Do You have to take the GMAT to Get into Grad School?
Students who want to study internationally sometimes think that access to grad school in the United States is all about the GMAT.
After all, the country seems obsessed with standardized testing as a method for measuring everything from academic aptitude to proficiency to general knowledge.
Primary schools use standardized testing to measure student progress from year to year. Corporations use it to identify candidates they believe are most likely to succeed. And universities use it to determine who they should admit to grad school.
That's why students--especially international students--spend so much time, money, and energy preparing for, taking, and often re-taking the GMAT. But many aspiring students don't.
Many students have discovered a little-known fact: You can attend graduate school without ever taking the GMAT--and the journey toward your graduate degree can be every bit as challenging, rigorous, and rewarding.
Which path is right for you? Look at these five facts about the GMAT to find out:
The GMAT measures applicants' preparedness
The Graduate Management Admission Test, or GMAT, is a tool commonly used by colleges and universities to determine whether or not applicants are prepared to succeed in business grad school.
It's a standardized test that you take on a computer, and it asks you a series of multiple-choice questions. Subject areas include basic arithmetic, algebra, geometry, data analysis, and grammar.
The goal of the test, according to GMAT, which is the organization that administers the exam, is to measure your preparedness for graduate-level work.
It's not the only measure of preparedness
Many colleges and universities put a lot of stock into how well prospective students perform on the GMAT, but it's not the only factor they consider.
Work experience, life experiences, academic record, and other supporting factors such as leadership, accomplishments, and even your country of origin can also be considered.
Yes, graduate school programs want to enroll students who are likely to thrive, but they also want to enroll well-rounded students who can bring different perspectives to their classrooms--because diversity of experiences, opinions, and ideas adds to the educational experience.
Many business schools don't require a GMAT test score
It's not well publicized, but it's true: Many of the top MBA programs in the country make decisions about which students to admit without ever looking at a GMAT test score.
According to U.S. News & World Report, there are more than 100 schools in the United States that fall into this category, giving you a long list of high-quality options to consider.
Many students don't realize that there are a lot of great grad school programs that focus more on life experiences, work histories, and the passion brought to the classroom than they do on standardized test scores.
Standardized tests aren't for everyone
Not all aspiring students are created equal, nor are all standardized tests. If you accept this statement, it means you probably understand why not everyone performs well on standardized tests.
According to an article in the Washington Post, standardized tests such as the GMAT are susceptible to:
- Unavoidable bias by social-class, ethnic, regional, and other cultural differences
- Unfairly provide advantages to students who can afford to pay someone to help them prepare for the tests
- Assume that what students need to know in the future is already known
- Use arbitrary, subjectively-set pass-fail cut scores
- Have no "success in life" predictive power
In other words, the tests tell college administrators very little, other than how well you were able to prepare and how well you perform on standardized tests.
Standardized tests can actually hurt you
Let's say you are an outstanding student, someone who has gotten through high school and earned a bachelor's degree with good grades. Then you went on to achieve great things at work. Then you don't do well on the GMAT.
There is a chance that the college admissions team could punish you for not doing well on a standardized test that is inherently flawed.
This is the reason many aspiring grad school students are choosing not to take the GMAT. Instead, they are looking for, applying to, and being enrolled at colleges that understand that there is more to a student than their ability to perform on the GMAT.
Don't let the GMAT define your future
If you don't want to be defined by a standardized test, consider pursing grad school at a university that does not require the GMAT for admission. ECPI University offers graduate programs for international students without requiring the GMAT. If you want to study technology or business, consider a our accelerated programs. For more information, connect with a skilled admissions advisor today.
It could be the Best Decision You Ever Make!
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