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Should you retake the GMAT?

June 18, 2014 by EssaySnark Leave a Comment

If you even have that thought, you’re in one of two camps:

  1. You know that your score is low and you’re (rightly) worried that it’s going to keep you out.
  2. You have a decent score but you’re a worrier – and perhaps a little uneducated.

We handle the latter case in this post and in case you’re struggling with self-diagnosing your score, we go into the question of “What is a low GMAT?” here.

We’ll tackle the more important case today.

This is of course a complicated question. It depends on what your best GMAT score already is, how many times you’ve taken the test, what your background is, what your GPA is, what schools we’re talking about, etc.

But we can cut through the chase on all of that and ask you just one simple question:

Did you study?

Before you took the test, did you put in the work?

The GMAT test-maker people say that studying helps. They claim that you can bump a score by 30 points or so by investing significant hours in the books. Their range is 60 to 100 hours to show this type of improvement. How much time you literally need to see an improvement depends on where you’re coming from – what’s your background already, where are you strong or weak.

And how serious are you, really.

We’ve seen people who say they “studied” but we know that it’s b_llsh_t. Opening a book while the TV is on is not studying. Reading through practice questions on a forum without actually trying to solve them is not studying. Reading the EssaySnark blahg is not studying. These all may be (semi)useful events in your life, but let’s get a little real with this.

Studying is sitting at your desk with no distractions and focusing 100% on the subject matter.

If you’re taking a GMAT prep class, then class time doesn’t quite count as studying either – though it can be immensely helpful for many.

Studying is you, alone, working with the material. Studying is exercising your brain to make it stronger. Studying is active and, yes, it’s work.

If you deep down inside know that you’ve been cutting corners with this stuff, you’re only cheating yourself. Take the time. Put in the effort. Sure, you’ve been out of school for awhile, and this stuff is hard – but you can totally pull this off – we know you can!

Filed Under: GMAT/GRE, retest strategy

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Next: ($) No multi-tasking. At least, not at first. »

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From a BSer January 2020:
"love the guide books!"


CLASS OF 2023 MBA APPLICATION STRATEGY GUIDES

     
    The 2020 Berkeley-Haas MBA Application Guide - updated for the Class of 2023 application!
SnarkStrategies Guide for Berkeley Haas - refreshed and updated, with brainstorming exercises and structured maps to help you focus your stories!
   
    The 2020-2021 NYU Stern MBA Application Guide that covers the main essay, the EQ Endorsement and Pick Six!
SnarkStrategies Guide for NYU - discusses your requirements for the Class of 2023 essays!
   
    The 2020-2021 Columbia MBA Application Guide
SnarkStrategies Guide for Columbia Business School for 2020-2021 applications
   
    The 2020 Harvard MBA Application Guide - completely overhauled and updated for the coronavirus era!
SnarkStrategies Guide for Harvard Business School!
   
    The 2020-2021 Duke Essay Guide - covers the 25 Random Things essay and all the rest too!
SnarkStrategies Guide for Duke Fuqua - up to date for the current season!
   
    The 2020-2021 MIT Essay Guide covers the org chart, the contacts for two references, and additional tips for the cover letter and 'introduce yourself' video -- and everything else you need to know!
SnarkStrategies Guide for MIT Sloan MBA - totally revised for the Class of 2023!
   
    The 2020-2021 Tuck Essay Guide has been refreshed with latest insights and advice for your essays about "investing generously" and "why Tuck"!
SnarkStrategies Guide for the Dartmouth Tuck MBA - completely overhauled for 2020, to help you demonstrate how you are nice, aware, etc stuff!
   
    The Yale SOM MBA Application Guide for Class of 2023 candidates!
SnarkStrategies Guide for Yale SOM - updated for 2020-2021
   
    The 2020-2021 Chicago Booth MBA Application Guide - ready to go to support your Class of 2023 essay strategy!
SnarkStrategies Guide for Chicago Booth for this year's MBA app!
   
    The 2020 Wharton MBA Application Guide - even more advice on how to get to a win with those essays!
SnarkStrategies Guide for The Wharton School - with new tips for 2020!
   
    The 2020 Kellogg Essay Guide - with a full methodology to identify your 'lasting impact' and your 'values' -- plus tips on 2020 world events and applicability to your essays!
SnarkStrategies Guide for Kellogg MBA - updated and revised for the new realities of 2020!    
      The 2020 Stanford MBA Application Guide - for "what matters most" in your MBA application!
SnarkStrategies Guide for Stanford GSB for the Class of 2023
   
    The 2020-2021 UCLA Anderson MBA Application Guide - updated for Class of 2023 on "impact"!
SnarkStrategies Guide for 
UCLA
   
   

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What were we snarking about at this time in past years?

  • 2020: ($) What to consider with your Kellogg (or other school's Rd 3 Flex) app: Recs, timing, optional essay
  • 2020: ($) Coronavirus and the MBA: Kellogg changes the game
  • 2019: Is your GMAT good enough?
  • 2019: Volunteering and MBA applicants from the non-profit world
  • 2018: ($) If you took the GMAT while you were in college and now X years later you're applying for an MBA
  • 2016: Success Story! Deciding between two offers: "I was surprised by how the more I thought about it..."
  • 2015: ($) Continued from yesterday: When will Harvard release their MBA app? And which app should you do first?
  • 2015: Which schools release MBA essay questions when?
  • 2014: Bschool is all about food.
  • 2013: Researching MBA programs
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