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helpmegmat
Hey everyone,

I've been prepping for the GMAT Focus and while I have been aiming for a score around 655, which I understand is equivalent to a 700 on the classic GMAT scale, I'm now a little concerned if that's going to be considered too low according to B-schools. As per my understanding, most schools still expect a score above 705? Also, a whole other thing about how percentiles are to change now since apparently a lot more people get scores in or above the 90th percentile? Ahhh.

I'm curious to know if anyone has insights or experiences regarding the GMAT scores necessary for admission to MiM programs. Would a score of 655 be competitive, or am I to aim higher? I'm particularly interested in applying to MiM programs at schools like LBS, HEC, and SDA Bocconi. Any advice or information would be greatly appreciated!­
­helpmegmat
Much will depend on the uniqueness of your profile and the demographic you come from. Some applicants will get through with as little as 655 points, while others will need to score close to 700 in the Focus Edition. And since schools are also experiencing the transition from the traditional GMAT to the FE and the conversion scale reference may not be sufficient, I think they will mainly rely on the percentiles in the initial stages to assess your academic potential compared to other applicants with similar backgrounds and demographics. To be safe, find out what the average percentiles are for your applicant pool and then set your target score in terms of percentile. If you can share more about your profile here, I can advice further on the target score.

Get personalized advice tailored to your specific situation. Reach out to us if you need help navigating your unique circumstances in the B School admissions process. We do not cap discussion hours.

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Aanchal Sahni (INSEAD alum, former INSEAD admissions interviewer)
Founder, MBAGuideConsulting
LinkedIn |WEBSITE: https://mbaguideconsulting.com/ | Message: +91 9971200927| email- [email protected]­­­
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helpmegmat
Hey everyone,

I've been prepping for the GMAT Focus and while I have been aiming for a score around 655, which I understand is equivalent to a 700 on the classic GMAT scale, I'm now a little concerned if that's going to be considered too low according to B-schools. As per my understanding, most schools still expect a score above 705? Also, a whole other thing about how percentiles are to change now since apparently a lot more people get scores in or above the 90th percentile? Ahhh.

I'm curious to know if anyone has insights or experiences regarding the GMAT scores necessary for admission to MiM programs. Would a score of 655 be competitive, or am I to aim higher? I'm particularly interested in applying to MiM programs at schools like LBS, HEC, and SDA Bocconi. Any advice or information would be greatly appreciated!­
­helpmegmat - It's true that schools have (much) fewer datapoints on GMAT Focus scores compared to the Classic ones. Having said that, I'd suggest looking at the percentiles (both composite and sectional) for an apples-to-apples comparison i.e. a 700 Classic score is not equivalent to a 700/705 Focus score, as Ajitesh pointed out above.

Broadly though, depending on your overall profile (i.e. whether you belong to an over-represented demographic, your internships/ work-ex, undergrad pedigree/ GPA, etc.), aiming for 10-20 points above the average score of your target program(s) would be ideal. You could check out this article for details of top MiM programs incl. average GMAT Classic scores

Feel free to reach out if you'd like to have a deeper chat.

­Regards,
Arvind
Founder, admitStreet | HEC Paris alum
W: https://admitstreet.com | LinkedIn | E: [email protected]­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­
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Quote:
Much will depend on the uniqueness of your profile and the demographic you come from. Some applicants will get through with as little as 655 points, while others will need to score close to 700 in the Focus Edition. And since schools are also experiencing the transition from the traditional GMAT to the FE and the conversion scale reference may not be sufficient, I think they will mainly rely on the percentiles in the initial stages to assess your academic potential compared to other applicants with similar backgrounds and demographics. To be safe, find out what the average percentiles are for your applicant pool and then set your target score in terms of percentile. If you can share more about your profile here, I can advice further on the target score.
GmatKnightTutor AjiteshArun MBAGuide admitStreet
Thank you everyone for your responses. They have been very helpful and I'm grateful you've taken the time out to help me. You've helped clear many of my doubts! Thank you!

Allow me to share a bit more about myself. I'm a 23-year-old female from India, gearing up to apply for the Fall 2025 intake of MIM programs. While I haven't taken the GMAT yet, my last practice test yielded a score of 565 (I know, I have some work to do, haha). My academic background includes a bachelor's degree with a CGPA of 7.93 in fashion design (which a consultant mentioned might add a unique touch to my profile? Or does it mean I need an even higher GMAT score to be considered? Ahh.) Alongside, I've undertaken a couple of internships in design and sales, gained over a year of work experience in marketing, and engaged in volunteer work. To fill gaps in my CV, I've completed some short courses on business fundamentals via platforms like edX. Additionally, I've dabbled in freelance graphic design work.

