UC Berkeley Haas and a Low GMAT

December 03, 2009

As long-time readers know, I love getting opinions on the GMAT's role in admissions straight from the source. Lately, the MBA Podcaster blog has done a great job seeking out that information. Most recently, they talked to a representative from Berkeley/Haas.

The middle 80% range at Haas is 680 to 760, but as always, it's a more nuanced process than two numbers can communicate on their own. Here are a couple of useful notes:

...Haas reviews every complete application it receives, regardless of the GMAT score. At Haas, like many other MBA programs, the GMAT is one of the indicators used to predict the probability of a student's success in the first semester, especially in core quantitative courses - with ONE being the operative word.

...[A]pplicants with GMAT scores lower than they like can do several things before their application is final. Beyond the most obvious remedy, retaking the test, Kang recommends enrolling in a statistics or calculus course, as performance in a class can predict your probability for success in the core curriculum.

There's no doubt that the GMAT is important, but for many applicants, there are better ways to make themselves more attractive candidates than retaking and retaking the GMAT to get 20 more points.

About the author: Jeff Sackmann has written many resources for GMAT preparation, 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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