Events & Promotions
|
|
GMAT Club Daily Prep
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
Track
Your Progress
Practice
Pays
Not interested in getting valuable practice questions and articles delivered to your email? No problem, unsubscribe here.
May 0507:00 PM EDT
-08:00 PM EDT
In this live 60-minute masterclass, How to Get Ahead of MBA Recruiting Now, we’ll walk through the four biggest mistakes incoming MBAs make and how to avoid them so you’re not scrambling to catch up once recruiting begins.
May 0706:00 AM PDT
-07:00 AM PDT
A strong MBA application is built long before you start writing essays. In this session, Scott Edinburgh (Founder, Personal MBA Coach) shares 6 practical ways to improve your MBA profile before MBA application season
May 0710:00 AM EDT
-10:30 AM EDT
Sia Admissions Founder Susan Berishaj is covering this live on YouTube, May 7: how admissions committees actually evaluate goals statements, who is in the room, and why the goals statement most applicants submit wouldn't survive that conversation.- May 07
11:30 AM PDT
-12:30 PM PDT
Most MBA resumes fail not because of weak experience — but because of how that experience is presented. In this episode, we break down what makes an MBA resume effective, and how to shift from listing responsibilities to demonstrating impact... - May 08
08:00 AM PDT
-08:30 AM PDT
Join the special YouTube live-stream for selecting the winners of GMAT Club MBA Scholarships sponsored by Juno live. Watch who gets these coveted MBA scholarships offered by GMAT Club and Juno. 
May 0803:00 PM PDT
-04:00 PM PDT
Inquire for a free profile evaluation and guarantee statement for possible admits and scholarships!
May 1111:00 AM IST
-12:00 PM IST
Looking to secure a coveted spot at a top business school? Our team of seasoned MBA admissions consultants, including top B schools alumni and industry leaders, is here to help turn your dreams into reality. Let’s kick-start your journey to success!
16 Jan 2026, 06:32
Kudos
Bookmarks
I’m considering applying to the Master in Economics at the University of St. Gallen and would appreciate some insights regarding my eligibility without submitting a GRE score. To give some context, here is a brief overview of my academic and professional background:
• Top 10 Master in Management in France, with a Finance major (including a preparatory classes background)
• GPA: 3.5/4
• Two years of apprenticeship as an Internal Auditor in leading insurance companies
• President of an entrepreneurship student club
• International student, fluent in four languages
Given this profile, I’m unsure whether applying without the GRE would still be realistic, or if taking the GRE/GMAT is strongly recommended in my case.
• Top 10 Master in Management in France, with a Finance major (including a preparatory classes background)
• GPA: 3.5/4
• Two years of apprenticeship as an Internal Auditor in leading insurance companies
• President of an entrepreneurship student club
• International student, fluent in four languages
Given this profile, I’m unsure whether applying without the GRE would still be realistic, or if taking the GRE/GMAT is strongly recommended in my case.
16 Jan 2026, 08:32
Kudos
Bookmarks
To be blunt: while the University of St. Gallen (HSG) technically makes the GRE "optional" for the Master in Economics (MEcon), applying without it as an international student is a high-risk strategy that I strongly advise against.
Based on your profile and the HSG selection criteria, here is a hard look at where you stand.
1. The "Double Weighting" Trap
For the MEcon program, if you do not submit a GRE/GMAT score, the weighting of your Average Grade is effectively doubled (from 25% to 50%).
You are coming from a Master in Management (MiM) in France. While a Top 10 MiM is prestigious, the MEcon is a highly quantitative economics degree.
Your profile has strong "soft" assets, but the MEcon selection is heavily weighted toward hard metrics:
My Verdict: You Must Take the GRE
Your profile is excellent, but for an international student, applying without the GRE is like running a race with one hand tied behind your back. The "Law on Foreigners" in Switzerland limits the number of spots for non-Swiss applicants, making the international pool significantly more competitive.
Where to work hard:
Based on your profile and the HSG selection criteria, here is a hard look at where you stand.
1. The "Double Weighting" Trap
For the MEcon program, if you do not submit a GRE/GMAT score, the weighting of your Average Grade is effectively doubled (from 25% to 50%).
- The Risk: A 3.5/4 GPA is solid, but in the hyper-competitive pool of HSG international applicants—many of whom come with 3.8+ GPAs—you lose your best chance to "offset" a less-than-perfect GPA.
