@xraymancs I’m not looking to go into engineering…I’m trying to get into a top 25 MBA. I’m going for the range of schools ranked just below the M7. So your thoughts I should retake for verbal…that was my first instinct after my second previous attempt way back in March. I definitely felt like I could do better than 157 verbal and was scoring higher than that on my practice tests. Realistically, I’m shooting for 160-162 if I retake. So definitely retake to score higher on verbal? As an addendum, I’ve taken fairly quant courses such as econometrics and have done well in them. I don’t think I can score higher than 160Q and while that would be a great asset to my candidacy I don’t think it’s necessary for putting together my best application. I think I catch your drift though…some sites out there say 158 is high for low to mid-tier engineering schools but at a top 25 you’re realistically probably going to need a score in the 160’s if you want your application to even be looked at?
@xraymancs Also, I’m thinking it will be a good idea to try and hit that verbal max before finishing undergrad? My rationale is that it’s better to aim for your peak early on and not have to worry about the test post-graduation; hitting your full-potential on the exam at this stage would be better because you’ll be able to move on and focus on other aspects of your candidacy such as work experience. It seems like that would be a better approach to maturing and developing as a competitive candidate. I’ve also always loved a challenge. For example, my friends, classmates and mentors alike laud me for my score but I honestly feel like if I can manage a 3-5 point increase then admissions committees in the range of schools I’m applying to will take my application more seriously. My intuition tells me that these are schools are bordering the best of the best business schools in America as clearly evidenced by the rankings and that I should be tenacious enough to have another go. I figure, your friends and just generally people who are close to you will often tell you want to hear but may not tell you what you necessarily need to hear to achieve your true potential. That’s not to say trying to hopelessly shoot for a 330+ just because someone on a forum told you that but rather if you suck it up and manage to score a few points higher you could seriously take your application a notch up from a tier 2 in the high 25-50 to the 14-25 range?
You are better off getting work experience before starting an MBA program anyway. Many of the top programs won’t even give you much of a look if you are fresh out of your undergraduate program with no experience.
@Govegan1995 - For the most selective programs, I agree that having GRE scores above 160 is important. However, I think you could also take the GMAT for business school admission and perhaps you could have a stronger score with that exam. I agree with @boneh3ad though that having work experience is important for MBA admissions.
What GRE scores should I shoot for as a Russian/Slavic Studies applicant? I’m fairly confident in the verbal & writing areas but not so much on the quantitative.