GMAT is the sole basis for admission decision
Or so a recent comment on my post 720 and retake GMAT would have me believe.
Here it is:
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"You have to remember that you are competing with literally thousands of Indian Male IT Professionals.
You are in this bucket (i.e., Another Indian Male IT Professional) and are competing with the the other Indian Male IT Professionals applying.
Hence, you have to be at least as good as, if not better than the other thousand Indian Male IT Professionals applying to MBA schools.
Take a look at ths blog of another
Indian Male IT Professional applicant:
http://i4iday.blogspot.com/2006/11/updates.html
His scores are top:
GMAT: 750 (Q50 V41)
GMAT AWA: 6.0
TOEFL: 300/300
This is type of person you are competing with.
If you do not have scores like this, the AdComs are going to look at the other people in your bucket and ask why your scores are not the same, if not better."
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I am responding to that comment here because a lot of applicants, especially Indians (because of our traditional stress on acads), still seem unable to understand that a lot goes into an app, and GMAT is but a part of it.
I do understand that I come from, arguably, the most competent pool of applicants : Indian IT Male. BUT! Admission decisions are NOT based on GMAT alone! There are several other factors that collectively determine it: Essays, Recos, Extra Currics, Comm Service, interview, communication skills, interpersonal skills, GMAT & acads etc etc etc. In my personal opinion, of all these, essays are probably the single largest factor that sway decisions one way or another.
Most importantly, it is how you distinguish yourself. it is of prime importance that you choose the right examples and highlight the right qualities. I think this was where I went wrong last yr. I was competitive at most schools I applied to last yr. But I didnt invest as much time doing a deep-dive into my experiences as I should have. I feel its better to spend more time doing that, than fretting over a "low" score.
But, all else being more or less same, the adcom would definitely prefer an applicant with higher GMAT and acads, as s/he is more likely to perform well in class. And thats only fair. Thats why its important to bring out the different and interesting aspects of your work and personal life.
Inspite of having been dinged from my top choice schools last yr; inspite of just getting a ding from a top choice school this yr, I still say GMAT is not the reason, or at least not the only reason for the reject. I have utmost faith in the admissions process. Even if I get dinged at all the schools, I will still not accuse the schools of rejecting my app due to GMAT. If at all thats the reason given, it just means I didnt do a good job of highlighting the more important facts of my app, forcing them to look at my GMAT to distinguish me from others. Would urge others also to not fall into this trap of thinking that GMAT is the be all and end all of this process.
Here it is:
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
"You have to remember that you are competing with literally thousands of Indian Male IT Professionals.
You are in this bucket (i.e., Another Indian Male IT Professional) and are competing with the the other Indian Male IT Professionals applying.
Hence, you have to be at least as good as, if not better than the other thousand Indian Male IT Professionals applying to MBA schools.
Take a look at ths blog of another
Indian Male IT Professional applicant:
http://i4iday.blogspot.com/2006/11/updates.html
His scores are top:
GMAT: 750 (Q50 V41)
GMAT AWA: 6.0
TOEFL: 300/300
This is type of person you are competing with.
If you do not have scores like this, the AdComs are going to look at the other people in your bucket and ask why your scores are not the same, if not better."
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
I am responding to that comment here because a lot of applicants, especially Indians (because of our traditional stress on acads), still seem unable to understand that a lot goes into an app, and GMAT is but a part of it.
I do understand that I come from, arguably, the most competent pool of applicants : Indian IT Male. BUT! Admission decisions are NOT based on GMAT alone! There are several other factors that collectively determine it: Essays, Recos, Extra Currics, Comm Service, interview, communication skills, interpersonal skills, GMAT & acads etc etc etc. In my personal opinion, of all these, essays are probably the single largest factor that sway decisions one way or another.
Most importantly, it is how you distinguish yourself. it is of prime importance that you choose the right examples and highlight the right qualities. I think this was where I went wrong last yr. I was competitive at most schools I applied to last yr. But I didnt invest as much time doing a deep-dive into my experiences as I should have. I feel its better to spend more time doing that, than fretting over a "low" score.
But, all else being more or less same, the adcom would definitely prefer an applicant with higher GMAT and acads, as s/he is more likely to perform well in class. And thats only fair. Thats why its important to bring out the different and interesting aspects of your work and personal life.
Inspite of having been dinged from my top choice schools last yr; inspite of just getting a ding from a top choice school this yr, I still say GMAT is not the reason, or at least not the only reason for the reject. I have utmost faith in the admissions process. Even if I get dinged at all the schools, I will still not accuse the schools of rejecting my app due to GMAT. If at all thats the reason given, it just means I didnt do a good job of highlighting the more important facts of my app, forcing them to look at my GMAT to distinguish me from others. Would urge others also to not fall into this trap of thinking that GMAT is the be all and end all of this process.
Labels: General BSchool Rant
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