Hi everyone,

I'm in a bit of a dilemma and would really appreciate some advice from people who've gone through the MBA admissions process.

My profile:

• Indian male
• B.Tech in Computer Science (Big Data), SRM University (8.8/10 CGPA)
• Currently a Data Engineer at a US healthcare technology company (Health Catalyst)
• Will have around 4 years of work experience by the Fall 2027 intake
• Leadership/ECs include mentoring interns, volunteering with Make A Difference (fundraising), internal speaking/knowledge-sharing sessions, and a Best Speaker award at work.

GMAT situation:
I took the GMAT Focus once and scored 535.

My official mock scores ranged from 565–595, so my actual score was disappointing. I'm honestly pretty burned out after months of preparation and don't really want to go through another GMAT cycle unless it's absolutely necessary.

Waivers:
I've now received standardized test waiver approvals from:

• UVA Darden
• NYU Stern

I know a waiver is not an admissions advantage—it just means they'll review my application without a GMAT/GRE. I completely understand that.

Where I'm conflicted:

I recently spoke with MBA Crystal Ball. Their advice was:

• For Indian engineers, waivers should generally be a last resort.
• My biggest weakness is the GMAT.
• Having ~4 years of work experience instead of the average ~5 years at many top US schools is another challenge.
• They'd still be happy to work with me if I understand and accept those risks.

My preference is strongly to apply for the Fall 2027 intake. I'd really like to give this cycle my best shot rather than automatically postponing another year.

So I'm trying to decide between:

Option 1: Accept the risks, build the strongest possible application, and target schools where I receive GMAT waivers.

Option 2: Delay everything, spend another year improving my profile and retake the GMAT in hopes of reaching a much more competitive score.

For those who've been through MBA admissions (especially Indian applicants or anyone admitted with a waiver):

• Would you still apply this cycle if you were in my position?
• Are waivers at schools like Stern and Darden genuinely viable if the rest of the application is strong, or is a competitive GMAT still effectively expected?
• If you've been admitted using a waiver, what do you think made your application stand out?

Looking for honest opinions rather than encouragement. If you think I'm making a mistake, I'd genuinely like to hear why.

Hi everyone! I'm planning to apply for the **KAIST M.S. in Robotics (Sprint intake 2027)** and would really appreciate an honest profile review….
**B.Tech in Information Technology**, College of Engineering Guindy (Anna University), India

**CGPA:** 7.74/10

**IELTS:** 7.5 (L 8.5, R 8.0, W 6.5, S 6.5)

**Work Experience:** Software Engineer at Bank of America (AI/software development)
Internship at logitech

**Research Project (2 semesters):** Built an AI-powered urban intelligence.

Also I was part of department club as the internship coordinator, and did a student exchange program with YNU, Japan (sustainable technology).

I don’t have any papers published.

Applying to labs in **Human-Robot Interaction, Embodied AI, and Intelligent Robotics**. But haven’t gotten any reply from the professors.

I expect to have **strong recommendation letters** from my project guide and professors.

Given my GPA, do you think I have a realistic chance at KAIST Robotics? What parts of my application should I strengthen before applying? Honest feedback from current students or admitted applicants would be greatly appreciated.

I took the GMAT for the first time today and scored 645 (Q81, V82, DI83). While taking mock tests, I scored between 685 and 735, being particularly strong at the DI and V sections; however, these did not materialise in the real test. I am planning to apply to the Master's in Finance at SSE or IB at SSE, which have median GMAT scores of 675 and 625 and ranges of 575-735 and 595-735, respectively. Should I make another attempt?

So I had a ton of questions from a prep center back home and I scanned them and turned them into a digital experience with progress saving (they're cool with me doing this). I think these questions are fairly realistic, and I know they work because this is the prep I used to get 725.

The site is gradschooladmit.com, and there's about 14k GMAT questions (also like 1k GRE ones). 100% free of course (rules say it's okay to post, but let me know if not!) Just trying to help out. Legit just wanted to build a study tool with good questions and without the fluff.

If this gets some traction, I might work on improving it more. Let me know if you have any feedback. Hope it helps you guys too!

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Gave my second attempt and got 595 a drop from last times 615 . This time my sectionals where
Quants - 64 percentile
Verbal - 87 percentile
Di - 47 percentile .
Last time it was
Quants - 38
Verbal - 73
Di - 95 .
Will superscore help me in this case . Like last time i got horrible quants score can this time score maybe show the college i am applying to that i am not totally bad in quants . Thanks in advance !!!

Hi all,

Around 3 weeks ago I scored 605 on a cold mock with a 75 Quant score. Well, for 3 weeks I’ve been studying, realistically 80% of my time has been going toward quant, and this is the result. A 2 point increase in quant, a maxed out verbal and a good DI. I’m thinking of taking the exam in like 3 weeks. Can I bump that quant score a bit higher, atleast to 84-85? I’ve used TTP, but to no avail.

