Hey, I just scored a 720 with a quant score at 49. Good to go?
It should be, right? I mean a GMAT score of 720 is the 94th percentile and a score many would dream to reach when starting their GMAT.
And yet, in 2021 this is not a score good enough to apply confidently to top MBA programs, let alone to the Magnificent 7.
Since 2011, I have worked with hundreds of MBA applicants, helping talented individuals crafting their applications to top MBA programs.
While the process hasn’t changed much over the years, the average GMAT score of my applicants skyrocketed from 705 (out of 28 applicants) in 2013 to a stunning 730 (out of 66 applicants) in 2019. If you want to try your hand at scoring 730 for the GMAT, we have a handy guide for that here.
As a result, the average preparation time for the GMAT extended to 4.5 months in 2019 for our students (vs. 3 months in 2013).
Getting those extra 20+ points can take a lot of time (and to be honest, a bit of luck on the exam day). Yet, they can be highly rewarding when we look at our past track record.
In 2018, I worked with 2 applicants who were best friends and who were applying to the same schools: Kellogg, HBS, MIT, INSEAD, NYU, and Oxford.
They both were from India and had very similar profiles:
- Women with a solid 3-year career progression
- With 2 leading MNCs and
- Both graduated from the same elite university.
Their co-curricular profiles were both strong and the main differentiation factor was their GMAT score; one scored a 720 while the other scored a 760.
The outcome was fairly different. While both secured offers at INSEAD and Oxford, only the applicant who scored 760 secured offers at both Kellogg and NYU whereas the one who scored 720 didn’t even get invited for an interview at either of those schools. This is what a 40 points difference can make on your overall application.
This year again, we saw a strong correlation between high scores (i.e. 750+) and M7 as 80% of our applicants who received an admission offer from one of those elite MBA programs scored 750 and above.
You only apply once (hopefully) to MBA programs. Don’t jeopardize the overall outcome by not taking the GMAT seriously enough. Starting early and scoring a 750+ can change the whole outcome of your applications.
