GMAT cutoffs?

[Okay tester]

Do business schools use GMAT "cutoffs" in evaluating applications? And what kind of score do you need to be competitive at a top school?

[Graham (Clear Admit)]

Business schools generally do not use GMAT cutoffs in any systematic way. Generally, top schools like to see a performance at or above the 80th percentile on both sections of the exam, but this isn’t a hard and fast rule. It also depends what part of the applicant pool you’re in. For example, if you’re a male engineer from India, you’re competing against a lot of people with similar backgrounds and your GMAT score will therefore be that much more important in distinguishing you as an applicant. The same is true for undergraduate business majors who go on to consulting or banking work. If, however, you’re part of an underrepresented group - such as people working in the non-profit sector, or from a more obscure country, or even a woman (who make up only 30% of the student body at most business schools) - there may be more leeway in terms of your GMAT score because other factors make you unusual and attractive.

As for what score you’ll need, this is somewhat dependent on the candidate’s overall profile, but generally, if you’re at least in the mid-600’s, you’re going to be in the game at every school. Of course, if you’re looking at a top 5 school, 680 and above is probably more realistic. If you’re looking at schools lower in the top 20, 640 and above should be sufficient to have your application taken seriously.

Graham Richmond from Clear Admit