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Last Updated on September 25, 2023
If you’re planning to apply for admission to MBA programs, you’re likely already thinking about the various parts of your applications, such as your work experience, undergraduate GPA, and essays. Of course, another component of many people’s business school applications is their GMAT scores. So, you may be wondering how important your GMAT score is in your quest for admission to business school.
In this article, I’ll discuss the role and importance of GMAT scores in business school admissions, so that you have the information you need to make informed decisions about the GMAT.
Here are the topics we’ll cover in this blog:
- How Important Is Your GMAT Score for MBA Admissions?
- Is My GMAT Score More Important Than My GPA?
- How Does My GMAT Score Fit into My Overall Application?
- The Importance of GMAT Scores for Scholarships and Jobs
- Do GMAT Scores Really Matter if Schools Are Test Optional?
- The Importance of GMAT Scores, in Conclusion
- What’s Next?
Let’s begin by discussing how important the GMAT is to MBA admission officers.
How Important Is Your GMAT Score for MBA Admissions?
There are three main reasons why GMAT scores are important to MBA admissions officers:
- GMAT scores confirm applicants’ readiness to handle a school’s program.
- GMAT scores correlate with the performance of admitted applicants.
- GMAT scores matter for business school rankings.
Let’s consider each of these reasons.
GMAT Scores Confirm Readiness
MBA programs can be intense. So, admissions committees want some assurance that applicants will be able to handle the rigors of the programs. One way they can get that assurance is by seeing that an applicant has scored above a certain threshold on the GMAT.
Furthermore, schools are often especially concerned with knowing that applicants have the quantitative skills necessary to thrive in their programs. So, in addition to preferring that applicants’ GMAT total scores be above a certain threshold, many business schools seek applicants with strong GMAT quant scores. For example, top MBA programs tend to want to see GMAT quant scores in the 70th percentile or higher.
KEY FACT:
MBA admissions committees generally use GMAT scores as confirmation that applicants can handle the schools’ programs.
GMAT Scores Correlate with Performance
Business schools want to admit the applicants who will contribute the most to the educational experience of their fellow students and generally perform at the highest level while attending business school. So, another reason why GMAT scores are important to MBA admissions officers is that both research and schools’ experiences have shown that GMAT scores are strongly correlated with the performance of business school students. Thus, all else equal, the higher an applicant’s GMAT score, the higher the expected business school performance of that applicant. So, for business schools, the higher an applicant’s GMAT score, the better.
KEY FACT:
All else equal, the higher a business school applicant’s GMAT score, the higher the expected business school performance of that applicant.
GMAT Scores Matter for Business School Rankings
Both U.S. News and The Economist use average GMAT scores of admitted applicants as one of their criteria in ranking MBA programs. So, naturally, since GMAT scores matter for well-known rankings, business schools want their admitted applicants to have high GMAT scores.
KEY FACT:
Since GMAT scores matter for MBA rankings, business schools want their admitted applicants to have high GMAT scores.
We can see that business schools have multiple reasons to want accepted MBA applicants to have high GMAT scores. So, it is not surprising that, in a 2015 survey conducted by the Graduate Management Admission Council (GMAC), the makers of the GMAT, MBA admissions officers said that GMAT scores are among the most important MBA admissions criteria. In fact, they allocated 20 percent of the weight of factors underlying their admissions decisions to the GMAT.
Another top MBA admissions criterion is GPA, and in the GMAC survey, admissions officers said that they give GMAT exam scores and GPA about equal weight. However, that’s not the whole story. So, let’s discuss what the real deal is with GMAT scores and GPAs in MBA admissions.
Is My GMAT Score More Important Than My GPA?
There are some key differences between GMAT scores and GPAs that affect how MBA admissions officers view the two measures. One is that, whereas GMAT scores are standardized, GPAs from different undergraduate programs mean different things. After all, universities, and even professors within universities, grade in different ways. Also, most MBA applicants take the GMAT years after they graduate from undergraduate programs.
So, because of these differences, MBA admissions officers consider the GMAT a more reliable indicator of a candidate’s abilities than GPA. Thus, you’re better off with a GPA that’s lower than your target school’s average and a good GMAT score than you are with a solid GPA and a relatively low GMAT score.
So, your GMAT score carries a little more weight than your GPA. Also, for the same reasons, you can to a degree make up for a weak GPA by scoring high on the GMAT.
KEY FACT:
You’re better off with a GPA that is lower than your target school’s average and a good GMAT score than you are with a solid GPA and a relatively low GMAT score.
Of course, test scores and GPAs are not the only criteria that MBA admissions committees consider when making admissions decisions. So, let’s now consider the importance of your GMAT exam score in the context of your entire MBA application.
How Does My GMAT Score Fit into My Overall Application?
The answer to the question of how your GMAT score fits into your overall MBA application depends in part on the schools to which you’re applying. If you’re applying to top business schools, the role your GMAT score can play is somewhat different from the role it can play in your application to a less competitive school.
The Role of GMAT Scores at Top Business Schools
If you’re applying to a highly competitive business school, then the role your GMAT plays is primarily to check a box. A well-below-average GMAT score knocks most applicants to top schools out of the running, even if other aspects of their applications are strong. After all, a top school will receive many applications that are strong overall.
