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Last Updated on August 16, 2023
If you’re thinking of pursuing your MBA at Yale University’s School of Management, you’re probably wondering whether you’ll need to take the GMAT and what kind of GMAT score you may need to earn to be a competitive applicant.
In this article, I’ll answer all of the most common questions about taking the GMAT for Yale SOM MBA admissions, including what types of test scores are required, what the average GMAT score of accepted students is, and more. I’ll also provide some tips on figuring out how to set your score goal for Yale.
If you’re planning to apply to Yale SOM, this is the blog for you!
Here are the topics we’ll cover:
- Does Yale Accept GMAT Scores with MBA applications?
- Does Yale Require the GMAT for MBA admissions?
- Does Yale Prefer GMAT or GRE Scores?
- What Is the Average GMAT Score for Yale?
- What Is a Good GMAT Score for Yale?
- How Hard Is It to Get into Yale Business School?
- In Conclusion
- What’s Next?
Note that in this blog, we’re going to focus on Yale’s full-time MBA program. Let’s get started by talking about whether Yale accepts GMAT scores with MBA applications.
Does Yale Accept GMAT Scores with MBA Applications?
If you’re planning to take the GMAT to apply to Yale SOM or you already have a GMAT score you’d like to use for Yale, you’ll be happy to know that Yale SOM accepts GMAT scores for admissions to its full-time MBA program.
Now, you may be wondering, is a GMAT score required?
Does Yale Require the GMAT for MBA Admissions?
Applicants to Yale’s full-time MBA program are allowed to submit either a GMAT or GRE score for admissions. So, if you don’t want to take the GMAT, you can take the GRE instead.
You will have to choose one of those two exams, however, because test scores are required for applicants to Yale SOM. Additionally, keep in mind that the scores you submit must be less than 5 years old (the standard validity window for GMAT and GRE scores).
If you’re not sure whether to take the GMAT or GRE for MBA admissions, this article answers some key questions to help you decide.
KEY FACT:
Applicants to Yale’s full-time MBA program are allowed to submit either a GMAT or GRE score for admissions.
Of course, having the choice between two admissions tests begs the question, which test does Yale prefer?
Does Yale Prefer GMAT or GRE Scores?
Yale SOM states very clearly on its website that it has no preference between the GMAT and GRE — or between in-person or online test administration. In fact, Yale SOM’s senior associate director of admissions, Amy Voth, states the following:
“When we say we have no preference between the GMAT and GRE, we really mean it. Take whatever exam you feel most comfortable with.”
So, there is no reason to worry that the test you choose might not be preferred by the Yale admissions committee. In fact, 36% of the students who enrolled in Yale’s full-time MBA class of 2023 submitted GRE scores with their applications. In the class of 2022, GRE-takers were actually in the majority: 57% of enrolled students submitted GRE scores. (Note that Yale did not report in either of these years what percentage of students submitted both GMAT and GRE scores.)
KEY FACT:
Yale SOM states that it has no preference between the GMAT and GRE for MBA applicants.
Now that you know what the testing requirements are for Yale MBA admissions, let’s take a look at what kinds of GMAT scores admitted students at Yale SOM have.
What Is the Average GMAT Score for Yale?
As you might expect, the Yale average GMAT score for the class of 2023 is pretty impressive, as are other recent class averages. Let’s take a look at some key GMAT score metrics of Yale SOM classes over the past 3 years.
Yale SOM MBA Class GMAT Scores: 2021-2023
As we can see in the table above, Yale SOM MBA students in recent class years have scored, on average, in the 720-730 range. Furthermore, the average GMAT score ticked up in the class of 2023, as did the mid-80% GMAT score range, the low end of which is 10 points higher than it was in the previous two classes.
If you’re unaware, the middle 80% GMAT range, or “mid-80%,” tells us that 80% of students in the class scored within that range, 10% of the class scored below that range, and 10% scored above.
So, in the case of the Yale SOM class of 2023, 80% of enrolled MBA students who submitted GMAT scores scored within the 70-point range from 690-760. The lowest 10% scored between 640 and 690 (as we can see from the GMAT range in the third column). Finally, the highest 10% scored between 760 and 780.
KEY FACT:
The Yale average GMAT score for the class of 2023 is 726, and the median score is 730.
In addition to this data about GMAT total scores at Yale SOM, we have some interesting data related to the class of 2022’s GMAT section scores. Unfortunately, Yale didn’t report these specifics for the class of 2023. Nonetheless, the 2022 data gives us a window into the types of GMAT section scores accepted students earn. Let’s take a look.
Class of 2022 GMAT Section Scores
We just learned what kinds of total scores accepted MBA students at Yale SOM earn. But what about their GMAT section scores? Let’s consider some data for the class of 2022 below.
