Many ambitious business school applicants set their sights on a 720 GMAT Total score. A 720 GMAT score is often thought of—rightly or wrongly—as something of a cutoff for the “M7.” The M7 is the informal group of seven prestigious business schools considered to have the world’s best MBA programs: Harvard, Stanford, Wharton, Kellogg, Booth, Columbia, and MIT Sloan.

But how accurate is this mythologizing of the 720 Total score? Do you have to get at least a 720 to get into a top business school, and will it guarantee you admission? Conversely, is a 720 GMAT score really good enough for the elite business schools? If you’re applying to the M7, should you retake the GMAT and try to score even higher—even if you already have a 720? Do you need a 730 GMAT score for Harvard or Stanford? And what do the top 20 schools think about the 720 GMAT score, or the top 50, or the top 100?

In this post, we’ll give you all the answers to these questions, deconstructing the common thinking about the 720 GMAT score and delving into actual data from M7 business schools as well as thoughts on the GMAT from their admissions offices. Finally, we’ll help you think through the 720 and other score goals in terms of your own application and target business schools.

How Business Schools Evaluate Your GMAT Total Score

Business schools are all different—even the best ones—and thus they all have different expectations and uses for your GMAT scores. Generally, the GMAT is used to predict your likely first-year performance in comparison to fellow business school applicants, as studies have shown that a higher GMAT score is a fairly reliable predictor of a more successful first year in business school.

That said, every single business school in the M7 states that they evaluate applicants holistically, meaning that the GMAT is only one part of your application. None of them have a GMAT score “requirement” that you must attain to be accepted.

In short, what the top business schools do want to see from your GMAT score is that you did well enough to prove that you can succeed in a rigorous MBA program. Of course, they also want to make sure that they either maintain or gain in external rankings, and the GMAT score composition of their student body does factor into such evaluations. So there’s a certain element of prestige for the school that’s at play in your GMAT score as well, though it’s hard to pin down exactly how much.

With that said, let’s talk about the mythology of the 720 GMAT score.

Is 720 a Good GMAT Score for Top Business Schools?

Is 720 a good GMAT score? On a basic level, yes: 720 is the 95th percentile GMAT score and is generally considered an excellent score overall. The top 7 schools are slightly more competitive, which we’ll get into below. But a 720 is the about the average GMAT score for the top 10 business schools in the country, so if you are applying to a top 10 business school, you should aim to either hit or surpass a 720 to land safely in the Total score averages for those schools. This way, you’re not an applicant that would be lowering your school’s GMAT score average and thus potentially negatively affecting their ranking.

However, it’s important to know that a 720 GMAT score doesn’t guarantee admission anywhere. No GMAT score—not even an 800—can ensure that you get into the school of your choice, because business schools don’t look at scores in a vacuum like that.

On the positive side, this also means that you can get into one of the top business schools with a score lower than a 720—even one of the M7. A 95th percentile GMAT score is a safe spot to be in, but it’s not any kind of “cutoff.” The GMAT data released from the M7 schools themselves shed light on why people fixate on the 720—but they also show that the 720 GMAT score isn’t a bottom line.

GMAT Score Averages and Ranges for the M7 Business Schools

Every year, the top-ranked business schools release GMAT score data on their websites as part of the class profiles for their incoming classes. Class profiles are worth visiting directly at some point—they offer a wealth of information about how you might fit into various schools in terms of demographics, work experience, GPA, undergraduate major, and GMAT score.

Using this information and US News & World Report’s 2017 business school rankings, we have calculated that the average GMAT Total score for the top 10 business schools in America is currently about 722.4, almost exactly at that 720 mark. This data is where the 720 “cutoff” mindset comes from.

However, when we start to look beyond that, the data tells a more complicated story. Below is all the GMAT score information released by the M7—the seven highest ranking business schools in the US.

