The GMAT is Still King of MBA Admissions

May 11, 2012

For a couple of years now, many top business schools have accepted a GRE score in lieu of a GMAT score. But still, the GMAT is the test chosen by the vast majority of business school applicants, and the applications of GMAT test-takers seem to be more successful.

This is no surprise. When MBA programs began to accept the GRE, the rationale was usually that it opened the doors to students who might be considering both an MBA and some other form of graduate education. If a student were, for instance, deciding between an MBA and a M.A. in Economics, she would be more likely to apply to the MBA program if she only had to sit for one exam.

Perhaps business schools have found this to be a profitable strategy, bringing in some students who would not have otherwise pursued graduate education in management. But for most prospective MBA students, the decision has already been made: They'll be going to business school.

This latest evidence simply confirms the advice I've been giving for years: Take the GMAT. (Sure, I'm a bit biased.) Not only are admissions committees better at analyzing GMAT scores, the simple fact that you've taken the GMAT signals to the committee that you are focused on management education.

Don't complicate things simply because you have options. For almost everyone, the route to business school passes through the GMAT.

About the author: Jeff Sackmann has written many GMAT preparation books, including the popular Total GMAT Math, Total GMAT Verbal, and GMAT 111. He has also created explanations for problems in The Official Guide, as well as 1,800 practice GMAT math questions.

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