Given my tight timeline, I'm aiming for a score of 655 and hope to attempt the GMAT by the end of March. However, I'm open to any criticism, feedback, or advice you may have. Whether it's suggesting that I might need more time to achieve a better score or that a lower score might suffice, I'm all ears. I particularly struggle with time management and would greatly appreciate any strategies or tips you could offer.

:)
­­
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helpmegmat

Quote:
Much will depend on the uniqueness of your profile and the demographic you come from. Some applicants will get through with as little as 655 points, while others will need to score close to 700 in the Focus Edition. And since schools are also experiencing the transition from the traditional GMAT to the FE and the conversion scale reference may not be sufficient, I think they will mainly rely on the percentiles in the initial stages to assess your academic potential compared to other applicants with similar backgrounds and demographics. To be safe, find out what the average percentiles are for your applicant pool and then set your target score in terms of percentile. If you can share more about your profile here, I can advice further on the target score.
GmatKnightTutor AjiteshArun MBAGuide admitStreet
Thank you everyone for your responses. They have been very helpful and I'm grateful you've taken the time out to help me. You've helped clear many of my doubts! Thank you!

Allow me to share a bit more about myself. I'm a 23-year-old female from India, gearing up to apply for the Fall 2025 intake of MIM programs. While I haven't taken the GMAT yet, my last practice test yielded a score of 565 (I know, I have some work to do, haha). My academic background includes a bachelor's degree with a CGPA of 7.93 in fashion design (which a consultant mentioned might add a unique touch to my profile? Or does it mean I need an even higher GMAT score to be considered? Ahh.) Alongside, I've undertaken a couple of internships in design and sales, gained over a year of work experience in marketing, and engaged in volunteer work. To fill gaps in my CV, I've completed some short courses on business fundamentals via platforms like edX. Additionally, I've dabbled in freelance graphic design work.

Given my tight timeline, I'm aiming for a score of 655 and hope to attempt the GMAT by the end of March. However, I'm open to any criticism, feedback, or advice you may have. Whether it's suggesting that I might need more time to achieve a better score or that a lower score might suffice, I'm all ears. I particularly struggle with time management and would greatly appreciate any strategies or tips you could offer.

:)
­­
:)

MBAs and MiM programs are analytical and quant-focused. There is no greater truth than this. While your GPA is alright, you will have to convince the school you will sail through the rigorous courses. I can go a level deeper to solve your problem. Your immediate post-MiM goals will also have some impact on how the adcoms look at your GMAT. SPILLING SOME Admissions Evaluation TEA here - Folks who target consulting and strategy require a balanced quant and verbal score. Some can even get by with not-so-impressive but balanced scores. Folks who are focused on Finance and research roles can get by with a skewed quant-heavy score.

I love it that you've already taken business fundamental courses. Preferably go for courses where you have to give an exam, and you are given grades against your performance. Share your scores with the schools along with the application or ahead of time to show your commitment to improving.

Get personalized advice tailored to your specific situation. Reach out to us if you need help navigating your unique circumstances in the B School admissions process. We do not cap discussion hours.

Best wishes
Aanchal Sahni (INSEAD alum, former INSEAD admissions interviewer)
Founder, MBAGuideConsulting
LinkedIn |WEBSITE: https://mbaguideconsulting.com/ | Message: +91 9971200927| email- [email protected]­­­


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helpmegmat
Given my tight timeline, I'm aiming for a score of 655 and hope to attempt the GMAT by the end of March. However, I'm open to any criticism, feedback, or advice you may have. Whether it's suggesting that I might need more time to achieve a better score or that a lower score might suffice, I'm all ears. I particularly struggle with time management and would greatly appreciate any strategies or tips you could offer.­­
­Hi helpmegmat,

Both Aanchal and Arvind are in a better position to advise you on your profile, so I'll restrict myself to your questions about the GMAT.

Time management can be tricky, but quite a bit of it comes down to understanding and practice. That is, the more you know about what the GMAT tests and how it tests it, the less time you are likely to take on GMAT questions. You can also incorporate timed practice from an early stage in your prep (instead of leaving it for the end).
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