Note that while all of the M7 business schools release data on GMAT scores for their incoming class, they vary on the type of GMAT data that they release to the public, which makes it difficult to compare and contrast. For example, Harvard Business School releases the middle 80% of scores and the median score, while Stanford Business School releases the entire range of scores and the average score. Still, we can use this information to evaluate your own GMAT Total score.

This data is for the class of 2018, the most currently available data set:

In the following sections, we’ll talk about what this data means for high scorers, low scorers, and everyone in between.

Can I Have a Low GMAT Score and Still Get Into a Top Business School?

You may have been heartened to see that, when released, the ranges of Total scores for students attending these excellent business school is actually quite wide. Columbia, Wharton, and Stanford have all admitted students who scored in the mid to high 500s. We can safely guess that some of the other schools do as well, even though they don’t release that data.

However, the middle 80% Total score ranges begin at a much higher score than the overall ranges, meaning that the 550-590 scorers are outliers. These students must have had an incredibly compelling application outside of their GMAT score to be admitted.

Ultimately, this information clearly shows that if you are scoring in the 500s on the GMAT and you want to go to a top business school, you should spend as much time as you can studying to improve your score. If you find yourself hitting a wall at or below that score level, then you should probably set more realistic business school choices for yourself, as the low 500s is just not enough to prove to admissions that you can handle the rigorous academic workload of a top MBA program.

If you’re scoring in the high 500s or low to mid 600s but you have an absolutely stellar professional and academic background, then you can see that you still have a chance to be admitted. If this is you, then you might want to take a look at our breakdown of The GRE versus the GMAT to see if you should potentially switch tests. More and more top-ranked business schools—now including Stanford, Harvard, Wharton, Sloan, and Columbia—are accepting the GRE as an alternative to the GMAT. If your score is significantly higher on the GRE, it might be wise to submit that instead of the GMAT score, so that your test scores don’t put up a red flag on an otherwise excellent application.

Should I Aim for Higher Than a 720 GMAT Score?

You probably noticed that the average GMAT scores for all the M7 schools except for Columbia are higher than 720, so if you’re applying to those schools, you might want to set your sights on a 730 GMAT score instead of a 720.

But in general, once you hit 720, you have signaled to elite business schools that you’re certainly academically prepared for an MBA curriculum, and there’s no need to take the GMAT again—unless you’re confident you can do significantly better. The 720 GMAT score is a baseline—it is great to do better if you can, it’s just not worth making yourself crazy over. If you have a 720 and another applicant has a 730 GMAT score, that 10-point difference is unlikely to be the deciding factor.

That said, if you believe you can get a 750 or above, it certainly will help your application. But unless you’re fairly sure that you can do so (as in, you haven’t already studied your heart out and know that there’s room to improve significantly), your time would arguably be better spent doing something that demonstrates your passion and commitment toward the kinds of pursuits an elite MBA prepares you for.

The main exception to this is if you’re looking for scholarships. Generally, because higher GMAT scores in their student body translate into higher rankings, business schools seem to be more willing to give generous scholarships to students with higher GMAT scores in order to entice them to attend. Again, a 730 isn’t likely to make much of a difference over a 720, but a 750 or above would certainly be impressive. A 750 GMAT score puts you in the top 2% of scorers worldwide.

Overall GMAT Score Guidelines for Top Schools

Based on the data, a “safe” GMAT score for the M7 business schools falls in the 720-750 range. “Safe” doesn’t mean guaranteed acceptance: it just means that your GMAT score is impressive and indicates that you can handle a challenging MBA curriculum. The 750-800 range counts as “very impressive,” and if you’re looking for scholarships, the higher the better.

An “okay” score for the top schools is a 690-710. You’d be below the average, but you’d still fall in the middle 80% for most of the M7 schools—though you’ll have to make sure you have a great GPA to back it up.

Scores in the low to mid 600s is risky territory for the top schools, so you’d better have excellent personal and professional experiences and a strong GPA to offset it. With a score below 600, it’s exceedingly difficult to get in—schools admit maybe one or two candidates a year at that score level.

