How to Interpret Your GMAT Score

James Supplee
Director of GMAT Prep

Interpreting GMAT scores can feel like a difficult GMAT Math problem, so here’s a quick rundown to help you navigate the GMAT score terrain.

The first and most important number on your score report is the composite score, which ranges from 200-800. The current average is 561, although averages and score percentiles fluctuate because they are based on the performance of test takers only in the past three years. Though your composite score will never change, your percentile ranking may vary by 1 or 2 points based on the performance of recent test takers.

The composite score is based on only the Verbal and Quantitative scores. These range from 6 to 51 individually, although key factors of their distributions vary widely. On the Quantitative side, a score of 40 is in the 39th percentile currently, while a 40 in Verbal is a 90th percentile score, since these sections are scaled separately. The GMAC doesn’t release the exact relationship between Verbal/Quant combinations and composite scores, although Magoosh, for example, has created an estimated conversion table based on the voluntarily-submitted scores of their users.

The two sections that aren’t included in the composite score are the Integrated Reasoning (IR) and the Analytical Writing Assessment (AWA) scores. IR is scored on a scale from 1 to 8, with average and median scores near 4, while AWA is scored on a scale from 0 to 6, with an average of roughly 4.5 and a median of 5. Again, these statistics are based solely on the past three years of data and are updated frequently.

What makes a good GMAT score? Well, that’s deserves its own post. But the short answer is, “It depends.” It depends on your goals and the skills you’re trying to demonstrate to your b-school of choice. Top-10 b-schools currently have average GMAT scores around 730, schools ranked in the 70 to 100 range have average scores around 600, according to US News and World Report. Whatever your goals may be, we at Clayborne are here to help you achieve them.

4 Steps to Summer Reading Success

Peyton Stark - Academic Tutoring Director

We all know how it happens. The last final ends, the last yearbook is signed, the doors swing open, and students step out into glorious summer break. The absolute last thing that anyone wants to think about is homework. For perhaps the first and only time in the whole year, we (parents, students, teachers) can pretend that homework doesn’t exist. No more school! No more grades! No more homework for the foreseeable future.

Enter summer reading. That thing that teachers talk about those last few days of school, that parents find buried in their email inboxes, that students quite often ignore until the last before school starts.

This summer, break the cycle. Follow these 4 steps to turn the painful process of summer reading into the structured and manageable task that it is meant to be. With a little planning and creativity, summer reading can truly be...dare I say it...an enjoyable part of the break.

Step 1: Order the books ASAP

It’s pretty straightforward, but I am going to set the record straight once and for all: you can’t read a book that you don’t have. Obvious, right? Nothing leads to the downfall of summer reading like not having the books. Take the first step. Order the books. All of them. Do this right now.

Step 2: Make a plan

Think of this step like a meet-and-greet between your life and your summer reading books. Once you have your books, take some time to look them over. Read the cover. How many chapters are there? How many pages? Ask these key questions:

• Which of these books am I most excited about?

• Which book looks like it is going to be the hardest?

• How long will it take me to read each of these books?

Now, take a look at your schedule. You know yourself. Do you want to read the hardest book first to get it over with? Or do you need a break? If so, start with the one you’re most excited to read. Figure out the order in which you want to tackle the books, then figure out when you plan to start. A few things to keep in mind when planning your reading schedule:

• Unless you plan to read multiple hours a day, you should alot at least two weeks to reach each book (longer for the long ones).

• You should NOT plan to read books when you are visiting your best friend, or at a soccer camp, or anywhere where you feel that reading might be challenging or downright impossible.

• DO NOT - I repeat, DO NOT - spend the last week of your summer reading these books. Plan ahead so that you can spend your last week of summer sleeping, having fun, or doing whatever else you want to do with your last moments of freedom.

Need help making a plan? Get started with Clayborne’s Summer Reading Plan of Attack.

Step 3: Leave yourself a roadmap

A common concern about completing summer reading early in the summer is that students might forget what they read by the time fall comes around. Nothing is worse than reading the required book, only to show up to school and bomb the reading test! Don’t do this to yourself. Don’t leave yourself stranded. Instead, leave yourself a trail of notes and annotations. Annotation (underlining, circling, and taking notes while you read) not only helps you helps you comprehend what are are reading in the moment, but also lays a roadmap that you can return to when reviewing for a test or essay.

Step 4: Reward yourself

Don’t expect this to be easy. You may order the books, make a schedule, sit down, crack open the first one, and realize that, despite all of your planning, this is going to be really hard. Plan some rewards for yourself. Some ideas:

• Pick out a movie you want to see, and save it until you’ve finished the first book.

• Ask your parents if they will cook your favorite meal, or take you to your favorite restaurant when you finish a challenging read.

• Really want to watch TV or go hang out with a friend? Make yourself read one chapter first.

• Set up a competition with a friend! Whoever finishes the book first has to buy the other ice-cream.

Want help planning out and staying on track with your summer reading? Clayborne is here to help.

The ACT or SAT?

One of the most common questions we get from our clients is, "which test should I take?" The truth-all colleges accept both tests; which test you take is based on your test preference. Below is a handy infographic that may help you decide which test is right for you. Our very own Scott Webster gives you the inside scoop on which test may be right for you in this Facebook Live Video.
 

Still need assistance? Sign up for our Sorter Test! Email us: contactus@clayborne.com

Ch-ch-ch-changes

When Clay Daniel asked Lee Elberson to become his business partner in 2014, they both knew Clayborne would gain the very benefit we pursue for our students: a better future. Over the past four years, their complementary skill sets have positioned Clayborne as the best-known local tutoring firm in Charlottesville. Since the outset of their partnership, Clayborne has acquired one of its competitors, hired its first full time sales manager, added Scott Webster (Director of College Entrance Exam Prep) to the ownership team, and initiated a comprehensive scholarship program aimed at significantly deepening and widening access to our services to students of every socioeconomic background.

As Clayborne has continued to grow in both clients and staff, the need for a streamlined infrastructure has become evident. As of Jan. 1, 2018, Clay will devote his time to the development of Clayborne’s academic programs and curricula, immersing himself in Clayborne’s primary service: test prep. As Clayborne’s most experienced and highest rated tutor, Clay is uniquely positioned to oversee the training of new tutors and maintain the highest standard of excellence for our team of more than 25 tutors.

Additionally, Lee will now step into a chief operations role, channeling his passion for business development and utilizing his training in and aptitude for quantitative analysis.  For the past four years, Lee has spent considerable time in the business community working as an entrepreneur coach with the Community Investment Collaborative (CIC), a local nonprofit organization . Lee has most recently been appointed Treasurer of the Board of Directors of CIC, a testament to his charisma and capability. This experience has equipped and invigorated Lee to oversee Clayborne’s business management. 

The ownership team believes these changes will allow Clay and Lee to devote their energies to their areas of sharpest gifting and deepest passion. Thank you to everyone who has helped make Clayborne a household name in Charlottesville!