The GMAT is perhaps the most stressful part of any MBA application, doubly so if you’re trying to get into a top business school. The GMAT is scored on a scale between 200 and 800; it’s tough to see average GMAT scores of admitted students and not worry. Stanford’s Graduate School of Business, for example, has an impressively high average of 737 for their latest incoming class.
You’ve just got to face those fears
As most universities and the Graduate Management Admission Council (GMAC) which owns the GMAT exam will tell you, the GMAT is usually the only factor that allows an apples-to-apples comparison of applicants. Everything else stuffed into applications is personal and subjective. Even undergraduate grade point averages aren’t a strong indicator as universities (and professors) don’t conform to a single set of grading guidelines. It’s much more difficult to achieve high scores in some countries than others.
It’s difficult to dispute the equalizing facets of the GMAT – even though it is only conducted in English. Between 2012 and 2013, the United States had more GMAT test takers than India and China combined and yet the average test scores of those countries during that time were significantly higher than the American result.
- China: 582
- India: 577
- United States: 532
In case you’re wondering, 53 countries fared better with GMAT averages during that time than the US, and many of them don’t recognise English as an official language in their country. (Actually, neither does the US; it doesn’t have any official languages. But that’s another topic altogether.)
It is true that there are business schools that don’t require the GMAT and those that accept the GRE. But, for the most part, you’re just going to need to buckle down and take the test.
Aiming for 700+
Every b-school you apply to is going to see those test results. And, while every one of them is quick to point out that applications involve a lot more than GMAT scores, they’re certainly going to take a look. And, they’ll need to find reasons to keep you in the mix if you have lower results than they would like to see.
A previous member of the Wharton admissions team has confirmed that committees exist to discuss applicants with GMAT scores under 650. There are certainly success stories, but that there all such groups at all shows the importance of high GMAT scores in the context of an application.
How hard is it to get 700+?
GMAC certainly paints it as difficult; two-thirds of test takers score somewhere between 400 and 600. Of all the exams taken in 2013 and 2015, the mean score was 551.94. For the same period, a score of 700 puts a test taker into the 89th percentile; a 710 score reflects the 91st percentile.
Roughly speaking, you need to do better than 90 percent of everyone taking the test if you want to crack that 700 mark. And, if you just want to make it into that 650 discussion, you’ll need to do better than 76 percent of GMAT takers.
Is it really necessary?