If you’re aiming for the top schools, you should probably retake the GMAT if you haven’t broken 700, and spend as much time as possible studying and preparing beforehand. We highly recommend checking out PrepScholar GMAT’s comprehensive online course, which offers a 60 point score improvement guarantee to help make sure you hit your goal score!

As mentioned above, the class profiles are an excellent source of information with which to compare and contrast yourself as an applicant. Be honest about your strengths and weaknesses as an applicant when picking schools to target.

The Next Rung: Is 720 a Good GMAT Score for the Top 25 Schools? What About the Top 50?

There’s more leeway outside of the top seven or top 10 business schools, though GMAT scores on the whole have gone up in recent years.

The average GMAT score for the top 25 business schools is 706, and the average for the top 50 schools is 683.

Taking out the top 10, the average for schools ranked 11-25 is 695, and the average for schools ranked 11-50 is 674.

So, yes, a 720 or 95th percentile GMAT score is a very excellent score once you get past the top 10.

If you’re scoring in the high 600s or above, you’re in the safety zone for a top 50 program. For the top 100 programs, that number stretches into the middle and low 600s.

Bottom Line: What does a 720 GMAT Mean for You?

Is 720 a good GMAT score? Yes. But there’s no GMAT score that is guaranteed to get you into a top business school, and above the mid-500s, there is no score that is guaranteed to get you rejected. Still, you should aim to hit the 720 mark if you’re applying to a top 10 business school, and a 730 GMAT score is an even better target if you’ve set your sights on the M7 (except for Columbia). A 750 or above helps if you’re looking for large scholarships.

What’s Next?

Check out our guides to low GMAT scores, high GMAT scores, and average GMAT scores by school for more information about how your GMAT score measures up.

You can also use our target GMAT score worksheet to determine what score you should aim for based on the schools you’re applying to. Happy studying!

The post Is a 720 GMAT Score Your Ticket to an Elite MBA? appeared first on Online GMAT Prep Blog by PrepScholar.

The mission of the Stanford Graduate School of Business is “Change Lives, Change Organizations, Change the World,” and the school aims to live up to that each year by offering an exceptional academic, professional, and personal experience to its students.

Stanford is recognized around the world as an exceptional business school and consistently ranks in the top three of business schools worldwide across multiple ranking systems. However, Stanford’s popularity has its drawbacks: barely six percent of students were accepted to Stanford in 2016 and the school boasted the highest average GMAT score of any business school in the world for its admitted applicants.

So, with that being said, how do you get into Stanford GSB? One way to increase your likelihood of admission is to have a stellar GMAT score.

In this article, I’ll talk about what’s a good Stanford GMAT score and whether there’s a GMAT Stanford score requirement. I’ll also explain what Stanford is known for and how competitive it is for MBA students. Finally, I’ll give you tips on how to improve your GMAT score to increase your chance of acceptance.

What Is Stanford Known For?

Stanford is consistently rated as one of the top three business schools in the world, and with good reason. Getting a seat in one of Stanford’s business classes is incredibly difficult, meaning that the caliber of students in the business school is high.

Stanford’s location in the heart of Silicon Valley means that students are learning in the literal shadows of business giants such as Apple, Facebook, and Google, and Stanford graduates are known for their entrepreneurship in starting new companies. In fact, Stanford has become so synonymous with entrepreneurship that former associate dean Madhav Rajan says that students who come to Stanford are likely to “catch the entrepreneurship bug” – meaning that they’ll be excited to create new companies just by being in the environment.

For Stanford graduates that want to take a more traditional career path, their futures are rosy as well. Stanford alums receive some of the highest pay packages upon graduation of any business school in the world, beating out perennial rival Harvard Business School for the most lucrative compensation for graduates.

How Competitive Is Stanford?

Stanford is the most competitive business school in the world, accepting only six percent of applicants in 2016 and recording the highest average GMAT score of any school.

Stanford’s latest round of admitted applicants isn’t just impressive academically – the class of 2018 is also very diverse, made up of 41% women and 40% international students, coming from 62 different countries. The Class of 2018 comes from a variety of academic and professionals backgrounds, too, with undergraduate majors from literature to physiology, and previous careers of everything from military troop commander to Goldman Sachs banker.

