Hi
I made my gmat test for my fifth time and my best score is 580.

I have 7 years of experience in 2 leader companies with team management position and 3 strong letter of recommendetion (general manager and sales manager). In addition my gpa is really (3.9) but it seems I have some problems with this standardize test.

The point is that I can't repeat anymore for this year. This was my last opportunity until june 2010.

I prepared all my application with a good Mba Center and I can affirm they are really strong. at least that is what all the consultant that helped me told me.

I applied these days to MBS, IMD, ESADE, IESE, Cranfield and IE.

Could I have a chance to get an interview?

Could it be possible if all the application is strong I could be rejected because I did not score at least 600?????


Thank you for your advises

I guess you have a shot at IE and MBS

Can you explain better your answer. Why just these 2?


so u want to tell me they could reject me just for the gmat?

and if I had 20 points more I could enter all?

I'm sorry but I can't belive that.

If you have a real good career progression and you have an outstanding application I can't understand how can they put you out for the gmat,


For example if I compare a profile with great experience of 7 years in management position in huge companies with 580 and one with 3 years experience with 600 in gmat you want to tell the second one has more chance just because of the gmat? and what about the difference in the other parts of their profile.

On my opinion the gmat should be weighted in all the profile.


However then I dont know how the school will reason in this area, but I hope they just don't look only the score

Hi Andrea,

I think most schools look for at least a 600 but aren't opposed to a gmat score in the high 500's such as a 580. You'll just have to work harder in wowing them with your essays and interviews.

My suggestion is to contact those schools and ask them what their recommendation would be. I don't think it will be impossible to get into these schools, just a little harder now.

Ganesh

Hi Gkhanna,

Thank you very much for your post.

I agree with you and I will follow your advise. I believe in my application and I'm sure I could have a shot.

I will contact all the schools.

Thanks

I think you have a good shot at IE because they seem not to put as much emphasis on GMAT as some other programs do. You should definitely take their own Admission Test if you have the opportunity. It's a different kind of test and you might be able to do relatively well. I took the admission test and I think it helped counter balance my 610 GMAT score.

Unfortunately, at some schools, they will not even look at your application if you don't have a certain GMAT score. Because they get so many applicants, they narrow it down by GMAT before looking at anything else -- so yes, someone with 3 years of experience and a 700 GMAT would likely get accepted over someone with much more impressive experience and a 570. I would think IESE and IMD would be in that boat. If you look at their BusinessWeek profiles their average GMATs are super high and they say the score is "very important." And, at least at IESE, their average work experience is very low.

However, it's worth a shot to apply everywhere you are interested. Making yourself known to the admissions staff increases the chance that your application could get a look, even if your GMAT doesn't meet their usual benchmark. You have to make yourself more than your numbers :)

Let us know how it goes!

PS: check out this interview with an IE rep about the admissions process: http://www.businessweek.com/bschools/mbapremium/sep2008/bs2008097_941735.htm

You can probably find articles like this for other school's you're interested in as well!

This is just my 2 cents,
MBA schools want to hit higher mark in the rankings. Period.
That's why they play around with the factors that drive their rank higher (Ie. Avg GMAT per student, length of working experiences, quality of work, international exposure).
All of this will drive their rank, and helped them to increase the tuition fee.

For example, if a school has an avg gmat score of 700.
But with low avg work experiences (ie. 2 year).
That means they would love to accept applicant with long work experience.
To help the avg work experience higher.

That's how it works and that's why you see CEIBS (in shanghai), HK-UST (Hong Kong), NTU, NUS (singapore) are is top 50 FT ranking.
Even CEIBS is ranked higher than Kellog, IMD, IESE...
Because the system is rigged.

this is actually an advantage to applicant, because we know what schools want.
Example, american schools prefer high GMAT applicant.
European and Asian schools prefer diverse student body.
That's why even you submit GMAT of 500, but with enterpreneurship experiences, IE would love to take you in.
Because IE is an enterpreneur-led MBA program. (Just like ESADE).

I think one should go to the schools that fits their needs better instead just look blindly at the ranking.
Do you know why Harvard grads are successful? Because they was born to have great ambition.
Not because they went to Harvard. Had they join mickey-mouse MBA school, they would still be successful.

But that's only my 2 cent.

Thanks for your post.

However I spoke with 4 of these school and it seems I could have a shot.

They look at look at your experience.

We'll see

Andrea,

I think you and Rhino are in agreement. I think he's saying if a school has already admitted a lot of people with high GMATs, that means they have latitude to admit some people with low GMATs since it wouldn't hurt their average much. They would especially be willing to do this if you're someone with several years of work experience, because that would help them increase their average work experience category in the rankings. Your 7 years of work experience will definitely help compensate for your lower GMAT score, so you should have a shot at the schools you're looking at, especially if you can build a rapport with the admissions team. Let us know how everything turns out!
also, if it turns out well you should put your results on admissions411.com to give others in your situation hope :)

Hi Sally,

Tks for your mail.