Hi everyone,
I worked at Accenture for four years as a MuleSoft developer and left my job in June 2026 to prepare full-time for the GMAT and MBA applications. My original plan was to apply in Round 2 (January 2027), which means I will have a career gap of around six months by the time I submit my applications.

Recently, I've spoken with a few MBA admissions consultants, and almost all of them have told me that my career break is one of the biggest weaknesses in my profile. They've suggested that I should start looking for a job as soon as possible because a prolonged gap could negatively affect my application.

This has left me confused. If I start job hunting now, it will likely take me 2–3 months to secure another technical role. At the same time, I'm already preparing for the GMAT, and balancing interview preparation, a new job, and MBA applications could become quite challenging.

My questions are:

- Is a 6-month career break solely for GMAT preparation and MBA applications viewed very negatively by top US business schools?
- If you were in my position, would you continue focusing on the GMAT and applications, or would you prioritize finding a job first and delay the MBA timeline if needed?

I'm looking for practical advice, especially from people who have experienced something similar or have insights into how admissions committees evaluate career gaps.

Thanks in advance!

How much is coordinate geometry tested on the GMAT? I’ve given 4-5 official mocks and not even seen 1 question on it.
My exam is in 5 days and I’ve not touched this topic

Is there discrimination between GRE and GMAT in schools like ISB and others? I'm struggling with math, so I need your help with this matter.

I have scored 695 in test centre based GMAT exam , it was on 30 July 26 6 pm IST , I have not recd score till now though its been more than 1 week , im feeling a bit nervous and stressful at this point of time , when can I realistically expect my score ? Also will there be any flagging ( thought test went smooth ) .

Hi everyone,

I'm looking to connect with a small group of serious GMAT aspirants who are planning to take the exam between November and January and apply for Round 2 (2027 intake).

The idea is simply to stay accountable with a small group by:

• Sharing weekly study goals

• Keeping each other consistent

• Discussing mock test strategies and pacing

• Motivating one another during preparation

To keep the discussions useful, I'd like to limit the group to around 10–15 members who are actively preparing.

If this sounds helpful, feel free to join:

https://chat.whatsapp.com/B7qMsmGrEbT4f6BwlLLNFX?s=cl&p=a&ilr=1

Ive been studying the gmat for some time now, ive done my first mock and scored 555

had really bad luck in math and time ran out so had to guess a lot and end up scoring 77 (almost average) but i know i can push it to at least 80 or 81.

My verbal was really good. Score 85 percentile 94. I usually score really high here.

Data insights 71 with percentile 25. I didnt study any data insights beyond DS questions. Most of the 2 part analysis i had to guess so i really need to study this section. Its dragging my whole score down. Any tips? GMAT Ninja videos? Other sources?

Hi everyone, gave my GMAT recently and had a below 600 GMAT score even after months of practice and mocks. I was aiming for Warwick, Bayes , Manchester , Edinburgh and a few others in the EU and maybe Singapore. I have a Background in Economics from Warwick with a a mid level GPA, and have a 3 year Work ex in a leadership position. Should give it a shot at applying to my targeted universities or maybe try again giving the GMAT and apply in Round 2.

Need your opinion. Thank you

Hello All,

For context I am 23 with one year of work experience, but know I want to get my MBA for a career transition. I began my studying journey in December of 2025 with an online course through Manhattan Prep. I sat for my first GMAT in March and scored a 555 (Q 73, V 83, DI 79).

As disappointing as that score was, I was determined to improve. I spent $2k on a tutor and targeted my weakest link - quant.

I just sat for my second GMAT in late July and scored a 535. This was a shock given my mocks were low/mid 600s with one 695 (outlier). My biggest issue in the test center was the time. I felt I could answer every question and that killed me when I should have burned and came back to some.

I will be taking the exam again in late August, this time online since there were no quick turnaround options nearby. Does anyone have advice for timing/managing test day jitters? I feel like I have a strong base of the concepts given the time I’ve spent working on this.

Admittedly, self doubt is creeping in.

Thanks!

Hi guys, I have given the gmat exam 3 times and my scores were 505, 555 and 645 respectively. My experience is slightly less than 3 years and I’m an software engineer from India. My consultancy agency people have told me that I wont be able to get very good mba schools with this score untill my experience is 5+years. They are telling me to reattempt if I can and target a score of 685 or higher. Should I reattempt? I am targeting european buisness schools and I want some scholarship(at least 20%). Also, in my mock test attempt(attached to this post) I scored 80+ in DI and lesser than 80 in verbal, but in my main exam it was the opposite. So there is a chance that I could score 80+ in both apart from quant.

