YOURGMAT SCORE:

It's sad, but it's true: your GMAT score is probably the mostimportant factor in determining whether you will be admitted to a top businessschool. I want to clarify that statement, though, so you won'tmisunderstand me.

Most applicants believe there is a significant differencebetween a 680 and a 720 on the GMAT. There isn't. Theextra 40 points won't help your chances of being admitted. That'swhy I'm frustrated when I hear from people who score 680 and insist on retakingthe exam. They would be better served by burning their GMAT-prepbooks and turning their attention to the application essays (the next step inthe process).

If you hope to have a reasonable chance of being admitted toa top program, though, your GMAT score will need to be "in theballpark." If it isn't you'll have a hard time winning a spotat A-list schools no matter how good your work experience and undergraduate GPAmight be. That's why I believe GMAT score is the most importantfactor in being admitted to a top program. If your score isn't inthe ballpark, you won't be in the game.

SoWhat's Considered "In the Ballpark?"

At virtually all of the top programs, the ballpark starts inthe mid 600s. That doesn't mean there is a strict cut-off -- thereisn't. But if you look closely at a school's numbers you'll see thatbelow about 620, your chances of being admitted fall pretty dramatically.

Take a look at the graph below. It shows the"middle 80 percent range" of GMAT scores for students admitted to atypical top MBA program.

You can see that the median score is about 680; but themedian can be deceiving. You don't need to beat it to beaccepted. It should be obvious that half of all accepted applicantsscore below the median, but for some reason many of my GMAT students feel theyneed to beat a school's median to have a reasonable shot at gettingin. I've had to talk quite a few of them into applying to MBAprograms they are now attending (or have already finished) because they wereinitially discouraged when their GMAT scores fell slightly below their targetschools' medians. 

What Score Will I Need If I Hope to Attend a Top Program? 
If your GMAT score is within a school's median 80 percentrange, even if it's 60 points below the school's median, you have a reasonablechance of being admitted. If it's below that 80 percent range youstill have a shot, but it's a long shot. (I'll discuss howapplicants with GMAT scores below the median 80 percent range get admitted totop programs in the next section on application essays.) 

Most MBA programs now print their median 80 percent ranges intheir brochures. For those that don't, you can make a rough estimateby assuming the range starts about 60 points below the median and ends about 60points above it. As long as you are within that range, you have areasonable chance of being admitted.

Arethe Separate Scores for Math and Verbal Important?

Yes, especially the math score. The admissionspeople put a lot of emphasis on math skills when making theirdecisions. (See the discussion on GPA for more onthis.) So it's important that you do well on the math portion of theGMAT. 

The math and verbal scores range from 0 to about52. (I know that ETS claims the scale can go as high as 60, but ithas never actually gone over 52). My strongest students are those inthe "40-40 Club." That means they score in the 40's inboth math and verbal. 

It's great to have that kind of balance, but if you are goingto be stronger on one portion of the test than on the other, it's clearlybetter to be stronger in math.

What if I Hope to Apply to Top Schools But My GMAT Score is Below 600?

You need to take the test again. I'm not sayingthat you can't get into a top program -- you can. But your chancesare slim. So if you have time to take the test again, you'd befoolish not to. 

And that brings up a good point about multiple testscores. I'm not aware of a single top school (or even an averageschool for that matter) that still averages GMAT scores. I'm surethat someone out there will find a program that does so, but until I hear fromthat person, let's stick to the general rule: Schools consider only your highest GMAT score.

CanI Take the Test 15 Times and Just Report My Highest Score?

Sort of. Before the GMAT exam begins, the computerwill ask you which schools you would like your scores forwardedto. You get five schools included in the cost of the test, and anyothers will cost you $25 each. 

You can elect not to have your scores forwarded to anyschools. After you have seen your scores (you get them immediatelyafter finishing the test), you can then pay $25 each to have them sent to theschools you choose. 

Your "GMAT transcript" will report only your threemost recent scores. So if you took the test four times and scored450 each time, but didn't have your scores forwarded, you could still pull offthat miraculous 700 the fifth time and then send your scores. Theadmissions office would see only two 450's and a 700. 

It doesn't really matter, though, whether you send yourtranscript after each test or wait until you score the number youwant. In the end, the school's application will ask you to specifythe score you want the admissions committee to consider. (And, no,you can't mix and match your best verbal score and your best math score fromdifferent tests.) 

(By the way, two years ago the GMAT was $84 and additionalscore reports were $10 each. Now it's $165 and additional scorereports are $25 each. That's a great example of what happens when amonopoly is allowed to operate. Maybe someone in business school cancome up with a way to introduce free market forces into the GMAT administrationprocess.) 

What About the Essay Score on the GMAT?

You will have to write two essays on the GMAT (the"Analytical Writing Section"). They will be scored on ascale of 1 to 6, and those points will not be added to your other GMATscore.

The essays are extremely simple. I teach mystudents a basic template to follow and they seem to do very well withit. They regularly score perfect 6's (the 99th percentile) just byfollowing the template. 

It's been my experience, though, that your essay score ispretty much worthless, so I spend very little time on it in class. Afew years ago I asked the admissions director of a Top-5 school what she wasdoing with the essay scores. She laughed at me and said she wasn'treally using them (though that isn't what her brochures say). 

I have to agree with her. The GMAT essays areridiculous. Given how well some students have done by just followinga formula, the scores seem pretty meaningless. And now the essaysare being graded by computer, making them even more worthless. Sodon't spend a lot of time studying for the AWA essays, and don't put too muchemphasis on your essay score. I can assure you the admissionscommittee won't.  

A Special Note: The actual essay topics you willsee on test day are disclosed in advance! You can find a completelist of them in the current edition of The Official Guide for GMATReview.

Having the list tempts some people to try to write theiressays ahead of time. The pool of essay topics is so large, though,that it would be impossible to write an essay for each (and remember them all)before test day. Your time would be better spent studying the othersections of the GMAT.

TheBottom Line On GMAT Scores 

Take the GMAT very seriously. If you score 560 youwon't be going to Wharton, and all of your excuses for not finding time tostudy will be little consolation. Work hard in yourcourse! And if you don't like your first score, take the testagain. Keep taking it until you get the score you want.

上一页1 2 3 下一页