Hello Everyone,

I am a Lawyer by profession and have been practicing since the past 3 years in India. I graduated in Science and then graduated in Law. I have a GPA of 3.2.
I recently took the GMAT and scored a miserable 430. I am not too sure if I will be able to nail the GMAT even if I retake the test.

I would like to know :
1) What are my chances of getting into the top b-schools?
2) If the chances are slim then please suggest me some schools I could get admission into.
3) Should I take the risk of making applications to the top b-schools??

Thanks & Regards,
MBAM

What were your scores in the individual parts of the score? Since you're able to write English clearly and have a science degree, I would expect you to be able to get over 550 very easily if you practise for the tests.

On your questions--

1] With a GMAT under 600 you stand no chance of getting into a really world-class school, and the best will ask for over 700.

2] search google with -- minimum GMAT 430 -- and you'll find some options.

3] You should improve your GMAT. I think you can do it easily if you get your Maths and English back to where they were when you were 19.

Hello Duncan,

I scored a 30 on quant and an embarrassing 20 in verbal. I know my score is very low and it would be foolish on my part to give an alibi for the low Gmat score which would sound not only lame but also very repetitive.
I am a bit demoralized but I am retaking the GMAT.

I have heard that even the most chased university i.e. Harvard Business School admits students with a 450 in GMAT. I met a student associate from Chicago Booth 3 months back. He told me that there were students who scored a 500 in his class. Also my friend's friend scored a 540 in GMAT and got into UCLA. So does that mean I should give it a try??

My dream university is Stern School of Business at NYU. I intend to make an application at Stern inspite of my low GMAT score. I am not being over-confident but I am just assuming that I can bring diversity to a class as my profile is unique. I researched a bit on the internet and found that the 80% Gmat score range at Stern is from 680 to 720. I know that I am miles away from the 80 % range but what about the remaining 20% ? What does this mean?? Do I qualify in the remaining 20%??

Thanks & Regards,
MBAM.

Read the prologue at http://www.find-mba.com/board/27082

To get into a school with a below-average GMAT you have to be better than all the others with above average GMATs. The GMAT is the single most important factor, so unless you have a amazingly attractive profile as a candidate it's pointless applying to a school where you are well below the average.

The 450 student who gets into Harvard will not be an average applicant.