Thank you for using the timer - this advanced tool can estimate your performance and suggest more practice questions. We have subscribed you to Daily Prep Questions via email.
Customized for You
we will pick new questions that match your level based on your Timer History
Track Your Progress
every week, we’ll send you an estimated GMAT score based on your performance
Practice Pays
we will pick new questions that match your level based on your Timer History
Not interested in getting valuable practice questions and articles delivered to your email? No problem, unsubscribe here.
Thank you for using the timer!
We noticed you are actually not timing your practice. Click the START button first next time you use the timer.
There are many benefits to timing your practice, including:
With recent changes in Ross's admission process and many other schools waiving the test requirements, I came across a lot of questions from people around the topic. Therefore, I put together my thoughts and analysis over the decision and if YOU should consider applying with a GMAT waiver.
Here, we will discuss what impact GMAT waiver could have on applicants, should YOU apply to the full-time MBA programs without a GMAT and how can you enhance your candidacy in these conditions?
WHAT IMPACT THE TEST-WAIVERS CAN HAVE ON THE PROCESS?
To understand this, we need to first know the significance of the tests. As the nature of tests suggests, they are an indicator of your academic potential and your analytical and quantitative aptitude which are important to thrive in a rigorous academic environment such as MBA.
Since a standardized test score is removed from the process, the first direct impact is the burden of demonstrating the analytical and quantitative skills shift to other aspects of the application, say, undergraduate/graduate coursework, full-time work-experience and professional certifications.
Second, increased competition. Ross has announced that no one will be dinged in R1 which sharply increases the competition for the R2 applicants of Ross. But even for the other schools, a test waiver attracts more applicants, as seen when applications in Darden’s extended round 3 for 2019-20, during which GMAT/GRE is made optional, soared by 300% over its year-earlier final deadline.
IS IT WORTH APPLYING TO THE SCHOOLS WITHOUT GMAT IN ROUND 2?
For all those applying with or without GMAT, there is a strong possibility for more competition in Round 2 of such schools. But the move puts those who have a lower score or have not yet appeared for the test in a conundrum.
For people belonging to the first case, what should be a lower score depends on the category and background of the candidates. To take a common case, we may consider a score of 650 or less. Now, for both cases, there are two facets of applying without a GMAT. One, to provide “sufficient” evidence of academic potential and analytical skills and two, to present a profile that is strong enough to compete with stronger applicants with GMAT. For both of them, you have just one solution which is your academic background.
To assess how strong is your academic background, you may look for one or more of the following points in your profile:
1. A strong undergraduate and/or graduate record
2. CPA or CFA designation or other professional certification/discipline which is academically rigorous and requires strong analytical skills
3. Master's or advanced degree in an analytical discipline
4. Strong professional experience demonstrating the application of analytical and quantitative skills
5. Strong performance on a U.S. college admissions test (SAT and/or ACT) or other national exams conducted in other countries requiring higher-order reasoning skills.
But here, those belonging to the art background may not feel very confident to apply without GMAT. For them, additional to the above suggestions, there are a few other things one may look for to demonstrate their quantitative skills:
1. Did you take any math or quantitatively-oriented classes in college or a graduate program? How did you fare in those courses?
2. Have you taken any classes since college – Coursera, HBX CORe, professional development programs, etc. – that touch upon business school topics (Accounting, Finance, etc.)?
3. Are there aspects of your current or past jobs that require(d) you to leverage quantitative skills?
But remember, if your profile still misses demonstrating such quantitative skills, you should apply with a score. Also, how much impact a test-waiver can have on applications depend on the school’s policy. Top schools like Ross and MIT clearly say they will review applications “without negative inferences”. But there can be some schools which recommend GMAT/GRE to have better chances for scholarships and awards. You may get some insights into the different school’s policy here.
HOW CAN YOU ENHANCE YOUR CANDIDACY EVEN WITHOUT THESE SCORES FOR THE TOP-NOTCH SCHOOLS?
“If you have to study for many months to take a standardized test, that becomes the main barrier for you and your family. I thought, maybe we are missing the point here. Maybe we are missing out on a whole category of people who are truly excellent, who were the stars of their undergraduate class, and clearly have leadership capability. Instead of asking how do we triple down on a narrow group of people who have a certain test score, we want to give people the chance to put their best foot forward.”
This is what Darden has to say about the test-waivers. Therefore, a test waiver can only have a limited impact on your application especially when you have a lot of other alternatives to mitigate this impact. More than three-fourth of your candidacy still depends on your professional story, personality, your perspectives, your story and your potential of contributing to a school’s community. We have a hell lot of examples to prove how even with extremely low scores or many big gaps, your story and application can do wonders for you! So, if you think you align with a school and it can be a perfect fit for you, do not keep reservations about applying without GMAT. It’s rather a golden opportunity for you where your life-experiences are being given more importance than your scores which may or may not provide the perfect picture of your potential.
So, determine your fit for these schools and demonstrate it with a kickass application!
You've stumbled upon an old discussion from our Ross Michigan Forum
that's now outdated and has been archived. No more replies are possible here.
Interested in current discussions? Feel free to dive into our dedicated Ross Michigan Forum
for all fresh things related to the Ross Michigan MBA program.
Re: Is it worth applying to top MBA programs without GMAT?
[#permalink]
15 Nov 2021, 05:49
Should we apply for a waiver if we have a low score (30 points south of the Median GMAT)? given that a solid quant skills can be highlighted through GPA and a CFA certification
Re: Is it worth applying to top MBA programs without GMAT?
[#permalink]
10 Jul 2023, 09:43
Expert Reply
Archived Ross Michigan Discussion
Hi there,
You've stumbled upon an old discussion from our Ross Michigan Forum
that's now outdated and has been archived. No more replies are possible here.
Interested in current discussions? Feel free to dive into our dedicated Ross Michigan Forum
for all fresh things related to the Ross Michigan MBA program.