Last year, Stanford received 8,116 applications and admitted 487 students. 417 of those students committed to attend Stanford, making its matriculation rate one of the highest in the world, as well.

Is There a GMAT Stanford Score Requirement?

As you can tell, admission to Stanford is incredibly competitive. So, what kind of GMAT score gets you noticed by the Stanford Graduate School of Business admissions committees?

The range of Stanford MBA GMAT scores is wide, from 590 to 790. However, the average Stanford MBA GMAT score of admitted applicants is 737, which is the highest in the world and has been increasing over the last few years. Take a look at this historical data.

Stanford has had the highest average GMAT of any full-time MBA program for the last three years in a row. Assuming nothing changes, the incoming class of 2019 will likely boast extremely high scores, too.

How Does Your GMAT Score Affect Your Chances of Admission to Stanford?

Check out the table below to how your Stanford MBA GMAT score will affect your chances of admission.

As you can see, your chances of admission to Stanford are relatively low, no matter what GMAT score you have. Stanford’s admission application process is so rigorous that you have stand out on all parts of your application. However, a strong GMAT score will help your application. In the next section, I’ll talk more about how to improve your GMAT score to get into Stanford.

How to Reach Your Goal Stanford GMAT Score

If you’re not yet scoring at a 740 or above (e.g., above average for Stanford’s current admitted applicant class), don’t give up all hope. There are steps you can take to reach your goal Stanford GMAT score.

If You Need to Improve 1-20 Points…

If you only need to improve 20 or fewer points to hit your goal Stanford GMAT score, congratulations! You’re already close to achieving the average GMAT score of Stanford admitted applicants.

In order to hit that 740 target, you should study for at least 50 hours. Keep in mind the following tips as you study:

• Focus on your weak points. You’re already scoring at a high level, so you likely just need to improve on a few question types or content areas. Spend time pouring over the questions you got wrong on full-length practice tests to find out your weak areas and drill those skills.
• Take practice tests. Taking a full-length GMAT practice test is the best way to build your endurance for test day, as well as your familiarity with the GMAT. Make taking practice tests a regular part of your prep.
• Consider hiring a tutor to work on the few areas of weakness you have. Sometimes, a tutor can help you learn new ways to solve tricky problems.

Remember, Stanford has the highest average GMAT in the world. Consider studying for more hours to gain even more points and make your application more competitive. Every bit will help.

If You Need to Improve 21-50 Points…

An improvement of up 50 points to reach your goal Stanford GMAT score is totally achievable if you’re willing to show up and put in the work.

In order to improve up to 50 points, you’ll need to put in at least 100 study hours. Follow these tips to make the most of your practice time:

• Learn test strategy. If you’re around 50 points below your goal score, learning test strategy can seriously help you. Review strategies for every section and question type that you’ll see on the GMAT and practice employing those on both practice sets and full-length GMAT practice tests.
• Drill content weaknesses. Spend time focusing on the content areas that are giving you trouble. You can make up some serious points if you can master those weaknesses.
• Follow a specific plan. Studying for 100 hours is a serious time commitment. Take your GMAT prep seriously by finding and sticking to a concrete GMAT study plan. If you don’t know where to start, our GMAT study plan guide offers you four options.

If You Need to Improve 50-100 Points…

Improving over 50 points to meet your goal Stanford GMAT score will be challenging, especially if you’ve already been preparing for the GMAT for some time. However, it’s not possible. If you plan for 150 hours of study time and follow these tips, you’ll be on your way to reaching your goals.

