Top MBA Programs
What are the best MBA programs for you? Check out our list of top MBA programs by GMAT score sending, featuring HBS, Stanford, and Wharton.
Why Top Business Schools Admit Mostly GMAT™ Applicants
Share
When applying to business school, a strong admissions test score could be your ticket into the MBA or business master’s program of your dreams.
Although admissions teams take a holistic view of your application—factoring in your work experience, motivations, recommendations, and career goals—a high test score can help you stand out and demonstrate you’re ready for the challenges of a graduate business program.
While many business school programs do accept both the GMAT™ exam and the GRE, there’s added value for schools when accepting a candidate with a strong GMAT score.
Why top business schools look to the GMAT™ exam when admitting an applicant
The GMAT exam is specifically designed for business school admissions, while the GRE is a general postgraduate admissions test.
The GMAT exam was first designed by business schools in 1953. This means that schools have used the exam to measure a candidate’s critical thinking, reasoning skills, and suitability for the academic rigor of an MBA program for decades.
The exam consists of the following four sections:
- Analytic Writing Assessment, which measures your ability to think critically and communicate your ideas.
- Integrated Reasoning, which measures your ability to analyze data and evaluate information presented in multiple formats.
- Quantitative Reasoning, which measures your ability to analyze data and draw conclusions using reasoning skills.
- Verbal Reasoning, which measures your ability to read and understand written material, evaluate arguments, and correct written material to conform to standard written English.
“The GMAT is designed to test a series of distinct abilities required both in business school and in real-world business settings,” says Chris Kane, head of test prep at Menlo Coaching.
“The GMAT assesses a series of attributes related to higher-order thinking that make it more of a reasoning and critical thinking test than the GRE, particularly on the quantitative side.”
Since the GMAT is tailored for business school admissions, recruitment teams are familiar with the score range and understand what it means in terms of a student’s predicted success in an MBA or business master’s program.
Candidates, by and large, prefer to submit a GMAT score when applying to business school. A recent poll by admissions consultancy MBA Crystal Ball found that 4 in 5 business school candidates think the GMAT exam is the better choice for business school admissions. According to enrollment data collected by the Graduate Management Admission Council™ (GMAC™), about 80 percent of new entrants to top ranked US and European full-time MBA programs were admitted using GMAT exam scores. At Harvard Business School, for example, 71 percent of MBA students in the class of 2023 submitted a GMAT score, while just 29 percent got in with the GRE.
Your GMAT™ score is applicable to a range of business school programs
The GMAT isn’t just relevant for MBA applicants—more than seven in 10 students rely on the GMAT exam for admission to European Master in Management (MiM) programs as well. The exam is also ratified by the AICTE for admitting candidates to approved PGDM programs in India.
Taking the GMAT exam may also help you to land a business school scholarship. A good GMAT score shows the admissions team that you’re motivated and academically ready for business school. Many merit scholarships take your GMAT score into account as well as your performance in your bachelor’s degree.
“Studying for and taking the [GMAT] exam can show the admissions committee one’s commitment to the competitive business school application process and how you may approach academic challenges as a student,” says Rodrigo Malta, managing director of MBA recruiting and admissions at McCombs School of Business in Texas.
Your GMAT score can benefit your post-business school career
Attaining a good GMAT score can equally give you an edge after graduation. Across top post-business school industries like consulting, financial services, and technology, many companies review GMAT scores as part of their hiring process.
This is because each of the four sections of the GMAT exam evaluates the quantitative and qualitative skills that apply in the real business world.
That’s appealing to business schools, as strong GMAT scores for an incoming class will help them stand out to top recruiters when they graduate.
If you’re applying to a business school program, like an MBA or business master’s, taking the GMAT is a good way to grab the attention of the admissions committee, prepare yourself for the quantitative and critical thinking challenges of the program, and even set yourself up for career success after you graduate.
Are you ready to get started? Access your free GMAT Official Starter Kit + 8-Week Study Planner now!