It's sad, but it's true: your gmat score is probably the most important factor in determining whether you will be admitted to a top business school. Most applicants believe there is a significant difference between a 680 and a 720 on the test. That 39 s why i 39 m frustrated when i hear from people who score 680 and insist on retaking the exam. Most of them would be better served by burning their gmat prep books and turning their attention to the application essays the next step in the process.

If you hope to have a reasonable chance of being admitted to a top program, though, your gmat score will need to be in the ballpark. If it isn't, you'll have a hard time winning a spot at top tier schools no matter how good your work experience and undergraduate gpa might be. That's why i believe gmat score is the most important factor in being admitted to a top program. So what's considered in the ballpark? at virtually all of the top programs, the ballpark starts in the mid 600s. But if you look closely at top schools 39 numbers, you'll see that below about 620 your chances of being admitted fall pretty dramatically. To determine whether you 39 re a viable candidate at a specific school, find the program 39 s middle 80 percent gmat range.

If you 39 re within a school 39 s 80 percent range, you have a reasonable chance of being admitted and you may be viable even if you 39 re below the range. You should never let your gmat score be the sole factor that determines where you apply. Simple math dictates that 10 percent of students attending mba programs scored below the schools 39 reported 80 percent range and 10 percent scored above it. The most common mistake that mba applicants make is using a school's median gmat score as a viability gauge. If, for instance, a program 39 s median score is 680, applicants believe they have to hit that number in order to be admitted.

Noughts And Crosses Critical Essay

It should be obvious that half of the current class fell below 680, but that doesn 39 t seem to register and many applicants self select out. I've talked many applicants into applying to mba programs they are now attending or have already finished because they were initially discouraged when their gmat scores fell slightly below their target schools' medians. Are the separate scores for math and verbal important? yes, especially the math score. The admissions people put a lot of emphasis on math skills when making their decisions. I know that gmac claims the scale can go as high as 60, but it has never actually gone over 52.

Essay on If Water Supply Fails

It's great to have that kind of balance, but if you are going to be stronger on one portion of the test than on the other, it's clearly better to be stronger in math. What if i hope to apply to top schools but my gmat score is below 600? you need to take the test again. I 39 m not saying that you can 39 t get into a top program you can but your chances are slim. I'm not aware of a single top school or even an average school for that matter that still averages gmat scores.

I'm sure that someone out there will find a program that does so, but until i hear from that person, let's stick to the general rule: schools consider only your highest gmat score. Before the gmat exam begins, the computer will ask which schools you would like your scores forwarded to. You get five schools included in the cost of the test, and any additional programs will cost you $25 each. After you have seen your scores you get them immediately after finishing the test , you can then pay $25 each to have them sent to the schools you choose. So if you took the test four times and scored 450 each time, but didn't have your scores forwarded, you could still pull off that miraculous 700 the fifth time and then send your scores. It doesn't really matter, though, whether you send your transcript after each test or wait until you score the number you want. In the end, the school's application will ask you to specify the score you want the admissions committee to consider.

And, no, you can't mix and match your best verbal score and your best math score from different tests. By the way, the cost of the final pencil and paper test was $84 and additional score reports were $10 each. Maybe someone in business school can come up with a way to introduce free market forces into the gmat administration process.