• Take a full-length practice test to diagnose weaknesses. Likely, you still have some serious GMAT content gaps. You should take a full-length practice test, in one sitting, and spend a few hours reviewing your results and making note of what types of questions you got wrong. Reviewing your results will help inform what you focus on during your prep.
• Do a lot of practice. To improve this much, you’ll need to practice. A lot. Spend good, quality time every week doing real or realistic GMAT practice questions. Use flashcards and other study aids to master other skills.
• Focus on other parts of your application. If your heart’s set on Stanford, focus on making the other parts of your application undeniable. Stanford has accepted students with GMAT scores as low as 590 who have exceptional professional and personal experiences. Sell your story to the admissions committee and prove to them that the class would be worse off without you.
• Consider other schools. If you have to improve this much, and you don’t have a phenomenal application in any other regard, you may want to consider applying to some safety schools that have lower average GMAT requirements. Stanford is the most competitive school in the world – if chances are good that you won’t get in, you may want to save that application fee and use it on one of the hundreds of other great business schools that aren’t as competitive.

What’s Next?

Applying somewhere else besides INSEAD and wondering about your chances of admission? Our in-depth guides to INSEAD and UCLA (coming soon) tell you the GMAT scores needed for admission to each school and offer tips for improving your score if you’re not quite at your target yet.

If you need to improve your GMAT score for admission to Stanford, you need to follow a well-crafted GMAT study plan, which will help you know what to study and when. Our GMAT study plan guide offers four different GMAT study plans that you can choose from, based on how many points you want to improve and how much time you have to study.

Already reached your GMAT goal score? Congratulations! The next step is to make sure that all the schools you’re applying to have received your GMAT scores so that they can accurately evaluate your application. Check out our in-depth guide to sending GMAT scores.

The post What You Need for Stanford MBA: GMAT Scores appeared first on Online GMAT Prep Blog by PrepScholar.

Applying to business school? You might be wondering how the MBA programs you’re applying to compare to each other. If so, you’re not alone. Many applicants consider MBA rankings when deciding which schools to apply to. But how much do rankings really matter?

While MBA rankings are often a useful tool for deciding which business schools to apply to, how much the rankings matter depends on your goals and needs as a student. Read on to find out how MBA rankings are determined, what the best business schools are, and how you can use this information as an applicant.

How Are MBA Rankings Determined?

There are a number of different factors that go into determining MBA rankings. The ranking indicators change a bit depending on which ranking you’re looking at (for instance, US News rankings versus Bloomberg rankings), but every ranking system considers at least these four basic qualities.

#1: Selectivity

In general, the harder a business school is to get into, the higher its rank will be. Acceptance rates, therefore, play a large role in determining a business school’s ranking. But a school’s selectivity score depends on more than just its acceptance rate.

How admitted applicants score on standardized tests like the GRE and GMAT also influences a school’s selectivity ranking. The higher the average GMAT score of admitted applicants, the higher a school’s ranking tends to be. Though most ranking systems only look at GMAT scores, highly ranked schools will generally also have high average GRE scores.

A similar rule applies to the GPAs of admitted applicants. The higher the GPA of admitted applicants, the higher the school’s ranking will be.

#2: Program Outcomes

Another important factor that affects a school’s rankings are its program outcomes, which measure how many students graduate from the program, how many go on to find employment, and the salary students earn upon graduation. These factors are all extremely important for applicants – after all, you want to make sure you’re going to a business school that can help you find a quality job after graduation!

Graduation rates help you as an applicant see how students are progressing through the business school program. If you notice that students aren’t graduating in a typical amount of time (e.g., one to two years) that may be a red flag that the program isn’t adequately preparing students to graduate.

Rates of employment and salary after graduation are also extremely important. As an applicant, you want to make sure that students are finding jobs after graduation and that those jobs pay well. After all, your MBA degree will likely cost a decent amount of money!

#3: Academic Quality

MBA rankings also consider the academic quality of the program. There are a number of factors that go into determining academic quality, including faculty quality and student-faculty ratio.

Faculty quality rankings take into account a number of factors. First, they look at the background of faculty members – what are their professional background and experience? Have the faculty members won awards or achieved other notable accomplishments? Faculty ratings may also take into account student surveys, which ask current and former students how faculty members were in terms of supporting and nurturing academic growth.