So, in applying to a top school, it’s hard to make up for a weak GMAT score with a strong GPA, resume, and essays, since many applicants will have all the boxes checked. Of course, if your profile is somehow especially outstanding, you could gain admission to a top business school without a great GMAT score. However, such a case would be an exception. For similar reasons, at a top school, a high GMAT score generally will not make up for significant weaknesses in other areas of your application.
At the same time, even if you’re applying to a top school, an especially strong GMAT score can help you stand out. Also, admitting candidates with especially high GMAT scores allows a top school to admit some interesting candidates with relatively low GMAT scores without bringing down the school average. So, if you’re applying to a highly competitive MBA program and want to stand out in a crowd of applicants with strong resumes, well-written essays, and great recommendations, then you may want to study for the GMAT until you achieve a score well above school average.
TTP PRO TIP:
If you’re applying to top schools, a strong GMAT score generally will not make up for significant weaknesses in your application, but it can help a solid application stand out.
The Role of GMAT Scores at Less Competitive Schools
If you’re applying to less competitive business schools, then a too-low GMAT score may still knock you out of the running if it causes admissions committees to wonder whether you are ready to handle the workload. At the same time, a high GMAT score can impact an application to a less competitive school in ways that it would not impact an application to a more competitive school.
For one thing, if you’re applying to less competitive schools, then a GMAT score that is above a school’s average can make up for weaknesses in other areas of your application. Furthermore, if a school is seeking to increase its average GMAT score to rise in the business school rankings, an especially high GMAT test score can make an otherwise so-so application attractive.
So, if you’re applying to less competitive schools, your move is either to achieve an adequate GMAT score, if your application is otherwise solid, or to achieve an above-average GMAT score, if you have weaknesses in your application to make up for.
TTP PRO TIP:
An especially high GMAT score may make up for weaknesses in an application to a less competitive business school.
Your GMAT score can also serve purposes beyond playing a role in getting you accepted to business schools, such as helping you get a scholarship or a post-MBA job. Let’s discuss these other functions of GMAT scores now.
The Importance of GMAT Scores for Scholarships and Jobs
Business school merit scholarships are, in theory, awarded on the basis of applicants’ entire profiles. However, in reality, GMAT scores often play an outsize role in determining which MBA students get merit scholarships. So, scoring high on the GMAT can be your key to getting a partial or full scholarship for business school.
Meanwhile, although some companies, such as major consulting firms, say that they have reduced their use of GMAT scores in the hiring process, it is still the case that many companies consider potential employees’ GMAT scores. These companies are found in a wide range of industries, from investment banking to technology. So, when you set your GMAT score goal, it’s a good idea to consider whether having a high GMAT score will be important for your post-business school career path.
TTP PRO TIP:
When you set your GMAT score goal, consider whether having a high GMAT score will be important for your post-business school career path.
Still, in a world where some business schools have gone test optional and others give test waivers, you may be wondering, do GMAT scores really matter anymore? Let’s discuss.
Do GMAT Scores Really Matter if Schools Are Test Optional?
If you’re wondering whether GMAT scores really matter, remember that not all business schools are test optional. Of the top 100 business schools, around 30 are not test optional. Of the top 25 schools, around half are not test optional. And none of the M7 schools are test optional, though MIT does grant test waivers to certain applicants. So, depending on which schools you plan to apply to, you may still be required to include a GMAT score in your application.
KEY FACT:
Of the top 25 schools, around half are not test optional.
Even if a school is test optional, submitting a GMAT score can help your application. After all, regardless of whether a school has made the GMAT optional, all the reasons GMAT test scores are important to admissions committees still exist. Even for a test-optional school, a high GMAT score indicates that a candidate can handle the program and will likely perform well. Additionally, a high score will bolster the school’s ranking. So, submitting a solid GMAT score can strengthen your application, and submitting a GMAT score above a school’s average can make your application stand out.
TTP PRO TIP:
Even if a school is test optional, submitting a high GMAT score can strengthen your application.
The Importance of GMAT Scores, in Conclusion
Since GMAT scores are strong indicators of a candidate’s ability to perform in an MBA program and are considered by publications that rank business schools, GMAT scores are important to MBA admissions committees. In fact, as we saw, MBA admissions officers say that GMAT scores are among the most important of the criteria they consider in making admissions decisions.
Here are some key takeaways to think about when considering the importance of your GMAT score:
- While both your GMAT score and undergraduate GPA are important parts of your MBA application, a strong GMAT score can to some extent make up for a relatively low GPA.
- In an application to a top business school, a high GMAT score generally will not make up for significant weaknesses, but it can help your candidacy stand out.
- In an application to a less competitive business school, a high GMAT score can make up for some weaknesses in an application or make a so-so application interesting to the admissions committee.
- GMAT scores can help with getting scholarships and job opportunities.
- Even in a world where some business schools have gone test optional, GMAT scores are still important, and a high GMAT score can strengthen your application.
What’s Next?
Wondering what is considered a good GMAT score for a top business school? This article discusses GMAT scores at top MBA programs and how to set your GMAT score goal.
Want to score high on GMAT Quant? This article provides 25 tips for increasing your GMAT Quant score.
Want to score high on GMAT Verbal? Learn how to increase your GMAT Verbal score here.
