Gmat score of 740 Q 49 V 42 IR 5 AWA 6 Do I need to retake due to low IR?

Prepwise Answers › Gmat score of 740 Q 49 V 42 IR 5 AWA 6 Do I need to retake due to low IR?
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Greston Wise Staff asked 5 years ago

Hi Kate,
Going through your Q&A has been great. I am hoping that you can advice me on my current situation
1).  I took the GMAT for the second time this month after 2 years since my first attempt which was a 680. I got the 740 I was after but I completely bombed the IR and got a 5! I was getting 7’s and 8’s in practice but misread one multi-source question and messed up its 3 follow up questions. 
Bit about my background
25yo male from the Arabian Gulf, gradated from a top UK university in Modern Languages and have been running family business in the middle east for 3 years. Now switched to consutling at one of the MBB also in the middle east and hope to apply for fall 2020/2021. My dream school is HBS, and my mba goal is to further develop my business and leadership toolkit so that I can help impact change in the region of the world I call home. Do you think my background and other section scores covers for my IR 5? I really don’t want to take the GMAT again and with my new role time is not on my side.
2).   I was also wondering whether once someone gets invited to an interview, they are no longer dinged or accepted as a result of their test results. In other words, does receiving an interview mean your score has passed the test and if you impressed at the interview you’re in?
I would appreciate your opinion
Kind regards,
Yousef

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Kate McKeon Staff answered 5 years ago

HI Yousef,

  1. Don’t sweat the IR. No it isn’t good, but it won’t kill your app. Your Q of 49 is fine and the 42V is fine. You are done with the GMAT! Celebrate!
  2. Ding for the score after the request for interview – can happen. They’ll take interviews with more candidates than they hope to offer. Reasons for ding post interview span the gamut, but certainly low scores plus not-impressive-enough-to-overcome-scores-interview happens every year. (Based on the influx of interview debrief requests I get from new students) That said, you aren’t really in that category unless you seem like you can’t function properly in English during an interview. Based on what limited info I have on you, that doesn’t seem likely for you.
  3. Family business – great. HBS loves those. So too does Wharton. They even have a Center for Family Business.

Assuming your GPA is decent, that you made interesting strides with the family co, and that Big Consulting still loves you when you’re ready to jump, you have a strong profile. Certainly strong enough to apply.