Student-faculty ratio is an important factor in academic quality rankings, as well. Schools with a lower ratio of students per faculty members are ranked higher than schools with a higher ratio of students per faculty member. Low student-faculty ratios generally mean that students will have more one-on-one interaction and personal attention from professors.

#4: Prestige

The final quality that business school rankings take into account is prestige, which is basically how the world perceives the strength of a particular business school. Prestige can be hard to measure, but business school rankings generally conduct prestige assessments by interviewing and surveying employers in the field to see how they view the value of a particular degree or by interviewing and surveying peers in other business schools. An employer’s or a peer’s perception of a school’s prestige is often based on his or her direct experience with graduates of a particular program: were they hard working, successful, etc.

Obviously, prestige is more nebulous, qualitative factor than something like average GMAT scores. However, prestige can be extremely important – a school’s reputation can help you secure a well-paying job after completing your degree. I’ll talk more about how prestige can affect your choice of school in a later section.

The Top 20 Best Business Schools

Now that we know more about the basics of how business schools are ranked, let’s check out the top 20 business school rankings according to three trusted sources: US News & World Report, Bloomberg Business, and Forbes. First, I’ll show you the top 20 best business schools for each source; then, I’ll discuss the differences in each.

All three of these sources have well-respected MBA rankings. Ultimately, you can see that there’s not a big difference between the three lists. While the order of the schools changes, the same business programs have made the top 20 for each list, with a few exceptions.

The differences lie in how each publication determines rankings. US News & World Report puts more of an emphasis on selectivity of applicants, meaning it focuses more on admissions rates and the academic performance of admitted applicants. Bloomberg, on the other hand, puts a greater emphasis on program outcomes for students, focusing more heavily on employment rates and salaries for recent graduates. Forbes focuses on selectivity, the quality of academic experience, and career prospects.

As an applicant, you can assume that higher ranked business schools have a higher level of prestige than those that are ranked lower. The level of prestige associated with a degree from Yale University is higher than the level of prestige associated with a degree from a school that’s not on the list of top 20 business schools. Attending a school with a high level of prestige may mean that it’s easier for you to get a job after graduation, because many of the highest ranked business schools have established relationships with companies to recruit their graduates. It also means that your chances of admissions are likely worse – the higher the school’s rank, the more selective it likely is.

You’ve got to decide for yourself how much a business school’s ranking affects your decision to apply to and attend that school. We’ll look a bit more closely at that idea in the next section.

How to Use Business School Rankings When Applying to Business School

As an applicant to MBA programs, you should be concerned with how business school rankings affect your application process.

Ultimately, you want to make sure that the business school you attend will help you achieve your academic and professional goals. Schools that rank in the top 20 business programs all offer high quality academic and professional programs to their attendees.

If you attend a top 20 business school, you’ll be learning from experienced professors alongside peers that have achieved academic, personal, and professional success. You can also count on getting more opportunities after graduation. A school with a high level of prestige will likely have relationships with employers and organizations that you can leverage into finding a job.

However, schools with higher levels of prestige are often harder to get into. They may also offer fewer scholarships or financial aid packages, while having higher tuition. You need to decide whether the name of the school is worth the extra work to get in and the potentially higher price tag.

Personal fit is ultimately a more important factor than prestige. Do your research into business schools to find the programs that fit what you’re looking for. While rankings are a good place to start, you won’t get a full picture of a business school simply by looking at its ranking on a long list. You need to learn much more about the actual experience of the school itself to determine if it’s right for you.

What’s Next?

Getting ready to apply to business school? Our guide for how to prepare for an MBA teaches you everything you need to know to have your application in tip-top shape for admissions committees.

Wondering which MBA entrance exams you should take to get into business school? In our complete guide to MBA entrance exams, we break down the content covered on each exam and who should take what exam to get into the business school of their dreams.

If you’re getting ready to send your GMAT scores to prospective MBA programs, make sure you read our complete guide to sending GMAT scores to learn the ins and outs of the process. You’ll also learn how far in advance you should plan to take the GMAT so that your scores will arrive in time.