- The Math: By not providing a GRE score, you are betting 50% of your admission on a single number. If the admissions committee views a 3.5 from your specific institution as just "good" rather than "elite," you have no secondary quantitative data point to prove your excellence.
You are coming from a Master in Management (MiM) in France. While a Top 10 MiM is prestigious, the MEcon is a highly quantitative economics degree.
- Academic Gap: HSG requires at least 60 ECTS in economics, math, and statistics. They will scrutinize your French "Classes Préparatoires" and MiM transcripts to ensure you have the rigor needed for their advanced econometrics courses.
- Why the GRE helps: A high Quantitative score on the GRE (aim for 163+) acts as a "bridge," proving to the committee that despite coming from a management background, you have the mathematical maturity to handle a pure Economics Master's.
Your profile has strong "soft" assets, but the MEcon selection is heavily weighted toward hard metrics:
| Criterion | Weight | Your Status |
| Average Grade | 25% (or 50% w/o GRE) | 3.5/4 (Solid, but not "safe" on its own) |
| GRE / GMAT | 25% (or 0%) | Currently 0% (Missed opportunity for points) |
| Extracurricular / Work | 30% | Strong (Apprenticeship & Club President) |
| Motivation Letter | 10% | Strong potential (4 languages, international) |
| University / Curriculum | 10% | Strong (Top 10 French MiM) |
My Verdict: You Must Take the GRE
Your profile is excellent, but for an international student, applying without the GRE is like running a race with one hand tied behind your back. The "Law on Foreigners" in Switzerland limits the number of spots for non-Swiss applicants, making the international pool significantly more competitive.
Where to work hard:
- Quantitative Prep: Focus 100% on the Quantitative Reasoning section of the GRE. For MEcon, this is the only section they explicitly state is "decisive."
- Writing Sample: Don't forget that MEcon requires a Writing Sample (3,000+ words). You must ensure this sample demonstrates economic analytical depth, not just management theory.
BARINO
16 Jan 2026, 09:14
Kudos
Bookmarks
Thanks a lot for the very detailed explanation — really appreciate you taking the time to break it down so clearly.
Your points about the weighting of the GPA and the quantitative expectations of MEcon definitely make sense.
To be honest, I was considering MEcon this year precisely because I’m not planning to take the GRE right now. If I were taking a standardized test, I’d probably aim for something more quantitative like the MiQE/F. But with my apprenticeship, finding enough time to properly prepare is extremely difficult, and applying in the last round — which is very competitive — wouldn’t leave me with the margin I’d need to get a strong score.
For context, my specialization of my master's is Corporate & Investment Banking, so I’m not sure how much that helps from MEcon’s perspective. My quantitative foundations mainly come from classe prépa, so the math/stats rigor is there, but I understand the committee still likes to see a standardized benchmark to compare international applicants.
Between GMAT and GRE, I’m still unsure which would be the better signal for HSG; I’ve seen mixed opinions, but most people seem to say the GRE Quant is slightly more aligned with what the MEcon admission team looks for, as you already said.
Given all this, I’m debating between applying now (before the 31st jan) without a test (or if i take it next week and get a very average score test), or waiting the last cycle to apply with a proper GRE score.
Thanks again for your insights — genuinely helpful!
Your points about the weighting of the GPA and the quantitative expectations of MEcon definitely make sense.
To be honest, I was considering MEcon this year precisely because I’m not planning to take the GRE right now. If I were taking a standardized test, I’d probably aim for something more quantitative like the MiQE/F. But with my apprenticeship, finding enough time to properly prepare is extremely difficult, and applying in the last round — which is very competitive — wouldn’t leave me with the margin I’d need to get a strong score.
For context, my specialization of my master's is Corporate & Investment Banking, so I’m not sure how much that helps from MEcon’s perspective. My quantitative foundations mainly come from classe prépa, so the math/stats rigor is there, but I understand the committee still likes to see a standardized benchmark to compare international applicants.
Between GMAT and GRE, I’m still unsure which would be the better signal for HSG; I’ve seen mixed opinions, but most people seem to say the GRE Quant is slightly more aligned with what the MEcon admission team looks for, as you already said.
Given all this, I’m debating between applying now (before the 31st jan) without a test (or if i take it next week and get a very average score test), or waiting the last cycle to apply with a proper GRE score.
Thanks again for your insights — genuinely helpful!
dotsoftme