I submitted last weekend all the application.

Now let's cross the fingers and we will see what will happen.

Anyway I'm optimistic, especially after I have received many positive mails by all of you and by some schools.

I will let you know

I really hope with some good news

:)

Hi

I got an interview to MBS and IESE.

End of january. We will see.

This weekend I will send IE, IMD and Cranfield. I already sent ESADE

I hope I will enter at least 1 of all these.

yayyy!!! Congratulations, that was the hard part! I'm sure you will do great in your interviews!

Thanks Sally u re very nice.

On MBS I had before a sort of interview with an alumni and then there on Manchester. I have to tell you they seem really professional and kind. I was impressed.

I don't know a lot instead about IESE interviews except the mba fair and info on the school. I submitted saturday and received the mail today for an invitation to the interview plus an assessment day. 2 days in total.

Some of you have information about IESE interviews?
Do I have to prepare something in particular?

I didn't apply to IESE, but I did do an "informational interview" at an MBA fair. I would think they would do the straightforward questions about what your motivations are for getting an MBA and what you'll contribute to the program. However, I am not sure. Does anybody know if they ask any oddball questions?
The only unconventional interview I did was with EADA in Barcelona. They asked a lot of strange questions (i.e. if you were an animal which would you be and why?)

I think IE & Cranfield are the only schools that have their own admission tests (which they consider as valid as the Gmat).You should try these 2 schools.

she is applying to those schools. But didn't you see she already got interviews invites from MBS and IESE?

Tks Sally and Tks jk78 for your answers.

jk78,

I did the IE test and they told me I obtained a score in the average and I can use IE test instead of Gmat. I hope is a good sign. What u think Sally (u entered right?). I have to tell you that the IE representative is a real professional person, really supportive and he helped me a lot during the process. I hope to receive their call. I applied these days and for what I read is very early for an european for the intake nov 2010. I hope to get an interview.

About Cranfield, they have my profile and they already told me that if they like my application they will call me anyway and then I will have to sit there for their own test. Some collegues told me is more a math test, better bc on the Gmat I was strong in Quantitative and Bad in verbal.


About the second part of the answer Sally already asked if there is someone that could give me some information about IESE, and also MBS if you have. About MBS im more aware bc I spoke with a lot of people, including ex mba alumni. About IESE I have less information.

Any advice is grateful.

Dear Andrea

i had an informal phone interview a month ago. i was really anxious cause it was the first interaction of the kind with b-schools, so i had done my homework at least as long as the website is conserned. The truth is that they had informed me beforehand that it would be a chance for me to ask them whatever i want. So they only asked me something about my profile-regarding my work experience and degree. They already knew my gmat and ielts score (they only accept toefl though).It was supposed to last 20' but lasted 30'. I was asking questions all the time but the thing is that they did not give me any info that i could not find in the website. And since i had read everthing in the website already, for me it was not such an informative interview. Nevertheless she was really polite,friendly and advised me to continue with my application that would be reviewed if i submitted the toefl.

for example when i asked about what are the prospects for a european but not spanish to work in spain afterwards (even though i speak spanish-but not like a native) and what steps are taken from IESE towards this , the info she gave me were not that clear.....

keep going with the applications though, hope that more than one schools will offer you a place!!

Hi all,

I received today a mail from Esade to tell you I was accepted to the bilingual track.

What is strange is that I did not have any interview and I told I wanted the bilingual track just if there was no other choice to enter.

Now Im struglled I have to give an answer in 4-5 weeks and I dont know the bilingual track also I speak spanish, but I would not like to live in Spain aftger the program.

Do you have any suggestion?

Well, for one, congraduations on an admit!

I would think you would get a similar quality experience on the bilingual track, as long as you can speak Spanish as well as you can speak English. you should still be able to benefit from the alumni network and recruiting at ESADE. You will also meet people in the English track if you are also taking some classes in English. And it would be a good opportunity to practice both your English and Spanish. Sounds pretty good to me! But, obviously, you have to do what is right for you.
I would definitely ask if they will give you a little bit more time to make a decision since you haven't heard back from any other schools yet. They might say "no" in order to pressure you to join their program. In that case, I would inform the other schools you've applied to -- especially IESE and MBS -- that you have to make a decision on ESADE within five weeks. They might be willing to expedite the process for you. Maybe they could do your admissions interview sooner, and therefore give you an answer sooner.

This is definitely good news because it's a good thing to have schools competing for you :)

Edit: At the same time, I would also ask your contact at ESADE any questions you have about the bi-lingual track that will help you make a decision.