The post Do MBA Rankings Matter? appeared first on Online GMAT Prep Blog by PrepScholar.

Harvard Business School is the holy grail of MBA programs for many applicants. Because its reputation as a leading business school makes it a prime target for many MBA hopefuls, admissions are competitive, and you’ll need to do your very best to stand out amongst your peers.

In this article, I’ll go over the MBA programs offered at Harvard Business School, all the components of a Harvard Business School MBA application, the traits HBS admissions counselors say they look for in applicants, and key tips for strengthening your admissions packet.

Harvard Business School: An Overview

Harvard Business School has a fantastic reputation, but if you’re considering applying, you should make sure it’s a good fit for your own interests and goals. Let’s go over a few things that define Harvard’s MBA program and make it unique, including curriculum and special programs. Then we’ll go more deeply into how to get into Harvard Business School.

Harvard Business School Curriculum

Harvard Business School’s standard MBA program is full-time and takes two years of intensive on-campus study. You will be assigned to a “section” of about 90 students, with whom you will study and work both in the classroom and at your first-year field assignments.

All first-year students complete required core curriculum in marketing, finance, technology, strategy, corporate accountability, and leadership, alongside their cohort of 90 colleagues.

Harvard’s educational approach combines the case and FIELD methods of study. The case method of classroom instruction teaches students to solve problems collaboratively to practice the essential business technique of approaching conflict with creativity and a spirit of entrepreneurship. Students are provided with a fictional business problem and, through a structured dialogue in the classroom, attempt to reach a solution together.

The case method relies heavily on in-class debate and dialogue, with course grades sometimes consisting of 50% evaluation of a student’s participation and direct engagement with other students.

The FIELD method, which complements the case method, places students in small, interactive classroom settings in which they reflect on their performance and what they have learned in their coursework and workshops. In projects with their peers, they also give team feedback in order to develop and reflect on their collaborative and leadership styles.

At the end of the spring semester, students participate in a FIELD global immersion project, in which they will participate in the development and strategic planning of the release of a new international product or service concept.

In their second year, HBS students have the opportunity to take a variety of elective courses that build on the foundational skills they developed in their first year. They can take up to five classes per semester in areas like corporate board leadership and managing global health, as well as relevant courses from other Harvard graduate schools.

Before graduating, students have the opportunity to participate in an Immersive Field Course (IFC), which is designed by faculty members around their research interests and industry connections and gives students the opportunity to make vital connections. After several on-campus sessions, the IFC culminates in an off-campus intensive during the January term.

Special Programs

In addition to Harvard’s full-time standard MBA, HBS offers a few options for students with particular backgrounds and interests. Let’s go over them.

2+2 Program

2+2 is a special program for those who want to apply for a Harvard MBA straight from undergrad, but don’t already have a lot of relevant work experience. The 2+2 program consists of two or more years of work experience, followed by entrance into Harvard’s MBA program. Students in their final year of study at a bachelor’s degree program, in a joint bachelor’s/graduate program, or in a stand-alone graduate program (if the student doesn’t have prior work experience) can apply through a deferred admissions process. Admitted students will then work for two years before entering Harvard’s standard MBA program.

Joint Degree Programs

Harvard Business School offers several joint degree programs for students who want to use their business education for specific purposes in the medical field, law, or public policy. These combined programs will take longer to complete than an MBA alone and are best suited to students with specific plans about how they will use their graduate study in their future careers. For each joint degree program, you’ll need to apply and be accepted to both institutions.

Let’s take a look at the joint degree programs offered by Harvard Business School. Check each joint program’s website for updated information on admissions timelines and Harvard Business School MBA application requirements.

Once you’ve decided that HBS is on your list of prospective business schools, compiling your application materials is the next step. Getting into Harvard is competitive, no question: only 11% of last year’s applicants were accepted to Harvard Business School. Many students wonder how to get into Harvard business school, or at least to improve their chances.

