Despite all the preparation, the long hours of study, the flash cards, the practice tests, the tutoring sessions, and the stress there is no guarantee that come the day of the test nothing will go wrong. Alas it’s true. We are all human and all subject to the many weaknesses this entails. While nothing is guaranteed this post by Martin Sobolewki on Grockit provides some important tips about keeping a cool head, putting your scores in perspective, and even how to deal with the daunting prospective of a retake.
One of the most important things according to Martin is to remember that scores are only one part of the equation, and there are a variety of options for dealing with one that’s lower than you and your schools might want. He reminds applicants that:
“Another thing to keep in mind is that the GMAT is only ONE part of your business school application. Don’t let a lower score keep you from applying to those schools that you have targeted. There are so many other things that the application committee looks for and the GMAT is only one part of your application. Your work experience, undergraduate institution and GPA, extracurricular activities and letters of recommendation, among others, are all just as important in your application. Also, keep in mind that the admission committee at any given school thinks far too erratically than you will ever understand and your application is very subjective in their eyes – you are only some random number on several pieces of paper. Use this as your advantage and show the ad-com that you are better than your test score reveals. There are many ways around the GMAT score and you can also address them in the additional essays that many schools offer.”
For more tips on keeping your head even the face of a disappointing score check out Martin’s full piece on the Grockit GMAT blog.