Does a GMAT score of 750 increase your chances of acceptance more than a score of 700? (part 2 of 2)

In the last post, I used data from the Kellogg School of Management to demonstrate that admissions committees put a premium on a 750+ Graduate Management Admissions Test score, as compared to a 700-740 Graduate Management Admissions Test score. The question then becomes: is it worth spending the extra time, effort, and money to improve your score to a 750+ level? The answer, of course, is “it depends.”

The Graduate Management Admissions Test continues to persist in MBA applications because it’s the only standardized metric for adcoms to compare students from different backgrounds. However, it is only one part of your overall application. An admissions officer at UCLA Anderson writes,

“Beyond the [GMAT] lies such qualitative measures as leadership and teamwork skills, managerial experience, initiative, ability to learn and growth from mistakes, introspection, ability to articulate clear reasons for an MBA and career goals going forward, contributions (to school, work, and/or community), etc. It is here that the bulk of time of applicant evaluation is spent. Although less quantifiable dimensions than the GMAT, they are equally important.”

My takeaway from the above quote is that the incremental effort to boost your GRADUATE MANAGEMENT ADMISSIONS TEST score is better spent working on your essays, career, and extracurricular activities. If you start your MBA application process early enough (January of the year you are applying), you should be able to make relevant progress in these areas. Once you reach a Graduate Management Admissions Test score of 700+, your other strengths will differentiate you from other applicants. A comment from an GMAT forum:

“I would think that the law of diminishing returns kicks in after a while. If you're not good enough for them at 730 then what makes you better at 750? GMAC says that scores can vary by as much as +/- 30 on any given day. Basically, if you're a 720 scorer you could go as high as 750 and as low as 690 just based on the variability involved. Even HBS Admissions Director Dee Leopold says that once you get over 700 you have "checked the box" for GMAT.”

For those wondering how to get accepted into an elite school with a below-average Graduate Management Admissions Test score, I recommend researching a phenomenon called the Superstar Effect. The Superstar Effect proposes that if you are able to distinguish yourself enough to become a top expert in a particular field, you can bypass some of the traditional acceptances criteria (GPA, GMAT, etc.) Students that are admitted to elite universities with below-average test scores often fall into this category.

Keeping the above in mind, a Graduate Management Admissions Test score of higher than 750 can definitely come in handy for two things:

1. It may get you a partial or full scholarship at some schools. Usually, these will be schools ranked in the second tier or lower. However, if you are smart enough to score a 760 on the Graduate Management Admissions Test, you probably also know that an MBA from a second-tier school is worth much less than an MBA from a top-20 school. So, the savings on your up-front tuition investment must be measured against the possible future benefits you are giving up by attending a lower-ranked school.

2. It qualifies you to teach the GMAT for a test-prep company that requires you have a 99^th percentile score. These jobs can be quite lucrative; however, they are also very competitive. You’ll still have to go through the interview process and compete against other 99^th percentile scorers, some of whom may have more teaching experience. Also, I don’t imagine you are applying to business school with the hope of teaching the GMAT. J

Ultimately, whether to spend the effort to achieve a 99^th percentile score is up to the individual applicant. While the raw numbers indicate that 750+ scorers are favored over 700-740 scorers, the incremental effort to boost your score may be better spent elsewhere.

I'm a GMAT Tutor based in Los Angeles, CA and the author of the DVD Advanced Tips for Data Sufficiency Success. Contact me for in-person GMAT tutoring in Los Angeles or online GMAT tutoring worldwide. I can be reached at support@thegmattutor.com or through www.thegmattutor.com.