Is a 720 GMAT score good enough for IIM ISB?

Q. Is 720 a good GMAT score?
A. It sure is better that 650. But not as good as a 750+ score.

That wasn’t very helpful. So let’s tweak the question and make it a little more specific.

Q. Is 720 a good GMAT score for IIM or ISB?
A. It’s a tad lower than the GMAT score class average for ISB. For the Indian Institutes of Management (IIM), it also depends on which IIM we’re talking about. IIM A/B/C are more competitive than IIM I/L. (Read How to overcome a low GMAT score)

Slightly better, but not quite there, since we need to include the applicant’s profile while answering the question.

So let’s take a deeper look at the profile and life story of an MBA applicant who was targeting top schools in India and abroad a 720 GMAT score.

Read on to find out where he got in and where he didn’t.
 

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Is 720 a good GMAT score?

by Shubhankar Agrawal

 

The greatest victory is not in never falling, but in rising, every time we fall.

I distinctively remember this quote from my moral science class 8^th book. I had been an academic topper throughout till my 10^th grade and when I read this quote, I remember asking myself that how would I rise up and achieve greatness if I don’t fail.

But little did I have any insight of what was to come in the ensuing years. I had been an academic topper with a highly competitive mindset and  actively participated in public speaking competitions throughout my school life.

I got my first failure in the form of not being able to crack into top elite engineering colleges of the country. I have always dreamt of the IIT IIM combo and sat for the 5 year IPM program in IIM Indore but could not make it past interview.

I joined computer science and engineering in Bangalore in a tier two college with the aim of joining IIMs immediately after graduation. But life had other plans.

I had to drop a year as my hand got fractured in second year engineering exams . By then I had lost all hopes on making the cut to IIMs. I had strong interest in business and capital markets and decided to focus my energy over there.

My father had a huge setback in business in 2016 and needed someone by his side to shoulder the responsibility. His failing health too acted as a catalyst and I immediately joined my family business upon graduation.

I started out in operations on the factory floor. The entire setup was quite challenging as the corrugation industry is highly fragmented working in a very traditional manner.

We frequently faced rejections on the quality front as our setup was not updated with the latest technology and survival for a small unit was very difficult as this business is more of a high production, very low margins game.

Moreover, we were based out of a rural location with little scope for growth. I set about understanding the nuances of the business and worked extensively at the ground level for the initial 2 years.

I travelled across the length and breadth of the country trying to charter out a path for my growth.

On the side, I also ran a distribution business as a diversification effort and to learn about retail industry. I continued learning about personal finance and investments and to satiate my financial knowledge hunger, I studied and cleared CFA Level 1.

I started my multi year long expansion plan in January 2020 but COVID came as a dampener and derailed everything.

But being an entrepreneur, I sensed an opportunity in the alcoholic beverage and glass manufacturing industry since those came under the category of essentials.

We were up and running in a very short span of time. I visited multiple client locations to bring in new business and were running at 200% of our capacity.

Managing a production facility in the peak of COVID while taking care of all precautions and looking after the well being of our employees was a challenge in itself and taught me a lot about human relationships and behaviour.

I continued with our expansion plans but tragedy again struck in October 2020 when my father fell severely ill and had to be hospitalized.

The entire mantle of leadership fell upon me and from thereon, I came into my own being and has lead my business ever since.

After working for 5 years, I realized certain gaps in my skillset in terms of knowledge, skill and experience, I felt the lack of structured learning.

I realized that I would truly want to build my own conglomerate, for which I need to go through a structured learning process in a top business school and by working in a proper corporate setup.

I had heard of MBA Crystal Ball and checked the excellent MBA application consulting reviews on their site and also on various other online portals.

After going through those testimonials, I was sure that they would be my guide towards my B-school journey.

I had planned on taking on the GMAT in August 2022 but could not get much free time due to the busy schedule.

I prepared for GMAT for 2 hours every day for two months and appeared for the exam in October 2022.

I was targeting a score in the range of 710-740 and was able to manage a 720.

Though I was not very satisfied with my score, I decided to go ahead with it as I wanted to apply to b-schools in the second round itself and I was very clear that I can’t wait for another year.

I was aware that MBA Crystal Ball is very selective while taking up requests from new applicants. I approached them with some skepticism – not knowing whether they would take up my case or not. I also felt their services came with a price tag that was higher than what I had planned for.

Manish was quick to respond and I decided to go with a three school package as I did not want to risk losing out a year.

I was assigned a consultant and after my first interaction with him, I became confident that I am in the hands of the right people.

He helped me build a strategy, identify my weak spots.

Cost and the duration of the program was a big factor for me. So we decided to focus on the European B schools and American B schools where I had a chance of scholarship.

One thing I really admired about him was that he was blunt with his reviews and brainstormed extensively with me to bring forth the best realistic options.

He really helped me out in setting the expectations right and come up with clarity for post MBA goals.

IIMA PGPX round 2 deadline was closing by. So, I decided to apply on my own but my consultant was gracious enough to help me out there as well and reviewed my CV.

I was not much prepared for IIMA as I thought that I had little chance of shortlisting there but was happily surprised when I got the interview invite.

With just five days in hand, I called up my consultant and signed up for the interview package. He went beyond his duty and helped me prepare for the interview extensively.

The interview went really well and was more focused on the reasoning behind my career choices, industry insights and whether I was well versed with what I had written.

Post my IIMA interview, I had a strong feeling that I had made the cut and decided to work on other Bschool applications. I applied to ISB as well.

Then we decided to wait for the D-day for IIMA Round 2 results before applying to any other school. Come 16^th December and I could see the result flashing on the screen.

I had finally made the cut to the top business school of India and was profoundly surprised with the career trajectory God had in mind for me.

I again sat with my consultant and decided which other colleges could be a better bet given my constraints. I went ahead with INSEAD but couldn’t make the final cut to INSEAD and ISB.

The entire journey has been one of self-discovery and teaches you a lot.

I can’t stress enough the need for the right consultant as he will be your mentor and guide and help you chart the treacherous journey.

I am truly thankful to the MBA Crystal Ball team for their support!
 
Going back to the earlier question, a 720 GMAT score was good enough for Shubhankar, as it helped him get into one of his dream schools. But then, as you might know, business school applications don’t depend on a single parameter (like your GMAT or GRE score).

Try to get the focus off your score and on your profile. If you need help with that, send us an email:
info [at] mbacrystalball [dot] com

We’ve published many stories where applicants have punched above their weight and got admits from schools like INSEAD and even Wharton. Check them out here: Low GMAT success stories
Also read Average GMAT for top business schools