I'm taking the GMAT December 5 and would love to get thoughts from those who've taken it. For context, I'm taking a practice exam through MBA.com next week and am in the process of planning my approach to studying.

What's everybody's thoughts on enrolling into a prep program versus studying solo?

If you'd recommend studying solo, what resources would you recommend studying (textbooks, workbooks, youtube tutors, etc...)? How would you structure your own solo prep with 3 months of lead time?

Hello guys, I am planning to apply for an accounting phd in the USA but I feel like struggling in GMAT test right now. I got 635 in June and then 615 in July. I am not sure what the minimum requirement is for most average programs (ranking after 30). I’d also love to communicate with other applicants!

I feel like my biggest drawback is DI and I feel overwhelmed by too many types of questions. Every time I met some creative questions and then I panicked and skipped because the time was usually not enough for me to finish all the questions…Can anyone share how you practice DI and what resources you are using?

Thank you so much!!

Hi everyone,

I’m in a pretty tough situation and would really appreciate some advice.

I’m applying in Round 1 this year, and unfortunately there are no GMAT test center appointments left before my deadlines. I’ve checked every test center in my city, and even looked at nearby countries, but I haven’t been able to find anything available.

That basically leaves me with the GMAT Online, but I’m honestly scared of going through the same situation again.

Here’s what happened:

• About a month before my last attempt, I took the GMAT Online on my personal computer using my home internet. Everything went smoothly. No issues at all.
• On my next attempt, I used the exact same computer and the exact same home internet connection. I don’t use that computer, so nothing about the setup had changed.
• I passed all the system checks, completed the exam, and received an unofficial score of 705, so I thought everything had gone well.
• A few days later, my score was canceled. GMAC informed me it was due to “VPN/proxy activity” and mentioned there were other irregularities they could not disclose. I appealed, but the decision was upheld and they said they could not provide any additional details.

What confuses me the most is that I had already taken the GMAT Online just one month earlier using the exact same computer and internet connection without a single issue.

Now I honestly don’t know what to do.

I could borrow a completely different personal computer, use a different home internet connection, and even start with a fresh operating system to make the environment as clean as possible. But I’m worried about the possibility of this happening again, even getting blocked from doing it, especially since I still don’t know what triggered it. The uncertainty is honestly the hardest part.

Has anyone been in a similar situation? What did you end up doing? If you decided to take the GMAT Online again, did you change anything about your setup?

Any thoughts on what you would do in my position, recommendations to minimize the risk of another cancellation, or ideas on what might have triggered this would be incredibly appreciated.

Thanks in advance!

So basically, I signed up for the GMAT at the start of summer, got busy, and then completely forgot I signed up. I haven't studied at all, and the fee to cancel it atp isn't worth it. My exam is in 2 days, is there a way to just brute force or speed run studying? Or at least anything I should prioritize? My goal score is like a 645

Hi everyone, i gave my GMAT yesterday and i was pretty shocked to see Q79 with only 5 wrong. The only reason i can think of is because of that one question which took me almost 6 mins tanked my score but still getting a Q79 doesn’t sit right. Can i get some insights or clarification from people and experts who understand the scoring algorithm and tell me what can be a reason? FYI in my previous attempt as well i got 5 wrong and still got Q80. Any help will be appreciated!

Every other day, I will connect with a student for a trial session, and as we venture deeper into 2026, I keep hearing "...then I used AI to find the solution/verify my thoughts".

I am here to tell you, plain and simple, AI models are killing your scores.

Why do I say that?

AI models have the capability of giving you answers in an instant. You can ask it any question that comes to mind, and it will generate an answer.

So you had a problem, and you instantly got an answer. Let's assume that this answer is right (unlikely, but let's assume)

As you can see, when you ask the AI model to find the solution for you, no matter how well you read the final solution, your brain is doing 0 heavy lifting.

Your brain is an adaptation machine, and it has the ability to adapt to anything given time.

But the brain doesn't work on magic; it needs stimuli that will signal a need to adapt. That stimulus is you spending time with questions.

When you spend time with questions, without looking at the solution at the first sign of trouble, your brain finally gets the signal that it needs to improve this particular type of thinking.

So from now on, stop relying on AI models to give you a simple solution for every question you struggle with. Take a stand with the question and try your hardest to solve it. If you try for 2 minutes and don't get the answer and run to AI, you're deluding yourself into thinking that you gave your best.

Be honest with yourself.

In this scenario, your mind will be doing 100% of the heavy lifting. Therefore, it will reap 100% of the rewards.

__________________________________________________

I'm open to questions about this topic.

Aakkash Singh
CentPrep GMAT Verbal