Dear sagacious MBA admissions consultants,

I am interested in full-time programs such as those at Columbia, Kellogg, and Yale. I was wondering what my target GMAT score should be in order for me to be a competitive candidate (710? 730? 750?).

I understand that the GMAT is only one facet of my application, but given my profile, what score do you feel I should be targetting, especially since my experience is on the shorter side? A snapshot of my profile is below.

Undergrad:
Computer Science major with a 3.2 GPA

Work:
Currently in the biotech/pharma industry for 2 years as a business analyst (think internal IT consulting)

Activities since college:
-Was one of the leaders for my company's college recruiting program for a year
-Is very involved at my church on a weekly basis (music ministry and multimedia coordination)

Thank you for your inquiry.

In short, you should be aiming for a score of 700+. While, as you know, there is no magical score, because you have a slightly low GPA, you should make sure that your GMAT is not a cause for concern. Generally, a 700, with an eightieth percentile weighting on both sides of the test, is considered a "safe" score for candidates with reasonable grades. By "safe," I mean that your score won't disqualify you, but it won't blow the doors open either.

Sincerely,
Jeremy Shinewald
MBA Mission

www.mbamission.com
646-485-8844

Hi Jeremy,

Thank you for your advice. I definitely agree that I require a 700+ to be at all competitive. I was wondering if there would be any difference between scoring a lower 700, such as 710, versus, say, a 740.

Also, given my profile snapshot, is there anything you would advise for me as I prepare this year for the the first round of applications coming in the Fall?

Thank you for your latest inquiry.

It is very challenging to parse scores and say that a 720 will suddenly make you more competitive than a 700, for example. Generally, anything above a 700 is safe and anything 740 or higher is outstanding.

You asked about steps that you could take to prepare for the coming year. I actually wrote two pieces for the Manhattan GMAT blog, which you can reference:

http://www.manhattangmat.com/blog/index.php/page/2/
http://www.manhattangmat.com/blog/index.php/page/3/

I think that you could benefit from:
- taking additional courses, if you have not already taken accounting or finance.
- advancing any personal goals that may be on the horizon
- visiting schools now in order to learn about them, create personal connections and better use your time in the fall

Sincerely,
Jeremy Shinewald
MBA Mission

www.mbamission.com
646-485-8844

Hi Jeremy,

I will seriously consider, and in fact already planned, many of your listed recommendations.

I apologize if I am beating a dead horse here, but do you feel that given my profile and target schools that a 730 (Q50, V40) will allow me to be a competitive candidate? Or, do you believe shooting for a score such as a 760 would improve my competitiveness? Thanks again!

Thank you for your latest inquiry.

I think that there are limits to diagnostic advice via an online forum. I would be happy to offer you more support, but would need to get to know your candidacy a bit more intimately.

Please feel free to complete our online free consultation form (www.mbamission.com/consult.php). Thereafter, I would be more than happy to discuss your candidacy in depth with you.

Sincerely,
Jeremy Shinewald
MBA Mission

www.mbamission.com
646-485-8844
Skype: MBAMission