Based on the current percentile rankings published by GMAC, the makers of the GMAT, the median GMAT Quant score for the Yale SOM class of 2022 was in the 87th percentile of all test-takers worldwide. Similarly, the class median GMAT Verbal score was in the 90th percentile.
KEY FACT:
The Yale SOM class of 2022 had a median GMAT Quant score of 50 (87th percentile rank) and a median GMAT Verbal score of 40 (90th percentile rank).
Section Scores: Analyzing the Data
It’s worth noting that the Class of 2022’s Verbal median of 40 falls pretty neatly halfway between 36 and 45, the class’s Verbal range. In other words, the number of students scoring 40 or below and the number scoring 40 or above was relatively even. This balance makes sense in light of the fact that a Verbal range of 36-45 translates to an 80th-99th percentile rank.
On the other hand, we see that the Quant median of 50 is quite close to the top of the Quant range of 42-51. So, to get a median (midpoint) of 50, at least half of the students scored in the 50-51 range in Quant. Again, looking at the corresponding percentile rankings is illuminating. A Quant score of 50 ranks in the 87th percentile, while a perfect Quant score of 51 ranks in the 97th percentile (the top for Quant). So, in 1 point, we see a difference of 10% in the rankings. At that bottom end of the class Quant range, a score of 42, the percentile ranking drops to 39%.
It should come as no surprise that it probably wouldn’t be very common for Yale to accept MBA students with Quant scores in the 39th percentile (or 44th, or 56th, etc.). So, it makes sense that the median Quant score of the class of 2022 was much closer to the top of the class Quant range than to the middle or bottom.
What Is a Good GMAT Score for Yale?
Going by the averages and medians we just saw, can you safely conclude that you’ll be a shoo-in at Yale with a GMAT score of 730 (Q50/V40)? Unfortunately, the answer isn’t a simple yes.
Generally speaking, a good GMAT score for any MBA program will be equal to the average or median GMAT score of admitted students. However, in reality, GMAT averages and medians are just a starting point when you set your score goal.
Often, students don’t realize that the average or median GMAT score at a school isn’t necessarily a competitive GMAT score for every applicant, because admissions committees weigh numerous factors when considering each applicant. So, when they consider the other elements of an applicant’s profile — GPA, work experience, recommendations, background, essays — a “good” GMAT score for one person may not be so good for another.
Thus, there is no universal “magic number” when it comes to the GMAT; every applicant is different. So, when determining what GMAT score will help you be a competitive applicant at Yale, you need to weigh your unique strengths and weaknesses. Let’s discuss this concept further.
TTP PRO TIP:
There is no universal “magic number” when it comes to the GMAT. A “good” GMAT score for one person may not be so good for another.
Balancing Your GMAT Score With Other Factors
We just learned that looking at class average and median GMAT scores is just the first step in determining what GMAT score you need to be competitive at Yale (or any MBA program). The second step is to carefully analyze your strengths and weaknesses in other areas of your applicant profile. You can then adjust your target GMAT score higher or lower than the average depending on whether there are other aspects of your application that you need to compensate for.
Once again, looking at class averages is a good way to set your baselines when thinking about the strengths and weaknesses in your profile. (You can always find the data you’ll need in the most recent Yale MBA class profile.) After all, there doesn’t necessarily have to be anything “wrong” with your application for you to need a higher-than-average GMAT score. In fact, it could be that your application would be considered outstanding in every respect at many MBA programs.
However, when you have your sights set on a particular program, you need to determine what would be “outstanding” at that program in particular. Quite literally, you should ask yourself, “How does my application stand out? What will get me noticed?” (in a good way, of course). In other words, how do you stack up against the average Yale SOM student?
How Do You Stack Up?
If you’re basically on par with the majority of Yale MBA students in most or all respects, then it’s a pretty good bet that there will be many other applicants just like you. In other words, although you may have a perfectly fine and impressive applicant profile, you could run the risk of getting lost in a sea of similar applicants.
Thus, earning a GMAT score that beats the class median could really help your application stand out. In fact, people in groups that are overrepresented in MBA admissions typically need to earn higher GMAT scores than they otherwise would in order to be competitive at top programs.
If you’re basically on par with the majority of Yale MBA students in most or all respects, then it’s a pretty good bet that there will be many other applicants just like you.
On the other hand, if your applicant profile is already unique in some respects, you may be quite competitive at Yale with a GMAT score that matches the average or median (or in some cases, is even below the average).
To better illustrate this point, let’s look at a couple of hypothetical cases, using data from the Yale SOM class of 2023 profile.
