Should I retake the GMAT? Please chance me for finance graduate programs like Vanderbilt's MSF, UCLA's MFE, CMU's MSCF, etc.
I recently graduated from a semi-to-non-target state school. My grades during the first two years of undergrad were abominable due to depression and a variety of personal issues. I even have three F's on my transcript (I later retook three classes and received B-, B-, and A grades, but the original grades remain on my transcript)! Towards the end of my undergraduate career, I got my act together and achieved mostly A's, with a GPA of roughly 3.7/4.0 over the last 60 credits worth of classes. However, this comeback only raised my cumulative GPA to 3.25/4.00. I majored in finance and computer science. I want to apply to top finance/financial engineering graduate programs like UCLA's MFE, Vanderbilt's MSF, CMU's MCF, etc. Nevertheless, I'm worried that my poor grades in the beginning of college, especially my three F's, will automatically disqualify me from these schools. My extracurricular experiences alone aren't noteworthy enough to compensate for the low GPA; they include an internship with a small business, an internship with a small investment banking and private equity firm, an internship with a mid-sized venture capital fund, and some entrepreneurial ventures. Therefore, I would like to maximize my standardized test scores to compensate for my low GPA.
I recently took the GRE and received scores of 167/170 on the Verbal Reasoning section, 170/170 on the Quantitative section, and 5.5/6.0 on the Analytical Writing section. I am satisfied with this score and have already sent it to various schools I am applying to. However, the GMAT is a different story. The GMAT Focus version that deflates scores has recently become the only version available. After taking the GMAT Focus, I received a score of 715, which corresponds to a 750-760 score on the old GMAT scale. Though this score appears good at first glance, it's heavily skewed by exceptional performances in the Verbal and Data Insights sections. In the Quantitative section, the most important portion of the exam for someone applying to math-intensive programs like mine, I ran out of time and therefore performed far lower than expected, scoring 80, which is the 66th percentile. However, my scores on the Verbal Reasoning and Data Insights sections, 90 (100th percentile) and 86 (99th percentile), respectively, were high enough to skew my overall score to a misleading 715 (99th percentile). However, I can't simply report my overall score without stating how I did on specific sections, and colleges will see my low score on the most important section.
My question is, given my abominable grades in the beginning of college and my lackluster Quantitative score, is retaking the GMAT Focus worthwhile despite my high overall score? Additionally, do you think scores of 337/340 and 715 (or above if I retake it) on the GRE and GMAT Focus are high enough to compensate for my low GPA for the schools I'm applying to? Moreover, if I retake the GMAT Focus and get a much higher score, say something like 765 with a far higher quantitative score, would this make a significant difference in my chances of acceptance? It is important to keep in mind that since I took the GMAT Focus on March 6th, I can't take it again until March 22nd. For many of the schools I am applying to, I will have to apply to 4th rounds instead of 3rd rounds, which typically entail slightly lower acceptance rate. My applications could be submitted by the 3rd round deadlines if I don't retake. Thank you for your time and consideration.
Consider Columbia as well.
Financial Engineering (MSFE) | Industrial Engineering & Operations Research (columbia.edu)
My gpa is worse than yours (3.15 but similar story and upward trend), havent taken the gmat yet (scheduled for March 29th), and have similar work experience (M&A ~1 year, entrepreneur since then). I'm going to watch the feedback you are getting, but the tone of your post makes me think I'm about to be royally fucked
Do you need to use the GMAT focus score? It looks like your GRE score already shows your ability in Quant, maybe just send that. Most schools don't have a preference now.
What materials did you use to prepare for GMAT focus?
Sooooooo a 337 an insane GRE score. Why do you care about your gmat score?
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