging technology in a way that would allow me to serve more clients. Stanford would be an ideal place to go since they are right next to Silicon Valley.

Thanks in advance!

[rachel]

Hi! If it was late September and you didn't have months before your Round 1 applications were due, I would say keep your score and focus on building a strong application. But it's only April, and you have time to take the GMAT again. Your quant score does put you at a disadvantage, even though the rest of your profile looks strong. Yes, you can write an option essay where you lay out why the quant score doesn't reflect your capabilities, but I am not sure that will be enough for a top-tier school.

Best of luck,

Rachel Beck

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[pacersbr]

That's so weird. I scored the exact same (44Q, 42V) on 4/24 and got a 700. Are you sure you got the numbers correct?

[CA_Applicant]

Yeah, it says Quant 44, 66%, Verbal 42, 95%, Total 710, 92%.