MBA Admissions Ep 3: When is a Low GMAT Score Really the Apocalypse?

How screwed are you in the admissions process if your GMAT, GRE, or EA score is too low? When can you overcome a bad score? When can you NOT overcome a bad score?
For answers to these questions and more, check out this free-ranging discussion featuring three veteran MBA consultants - Susan Cera (Director of MBA Admissions at Stratus Admissions), Donna Bauman (Senior MBA Admissions counselor at Stratus Admissions), and GMAT Ninja’s Charles Bibilos. Drawing on their collective 60 years of admissions experience, they’ll address the following questions:
1. If I’m from a crowded demographic (e.g. an Indian male with an engineering background), can I get into top schools with a 700 GMAT score?
2. If I’m from a less crowded demographic (e.g. a woman with a non-traditional background), can I get away with a 650?
3. How can I overcome a weak quant background?
4. What should I do if I can’t get into a top-ten MBA program?
As Charles, Susan, and Donna point out, while a high-standardized score can help you stand out from the pack, it’s just one data point that admissions committees consider. Even ultra-high-scoring candidates can be rejected if they lack a strong application or a compelling vision for their future.
On the other hand, low-scoring candidates can sometimes win admission by impressing committees with their other strengths, such as a proven desire to contribute to social progress, a clear and convincing career plan, an ambitious and engaging personality, or some combination of those things.
Bottom line: while there’s no magic recipe for overcoming a low score -- and while it isn’t always possible to do so -- this discussion will help you assess your strengths and weaknesses as an applicant, and provide some guidance for tailoring your application accordingly. And for those whose scores and profiles still don’t match their lofty admissions goals, our experts discuss alternatives to elite, traditional, full-time MBA programs.
So whether you’re concerned about a low test score, worried about your weak math background, or unsure how to present yourself to admissions committees in the best possible light, this video will give you plenty to chew on. And while their answers may sometimes be blunt or painful, Charles, Susan and Donna promise to give you the unvarnished truth at every turn, free from sugar-coating or rose-tinted glasses. So if you’re looking for some brutally honest admissions advice, this video is for you!
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Are you looking for an MBA admissions consultant, but you don’t know where to start? Do all of them pretty much look the same, and you’re not sure which ones are actually worth hiring?
If so, fill out this short form and we’ll send you information on some of our favorite admissions consultants. While some of them are from our MBA admissions consulting team, there are several from other companies we trust and work with regularly.
www.gmatninja....
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Want more MBA admissions tips & advice?
More information about GMAT Ninja's MBA Admissions consulting services: www.gmatninja....
More on Stratus Admissions Counseling: www.stratusadm...
Several (painfully honest) articles that will help you choose the best MBA admissions consultant for your specific needs: www.gmatninja....
Articles that will help you produce your very best MBA application: www.gmatninja....
For more on Susan Cera, her status as the #1 admissions consultant on Poets & Quants, and her spectacular soccer skills: www.stratusadm...
For more on Donna Bauman, her expertise in business storytelling, and her efforts to ferment fish sauce: www.stratusadm...
For more on Charles Bibilos, his love of international food, and his contributions to ornithology textbooks: www.gmatninja....
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Chapters
00:00 Introduction
01:50 Profile #1: 700 GMAT, Crowded Demographic
06:55 How to Capture Your Strengths in an Essay
10:36 The Five Non-Score Factors
14:35 Profile #2: 650 GMAT, Non-traditional Applicant
16:35 Weak Math Background
20:50 Supplementary Math Classes
24:30 Retaking the GMAT/GRE/EA
29:50 Don’t Let Your Score Define You

[@renataagostinelli8880]

Im waiting for this video like a maniac, hahaha everyday I get here to see if its already posted 🤣🤣

[@GMATNinjaTutoring]

Haha, that puts a smile on my face! I'm glad that you're so excited for this one. Tomorrow is the day, I promise.
Hopefully you'll enjoy our friends at Stratus as much as we do. Feel free to let us know afterwards if you have questions at all!

[@DirtyLunchLady]

How to overcome low GMAT?
Step 1) Be hot, rich, and charismatic

[@GMATNinjaTutoring]

I'll try that in my next life. :)

[@karandhanak6015]

For an Indian candidate, how much does additional qualification such as CA and CFA help with a GMAT score of 700. Does it improve odds in breaking through ar top programs assuming a regular consulting profile?

[@samaysingh5533]

I dont think so brother but we can confirm that with the schools you are pursuing

[@StratusAdmissionsCounseling]

As an Indian candidate with a 700 GMAT score, you are facing a big hurdle…with or without the CA or CFA. Why? Because along with China, India is one of the largest consumers of the GMAT exam. Top MBA programs could fill their class a few times over with qualified applicants from India who could perform well in their programs. So they can be choosy-and all other things being equal, top MBA programs - and really all MBA programs -- will choose applicants who have the great job, the great grades AMD the great GMAT score. As there are many Indian applicants with GMAT scores north of 750 (at least under the old testing guidelines), it gets a bit crowded in the 700 and south range.
While the CA and the CFA both demonstrate an applicant’s ability to handle quantitative rigor in an MBA program, if there are other candidates where all other areas are similar -the candidate with the higher GMAT score is going to stand out.
The road to secure a CA or a CFA is long and arduous. If it aligns with your career goals then it is absolutely a positive factor and something that could increase the overall level of an MBA application - but this is not a quick path to fixing a GMAT score. It could be far less time consuming to see whether you can score at a higher percentage level relative to the overall pool on the GRE or consider taking the EA. And there are several MBA programs who will grant applicants a test waiver, so that is another option to consider.
Rotman, for example, will waive the testing requirement for applicants who have passed Level 2 of the CFA designation. So the CFA could be seen as more valuable than the CA in that for some programs it can serve as a proxy to testing requirements. Other additions to a candidate’s profile such as having work experience in a multinational corporation and outside of India is also another way to enhance an Indian applicant’s profile.
There is not a one size fits all answer to this question but considering this decision from multiple perspectives can help you make the best decision to improve their overall profile.
- Donna, Stratus Admissions Counseling

[@mariadanisor9540]

Is it a bad thing if you score lower on the second attempt? Is that a situation when you have to cancel the score? Or would this attempt still be an advantage for your application? Thank you guys!

[@GMATNinjaTutoring]

I would think of it this way: if your score went up on any test section, you'll want to keep the score. Schools will only consider your highest composite score, but if, for example, you got a higher quant score on a different day, it's good for them to see that score. And as discussed in this video, multiple attempts at the exam often send a good message about your dedication.
If your score declined on every test section, then it's probably fine to cancel. I don't think it's likely to make a huge difference in your admissions odds, one way or the other -- yes, retakes show dedication, but if the score itself doesn't add anything to your cause, it's also complete fine to cancel it. So if that's the case, feel free to do whatever feels best to you, and don't overthink it. :)
I hope that helps a bit, and good luck with your applications!

[@devashishsharma6400]

Just found this video!
I'm an Indian guy with an electrical engineering background and 4 years of work experience in data analysis and product management at two startup companies. I plan to start applying in September this year.
What should I do moving forward to improve my profile? I know getting a good GMAT score is one of those things, but is there anything else I can achieve in the few remaining months? Is it even possible to start working on your profile right now?
@StratusAdmissionsCounseling
@GMATNinjaTutoring