I’m a senior in college and applying to consulting firms fulltime. Unfortunately, I have a really low SAT score from high school. Will this hurt my chances? Should I retake the SAT?

If your SAT score is below 1300, it could hurt depending on the firm. I would strongly recommend against retaking the SAT. There are better uses of your time. However, if you believe you can take it right now with no practice and score a 1500, no one will stop you.

If you have a low SAT, focus on the areas where you can make a difference – a great GPA will go a long way. Shoot for leadership positions in school, gain part-time work experience during school and recruit for quality firms over summer and post-college.

Same applies to GMAT. I’d think of 700 as your cutoff level there

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Tagged as: should i retake the SAT

Charles

Lol, no firm looks at high school test scores. Since getting an offer last year, I’ve looked at dozens of other students resumes, and no one had test scores on there. The truth is, firms care WAY more about GPA. GPA is the magic gatekeeper for SOME (but not all firms).

If your SAT sucks, just leave it off – no recruiter is going to ask for your SAT (or ACT) scores.
Laura

What is the preferred GPA range? I have a 3.6 gpa and am worried that it’s too low. Specifically, I have A classes and A- classes mostly, and then some Bs and B+s. Is that an OK distribution? Do they look at that? My worries are just that I get lower grades in subjects like Econ and Stat, which I know are important for consulting…
John

What companies look at SAT scores?! This seems ridiculous.
Kyle

I’m a senior in college who recently signed with one of the “MckBain Group” firms. I networked, recruited and interviewed with six of the top ten consulting firms; and these firms CERTAINLY DO LOOK AT SAT scores.

Specifically, they look at high math SAT scores as a sign of analytical ability. Take that however you want Charles, but five of the six specifically asked for it. Additionally, a recruiter suggested I add my math SAT score on my resume (especially since I am from a non-target school). She noted that HAD I NOT PUT IT ON MY RESUME MANY WOULD ASSUME IT WAS LOW.

I don’t mean to insult you or question your firm’s prestige, but your information is wrong and unhelpful. I don’t know anything about your background, but I want to remind you that people come to this site looking for reliable answers. When you post false information (which you unknowingly did), potential consulting candidates on this site suffer.
Kyle

From personal experience, McKinsey, Bain, BCG, Deloitte and Oliver Wyman all asked candidates for SAT scores. I don’t know enough to make a qualified estimate as to how much they weight that, but my best guess is that it is used as a pre-requisite in the interview screening process. Once you have an interview, it probably does not mean much.
Pohshiqing

Dear Kyle,

I was wondering if you can give me some feedback on my resume. I was on the verge of leaving out my GPA from my resume until I read your post
jennyrae

GPA and SAT scores are 2 different matters – you might go either way with both, depending on what they are. Feel free to email us using the contact form as well. Thanks!