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06 Oct 2025, 01:25
Kudos
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Hi all — need some honest advice and experiences.
Quick background: I spent ~3 years preparing for the GMAT and finally scored 615 on my third try. I have a pretty strong academic profile and 4 years of investment banking experience. I recently had an online conversation with the admissions team at Otto Beisheim School of Management (WHU) and they basically said they “don’t care much” about the GMAT. That left me confused and honestly a little angry — did I just waste three years prepping for a test that doesn’t matter?
I have a bunch of questions and would appreciate real-world answers from people who applied / work in admissions / recruited from Europe:
Please reply if you:
Applied to/attended a German or European MBA (private or public)
Work in admissions or recruiting for European MBAs
Know how WHU (or similar schools) evaluate GMAT vs profile vs experience
Have tips on funding, early-apply, or alternative routes
Thanks — I’m honestly confused and want to make the next move smartly, not emotionally.
Quick background: I spent ~3 years preparing for the GMAT and finally scored 615 on my third try. I have a pretty strong academic profile and 4 years of investment banking experience. I recently had an online conversation with the admissions team at Otto Beisheim School of Management (WHU) and they basically said they “don’t care much” about the GMAT. That left me confused and honestly a little angry — did I just waste three years prepping for a test that doesn’t matter?
I have a bunch of questions and would appreciate real-world answers from people who applied / work in admissions / recruited from Europe:
- Is this attitude specific to WHU/Germany or common across Europe? Are many European MBA programs downplaying GMAT scores, especially the private ones?
- Do schools/recruiters care about GMAT as a signal of dedication? I put in years of prep — does that count for anything in admissions or with recruiters, or is it all just a checkbox?
- Why public vs private in Germany? I’ve heard top German MBAs are often private (and expensive) — are all the “top” ones private? Are public programs really “nearly free,” and do they usually require German language fluency?
- Money worries — how realistic is a €50k+ tuition? I don’t have the budget to pay full fees. Are scholarships common? Do private schools often expect you to self-fund, or are there realistic funding options for international students?
- What does “early apply / fees waived” actually mean? WHU mentioned early-apply benefits like fee waivers. Does that just mean you apply earlier and possibly get discounts (not necessarily merit-based)? Is it basically “first-come, first-served” for discounts, or is there merit-based early decision too?
- Why so many foreigners in German private MBAs? I’ve read that 70%+ of students are international in some programs. Why is that? Is it deliberate admissions policy, marketing, job-market reasons, language, or something else?
Please reply if you:
Applied to/attended a German or European MBA (private or public)
Work in admissions or recruiting for European MBAs
Know how WHU (or similar schools) evaluate GMAT vs profile vs experience
Have tips on funding, early-apply, or alternative routes
Thanks — I’m honestly confused and want to make the next move smartly, not emotionally.
shailhills
GMAT 1: 740 Q51 V39 (Online)
Posts: 70
Updated on: 17 Oct 2025, 08:46
Originally posted by shailhills on 17 Oct 2025, 08:45.
Last edited by shailhills on 17 Oct 2025, 08:46, edited 1 time in total.
Last edited by shailhills on 17 Oct 2025, 08:46, edited 1 time in total.
Kudos
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Hey man, first off, crazy respect for sticking with the GMAT for that long. Three years is no joke. Even if some schools say they “don’t care much,” that grind builds the kind of discipline and focus that honestly pays off in way more ways than just a score. So nope, it wasn’t a waste. You will get bigger oppourtunities for sure.
About WHU...yeah, that comment is off putting. Most German programs (WHU, ESMT, HHL, Mannheim) are pretty flexible with the GMAT. They care way more about your work experience, impact, and clarity of goals. Germany as a market just isn’t obsessed with standardized testing like the US is. And let’s be real, Germany isn’t exactly an MBA hotspot. The schools there are solid, but they’re not fighting for rankings the way INSEAD, LBS, or HEC are.
Now if you look at top European schools outside Germany like INSEAD, LBS, HEC Paris, IESE, that’s a different league. Those are hyper-competitive, global brands that get thousands of apps from across the world, and yes, GMAT matters big time there. A strong score can really help you stand out. So if you’ve already put in the effort, you might want to throw your hat in the ring for at least one of them.
On the rest:
TL;DR — you didn’t waste your time. The GMAT effort gave you options. Germany might not care much about it, but top-tier schools in Europe (outside Germany) absolutely do. If you’ve got the score and story, try aiming higher, you’ve earned that shot.
About WHU...yeah, that comment is off putting. Most German programs (WHU, ESMT, HHL, Mannheim) are pretty flexible with the GMAT. They care way more about your work experience, impact, and clarity of goals. Germany as a market just isn’t obsessed with standardized testing like the US is. And let’s be real, Germany isn’t exactly an MBA hotspot. The schools there are solid, but they’re not fighting for rankings the way INSEAD, LBS, or HEC are.
Now if you look at top European schools outside Germany like INSEAD, LBS, HEC Paris, IESE, that’s a different league. Those are hyper-competitive, global brands that get thousands of apps from across the world, and yes, GMAT matters big time there. A strong score can really help you stand out. So if you’ve already put in the effort, you might want to throw your hat in the ring for at least one of them.
On the rest:
- Public vs private: Public unis in Germany are cheap (sometimes free) but mostly in German and academic-focused. Private ones (WHU, ESMT, HHL) are English-taught, more global, and hence expensive.
- Scholarships: Partial ones are common, like 10–30%. “Early apply” or “early bird” usually means you get a small discount or fee waiver for applying early and not really merit-based, just timeline-based.
- Foreign students: Yeah, that’s by design. Local Germans usually prefer public programs or part-time MBAs, so private schools fill their cohorts with international students to stay globally relevant.
- Tuition: €50K+ is steep but doable with edu loans. Top eu schools generally give less $$.
TL;DR — you didn’t waste your time. The GMAT effort gave you options. Germany might not care much about it, but top-tier schools in Europe (outside Germany) absolutely do. If you’ve got the score and story, try aiming higher, you’ve earned that shot.
Aabhash777
