It's time for another Applicant Question of the Week at BusinessBecause!
Every week, we give you the opportunity to ask one of our chosen admissions experts anything you want to know about getting into business school. One question each week is chosen for our expert to answer.
This week, the question comes from an anonymous BusinessBecause reader looking to the US for their graduate business education,
Their question is answered by George Andrews, associate dean of degree programs at the Rice University Jones Graduate School of Business.
Applicant Question of the Week:
Dear BusinessBecause,
I'm currently prepping for the GMAT and I'm worried about getting into a top US business school. Do I need 700+ on the GMAT to get into a business school in the US?
The Answer:
In theory, you do not need a specific GMAT score to get into an MBA program. The admissions process is multidimensional. We are looking to bring in a well-rounded class that reflects the world in which we live. We want individuals who bring something unique into the classroom; whether it be their background, their work experience, or their leadership qualities, there must be something that makes them an attractive candidate.
So what purpose does the GMAT serve? Schools feel a responsibility to admit only those who will successfully complete the program—this is where the GMAT comes into play.
The GMAT is a great predictor of success in the program. It has been used for decades and there are significant longitudinal studies demonstrating that a higher GMAT score significantly increases the probability of success, as measured by grades, in the program.
For many schools, the GMAT serves not only as a decision tool but more importantly as a sorting tool. There is a top-ranked school on the West Coast that received over 7,700 applications to fill 419 spots with an average GMAT of 732. Even if 80% of the applicants were obvious declines, you would still have over 1,500 solid prospects.
So what do you do? You sort by a set of criteria, one of which, due to the ease of measurement and use in rankings, is GMAT.
Now that I have mentioned rankings, let's discuss the darker side of GMAT and the significant escalation of GMAT scores at top programs. While it is true that it is an excellent predictive tool, it is also true that schools have an incentive to keep the incoming class average GMAT score high and rising. Ranking agencies strongly weigh the average GMAT score of the incoming class as an indicator of student body quality.
What does this mean for you? You should look at the reported average GMAT score for the school to which you are applying; the farther you are below that GMAT score, the more you need to demonstrate the other reasons you should be considered for the program.
You will need to demonstrate that you are bringing some differentiating qualities mentioned above such as background or leadership. Because these qualities are more subjective, it is incumbent upon you to demonstrate them through the essays, interview, and letters of recommendation, as well as during every interaction with the admissions staff.
To summarize, the GMAT is just one aspect of the tools used in the art of admissions. However, because it is easier to measure, has a robust correlation to success in the program, is used to sort admits, and is heavily weighted in the school rankings, scoring at or above the average GMAT of the school to which you are applying will significantly increase your chances a successful outcome.
Ask an Admissions Expert a Question!
Applying to business school in Europe? Next week you'll get a chance to ask Cristina Sassot—director of full-time MBA and master's admissions at ESADE Business School in Spain—anything you'd like to know about applying to a business program.
Cristina has been working in admissions at ESADE for 10 years, and also has an MBA from the school, so she knows exactly what this top-ranked European business school is looking for in their applicants.
Got a question you'd love Cristina to answer? To be in with a chance of featuring next week, submit your question on our Twitter, Facebook, or LinkedIn pages, send us an email to info@businessbecause.com, or simply post a comment below!