Business Schools Without GMAT: Here’s Which Ones...

GMAT is a standardised test that is accepted by business schools worldwide as a part of your complete application. With a maximum possible score of 800, a high GMAT score (anything over 720 is good) impresses the admission council considerably, and significantly increases your chances of getting into the business school of your dreams.

However, it does require intensive and focused preparation if you are aiming for a score that high. And there are often cases where the candidate might not score high enough for the school of their choice and have no time to retake, or maybe they are just not in a place to drop everything and study for the exam in the first place. GMAT does not decide the fate of your application entirely, because there are a lot of other components that go in your application. But if the school you are applying to requires GMAT scores, having a good score does tip the scales in your favour.

But if you are among those who want to pursue MBA from a reputed school without giving the GMAT, there are plenty of options available for you to choose from, too. A couple of things that you need to pay attention to while building your application in such a case are mentioned as follows:

- Academic history

Since you are not providing your GMAT scores to the school, your academic profile is the evidence of your academic prowess. Needless to say, it should be considerably impressive, and should clearly indicate that you are well-equipped to learn and understand all the course material of a rigorous management course.

- Essays/Statement of Purpose

Essay questions vary from one school to another, but the underlying motive for these questions is the same: to gain semblance of what the candidate’s academic and professional goals are, and how well-suited the candidate is for their institution. Therefore, your essay should be clear and coherent in outlining your professional history, as well as your future goals.

- Extracurricular activities/Work experience

The business school you are applying to may not require GMAT scores, but they will pay considerable attention to these details, so it is best to mention any and all relevant experience. This convinces the schools you are applying to that you are not only well-versed with the academic knowledge of the managerial industry, but also have sufficient hands-on experience of the same.

- Letters of recommendation

Letters of recommendation go a long way in strengthening your application; hence you should ensure that you gather recommendations from professors, mentors and/or employers to provide testimony to your abilities in dealing with the exactitudes of a management course.

Apart from the above mentioned points, universities expect a decent score in English proficiency exams like IELTS or TOEFL. The only difference between the schools that require GMAT Scores and those that don’t is the name of the degree; with GMAT scores, you get an MBA degree, and without it, you get enrolled in the Masters of Science (MSc) in Management.