Way 2 Freshers

The GMAT Score

GMAT SCORE
A GMAT score is probably the most important factor in determining whether you will be admitted to a good business school.

Most applicants have a beleif that there is a significant difference between a 680 and a 720 on the GMAT. There isn’t. The extra 40 points won’t help your chances of being admitted. People who score ,marginally less 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 A-list schools no matter how good your work experience and undergraduate GPA might be. That’s why they say that GMAT score is the most important factor in being admitted to a top program. If your score isn’t in the ballpark, you won’t be in the game.

So What’s Considered “In the Ballpark?”
Almost all of the top programs, the ballpark starts in the mid 600s. That doesn’t mean there is a strict cut-off — there isn’t. But if you look closely at a school’s numbers you’ll see that below about 620, your chances of being admitted fall pretty dramatically.

The median score in GMAT is about 680; but the median can be deceiving. You don’t need to beat it to be accepted. It should be obvious that half of all accepted applicants score below the median, but for some reason many of my GMAT students feel they need to beat a school’s median to have a reasonable shot at getting in.
What Score Will I Need If I Hope to Attend a Top Program?
If your GMAT score is within a school’s median 80 percent range, even if it’s 60 points below the school’s median, you have a reasonable chance of being admitted. If it’s below that 80 percent range you still have a shot, but it’s a long shot.

Most MBA programs now print their median 80 percent ranges in their brochures. For those that don’t, you can make a rough estimate by assuming the range starts about 60 points below the median and ends about 60 points above it. As long as you are within that range, you have a reasonable chance of being admitted.

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. (See the discussion on GPA for more on this.) So it’s important that you do well on the math portion of the GMAT.

The math and verbal scores range from 0 to about 52. (I know that ETS claims the scale can go as high as 60, but it has never actually gone over 52). My strongest students are those in the “40-40 Club.” That means they score in the 40’s in both math and verbal.

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’m not saying that you can’t get into a top program — you can. But your chances are slim. So if you have time to take the test again, take it.

And that brings up a good point about multiple test scores. There has’nt been a report of a single top school (or even an average school for that matter) that still averages GMAT scores. Schools consider only your highest GMAT score.

Can I Take the Test 15 Times and Just Report My Highest Score?
Sort of. Before the GMAT exam begins, the computer will ask you which schools you would like your scores forwarded to. You get five schools included in the cost of the test, and any others will cost you $25 each.

You can elect not to have your scores forwarded to any schools. 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.

Your “GMAT transcript” will report only your three most recent scores. 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. The admissions office would see only two 450’s and a 700.

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).

What About the Essay Score on the GMAT?
You will have to write two essays on the GMAT (the “Analytical Writing Section”). They will be scored on a scale of 1 to 6, and those points will not be added to your other GMAT score.

What About Taking the Exam Under “Non-Standard Accommodations?”
Most people don’t know that they can take the GMAT under what ETS, the test administrator, calls “non-standard accommodations.” That means you can get twice as much time as everyone else, if that’s what you need to compensate for a medical condition. ETS doesn’t promote this accommodation very aggressively, but I’ve had many of my students take the test “non-standard” and all of them who have gotten a truly significant accommodation (such as double time) have gone up at least 100 points from what they were scoring with me on practice tests given under standard conditions.

Should I Take a GMAT-Prep Course?
If you hope to go to a top school, you’d be crazy not to prepare for the GMAT. Being admitted to Kellogg or Columbia or a similar school is well worth the time and money invested in a good prep course