Case: Yale Applicant A
Yale Applicant A is a white male with an undergraduate degree in a STEM field, a GPA of 3.7, and 4.5 years of work experience in consulting.
Let’s look at how Applicant A stacks up next to the Yale SOM class of 2023:
Average GPA: 3.69
Average years of work experience: 4.4
Race/ethnicity: 50% white
In addition to the stats above, the top industry and top job function for the class of 2023 are both consulting, at 24% and 36% of the class, respectively. Also, STEM is the second-most popular undergraduate major, at 27%, right behind Humanities & Social Sciences (28%).
Leaving aside variables such as recommendations and essays for now, given the make-up of the class of 2023, it appears quite probable that Applicant A will be competing against many other applicants whose profiles look very similar to his.
Thus, to help his application stand out among the crowd, Applicant A sets a minimum GMAT score goal of 760, the top of the mid-80% GMAT range, keeping in mind that his preferred score would be toward the top of the class’s full GMAT range, perhaps a 770.
Case: Yale Applicant B
Yale Applicant B is a Hispanic female with an undergraduate degree in Economics, a GPA of 3.9, and 6 years of work experience in government.
Let’s look at how Applicant B stacks up next to the Yale SOM class of 2023:
Average GPA: 3.69
Average years of work experience: 4.4
Race/ethnicity: 12% Hispanic/Latinx
In addition to beating the average GPA and work experience, Applicant B has a fairly uncommon professional background: only 7% of the class of 2023 hails from the government sector. Furthermore, Economics is the least common undergraduate major, at 22% of the class.
Again, let’s set aside the variables of recommendations and essays; given the make-up of the class of 2023, Applicant B has a pretty uncommon profile.
So, to be on the safe side while leaving plenty of time to work on the rest of her application, Applicant B sets a score goal of 730, the class median, keeping in mind that she probably won’t bother to retake the exam if she scores 720.
How Hard Is It to Get into Yale Business School?
One of the most common questions I hear from students considering applying to the Yale School of Management is, “Is Yale’s MBA program hard to get into?”
In one sense, the answer is yes. Yale SOM is a top 10 school (ranked #7 on U.S. News & World Report’s 2023 list of the Best Business Schools) that boasts undeniably impressive stats among its students. So, in comparison to, say, top 30 MBA programs, Yale would generally be considered “hard to get into.”
In another sense, however, we’ve seen that the answer varies from one applicant to the next. For someone with a higher-than-average GPA, top-tier test scores, and stellar recommendations, Yale might not be as “hard to get into” as it will be for someone whose profile is lacking in one or more of those areas.
All that said, we do have some data about Yale SOM’s acceptance rate that can help us get a more concrete sense of just how “hard to get into” the MBA program is. Let’s take a look.
Yale MBA Acceptance Rate
Below is a graph of the Yale SOM’s acceptance rate from 2019-2023.
It’s worth noting that many of the people who were accepted to the class of 2022 would have been applying during 2020, around the time when the Covid-19 pandemic hit. At that time, many MBA programs, including Yale, experienced a significant decrease in applications.
With that smaller pool of students to choose from in mind, I would err on the side of caution and consider the 5% increase in the acceptance rate for the class of 2022 a “pandemic bump.” You’ll notice that by the next year, the acceptance rate went back down to pre-pandemic levels.
So, to be safe, we can say that the Yale MBA acceptance rate generally ranges from 20% to 25%.
KEY FACT:
Yale SOM’s acceptance rate for MBA applicants generally ranges from 20% to 25%.
In Conclusion
To summarize, although Yale SOM undoubtedly has a highly competitive admissions process, if you’re strategic in setting your GMAT score goal, you’ll give yourself the best shot at standing out among your peers.
To set your Yale SOM GMAT score goal, complete the following 3 steps:
- Look at the average and/or median GMAT score in the most recent class profile. That score will be your baseline.
- Compare the other aspects of your applicant profile with the corresponding data points in the class profile.
- Adjust up or down from (or stay at) the baseline depending on how your profile stacks up to those of accepted students.
Additionally, keep the following key points in mind:
- If you’re in an overrepresented group(s), aim for a GMAT score that beats the Yale SOM median, possibly one at the top end of the mid-80% range or higher.
- Even if you’re in an underrepresented group(s), a safe bet would be to aim for a GMAT score that at least meets the Yale SOM median.
What’s Next?
Thinking of applying to other top business schools like Yale School of Management? Check out this guide to GMAT scores at top MBA programs.
Ready to take your GMAT prep to the next level? Try a 5-day, all-access trial of the TTP GMAT Course for just $1. With personalized study plans and live, expert support, we’ve got you covered, whatever your score goal or target schools.
