sss91 wrote:
Hi,
I am highly interested to take the GMAT exam. I am 21yrs old and in the final year of undergrad school. I was recently told by an expert that I am too young to take the exam as MBA is a mid-career and not the first career. I understand that point, but i was planning to give the GMAT now itself and gain 3 years work experience, and apply with my 3 yr old score after gaining the experience in a reputed company. But the expert clearly dissuaded me to follow this path. According to them the really good B-Schools consider only 2 yrs old score and mediocre ones take 3yrs old scores. They gave a valid point that when I am 25 yrs old, B schools would prefer someone who had recently given the exam than me who had given it 3-4 yrs ago.
I would be obliged if you could help me out.I am very confused about when to take the GMAT and min how much work exp required?
GMAT scores are valid for 5 yrs for many b schools (including HARVARD and STANFORD) and for 3 yrs for some of them. You need to see the validity of the score for the schools you are interested in (all info is available on the school's website). Also, you can start preparing for GMAT right away and take it by the end of this year. Thereafter, you can apply to b schools after 2-3 yrs of work ex. It's good to have GMAT out of the way if you plan to apply in the not-too-distant future.
The advantage of taking GMAT early is two-fold. You are going to be fresh out of college so studying with not be hard. Also you will have time to study - once you get into a job, the first few yrs can be extremely hectic. Secondly, even if you apply 5 yrs later, you would have taken GMAT once and would know exactly what to expect if you do need to take it again. GMAT does not change dramatically from year to year so even after 5 yrs, the format would be similar in all probability.