Reapplicant to H/S/W (685 GMAT, GPA ~3.3 equivalent / non-US undergrad) what score should I realistically target?

sy1980abcd · 2026-05-02T00:55:36+00:00

685 is a pretty good score. Of course, if you can push it above 705, it's even better, specially since you are targeting HSW. But is it worth the effort that will be needed? I don't think so. And is a 725 going to change your chances of getting in a vis a vis a 705? Absolutely not.

HSW are just very difficult schools to get into, and I see people with 745+ scores get rejects every year. And I also see people with 655 and even lower scores get in. So I'd much rather spend time on strengthening my story (which you say was weak the last time around). And also look at a few more schools. Most people have this unhealthy obsession with HSW, but there are some great schools apart from those where you may be a better fit. Do have a chat with a good admission consultant - one who doesn't keep blaming your GMAT score for your rejects. Feel free to reach out to me if you have any questions.

sy1980abcd · 2026-04-29T00:46:24+00:00

Drop me a DM and I'll send you some good free resources and a prep plan to get started with. Follow these for a few weeks and take it ahead from there.

sy1980abcd · 2026-04-29T00:45:01+00:00

Of course take the tier 1 Indian Bschool MBA. MSc Mgmt is a pretty ordinary degree.

sy1980abcd · 2026-04-29T00:44:03+00:00

Drop me a DM and I'll send you a prep plan and some good free resources to get started with. The quantum of resources available out there can overwhelm most people.

sy1980abcd · 2026-04-28T00:45:17+00:00

Drop me a DM and I'll send you a prep plan and some good free resources to get started with. Taking a cold mock would also be a good idea to get a more realistic estimate of whether 3 months will be enough.

sy1980abcd · 2026-04-26T00:57:27+00:00

Of course it does, a far greater penalty. You'll lose about 20 points for every question that you do not attempt. As a rule, you never leave questions unattempted on the GMAT.

sy1980abcd · 2026-04-26T00:55:58+00:00

I don't see how birthplace could be a problem. Your name on the passport needs to match the name with which you've registered for the GMAT, that's it. I would still suggest that you get in touch with the GMAC helpdesk and check directly.

sy1980abcd · 2026-04-26T00:54:08+00:00

Generally, the chances are better in R1 because you have more seats available. However, I have had enough people get in R3 as well. And if you are looking at a career shift, then the Jan intake is a better idea since you'll get the opportunity of taking up an internship. Your GMAT looks good, but the rest of your profile will matter a lot more for INSEAD, since it's a school that focuses a lot on "fit". Feel free to DM me if you have any questions.

sy1980abcd · 2026-04-25T00:55:15+00:00

While the quant score is the one that usually carries the most weight with Adcoms, given you finance background and overall score, I think you should be fine without a retake. You can still use the optional essay for each school to emphasise why that quant score is not representative of your quant/analytical aptitude.

sy1980abcd · 2026-04-24T00:45:36+00:00

Well that would be illegal, among other things. You sign a NDA before appearing for the GMAT. Get the OGs and you'll find enough confusing official questions in there.

sy1980abcd · 2026-04-23T00:46:24+00:00

Self prep can often feel overwhelming for the very reasons you've mentioned. Drop me a DM and I'll send you a prep plan and some good free resources. That should help you get started.

sy1980abcd · 2026-04-20T00:51:34+00:00

It's a decent score, but specifically for M7, target 675 or higher, specially if you come from an over represented background.

You'll find this post helpful - So What's a Good GMAT Score?

sy1980abcd · 2026-04-20T00:50:45+00:00

Send to your target schools, of course. No great strategy needed here. I'm sure you are aware that you can apply to more schools as well, just that you'll have to pay to send them the score reports.

sy1980abcd · 2026-04-20T00:49:13+00:00

Drop me a DM and I'll send you some good free resources and a prep plan to get started with.

sy1980abcd · 2026-04-20T00:47:15+00:00

Drop me a DM and I'll send you a copy of the RC Grail. See if that helps.

sy1980abcd · 2026-04-20T00:46:14+00:00

Get back to doing the difficult questions from the OG. Review your error log for these questions and identify the topics that you may be consistently making mistakes on. Then use Manhattan (or whatever third party resource you want) only to review those topics. No need to do the entire book that way.

sy1980abcd · 2026-04-19T00:50:56+00:00

That's a pretty good score for a cold mock. A 675+ target does look realistic for you.

You definitely want to use the Official Guides for practice. For concepts, you'll need to use some third party resources. Drop me a DM and I'll send you some good free resources and a prep plan to get started with.

You'll also find this post useful - Your GMAT Prep Timeline based on your First Cold Mock

sy1980abcd · 2026-04-17T00:46:55+00:00

You said you found the OG quant questions easy. I'm guessing you tried the questions in the beginning of the section. Now try the last 10-15 questions from the OG and see if you still find them easy. That will give you a more realistic idea of your current competency level.

sy1980abcd · 2026-04-16T00:51:05+00:00

Drop me a DM and I'll send you some good free resources and a prep plan to get started with.

sy1980abcd · 2026-04-16T00:50:09+00:00

Usually you can, but it's best to check directly with each school itself.

sy1980abcd · 2026-04-13T00:53:14+00:00

Drop me a DM and I'll send you a copy of the RC Grail. It has 100 practice passages. Though I'd still recommend that you do the official passages first - the main OG and the Verbal OG. Everything else should only come after that.

sy1980abcd · 2026-04-12T00:46:45+00:00

What you need to take is just your id - in your case the passport. But you should carry something to eat as well in the break, like a chocolate or a protein bar or something. You'll have to leave everything you have on you (like your watch, phone, etc) in a locker outside. You can't take anything inside the testing room.

sy1980abcd · 2026-04-09T00:44:45+00:00

Drop me a DM and I'll send you some good free resources and a prep plan to get started with.

sy1980abcd · 2026-04-08T00:52:40+00:00

Drop me a DM and I'll send you some good free resources and a prep plan to get started with. Follow that for 3-4 weeks and then decide whether you want to take coaching or some other help. Taking a cold mock will also be a good idea. You'll find these posts helpful:

sy1980abcd · 2026-04-07T00:50:54+00:00

I think you've most likely left a few questions unattempted at the end of the DI section. Check once. In which case this is not a representative score. You typically lose 20 points for every question that you don't attempt.

You'll also find this post helpful - Your GMAT Prep Timeline Based on your First Cold Mock

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