To prepare, you’ll need to turn in an excellent application and put your best foot forward in every respect. Next, we’ll go over all the components of a Harvard Business School MBA application.

Harvard MBA Application Requirements: How to Get Into Harvard Business School

There are three rounds of application deadlines for Harvard’s MBA program. For applicants to the Harvard MBA class of 2020 (matriculating fall of 2018), the deadlines are September 6 (Round 1), January 3 (Round 2), and April 3 (Round 3).

Before you apply, make sure that you’ll be able to turn in all relevant documents before the deadline you choose. Check Harvard’s admissions website for updated info on the next Harvard MBA application deadline.

There are a variety of required components in a Harvard MBA application. Let’s go through everything you’ll need to be considered for acceptance to HBS.

#1: Transcripts

You need a bachelor’s degree from an accredited American institution or an international equivalent (generally, a three-year baccalaureate degree) to be eligible for admission to Harvard Business School.

You’ll need to send official copies of all of your undergraduate and/or graduate transcripts to Harvard. When you apply, you can upload an unofficial transcript, but if you are admitted, you will need to provide an official copy of your record for verification purposes.

While the average GPA of the most recent incoming class at HBS is fairly high—3.71—HBS also evaluates your history of coursework as a whole, rather than just the hard numbers. Does your academic history suggest proficiency in classes with a heavy quantitative component, for example? What about in writing and communications? Did you go to a top undergraduate institution? The Harvard MBA admissions committee will take these factors into account alongside your GPA.

#2: GMAT/GRE Scores

The Harvard MBA admissions committee accepts official score reports from either the GMAT or the GRE. You must have taken the exam within the past five years. The admissions committee doesn’t prefer one test over the other.

If you’ve taken the GMAT or the GRE more than once, you can report your best score. The admissions committee will consider only the score that you report on your application.

The median GMAT score of incoming Harvard Business School students was 730 in the most recent round of admissions. While a high GMAT score will certainly improve your chances of acceptance to Harvard Business School, there’s no minimum GMAT score that you need to have to be considered for admission. Last year, the middle 80% range of GMAT scores was 690-760, indicating that while most students have a GMAT score above 720, a lower GMAT score won’t necessarily bar you entirely from HBS acceptance.

#3: TOEFL/IELTS/Pearson Test of English

If you attended an undergraduate institution where English was not the sole language of instruction, HBS requires you to submit your results from the TOEFL (only the Internet-based version, or IBT), the IELTS, or the Pearson Test of English (PTE). Scores from each of these tests are valid for two years.

If you have a graduate degree that was taught entirely in English, it is recommended, but not required, that you submit your results from one of these tests.

There’s no minimum TOEFL/IELTS/PTE score for admission to HBS. However, the MBA admissions board suggests that students only apply to MBA programs in which the sole language of instruction is English if they received a minimum score of 109 on the IBT, a 7.5 on the IELTS, or a 75 on the PTE.

#4: Essay

All applicants are required to submit a writing sample. The essay for the Class of 2020 is:

As we review your application, what more would you like us to know as we consider your candidacy for the Harvard Business School MBA program?

There is no suggested word count for this essay. HBS requests that applicants write in precise, straightforward language to clearly communicate what they’re trying to say.

Applicants to the joint programs between Harvard Business School and Harvard Medical School, Harvard Law School, Harvard Kennedy School, and Harvard School of Dental Medicine will submit an additional 400-word essay that answers the following question:

How do you expect the joint degree experience to benefit you on both a professional and a personal level?

#5: Two Recommendations

Two recommenders (colleagues, supervisors, collaborators, instructors, or anyone else who knows you and your work well) must fill out a recommendation form for you prior to the Harvard MBA application deadline. All recommendations must be completed online.

Recommenders will be asked to fill out a grid concerning your personal qualities and skills. They will also be asked to answer the two following questions:

How do the candidate’s performance, potential, background, or personal qualities compare to those of other well-qualified individuals in similar roles? Please provide specific examples. (300 words)

Please describe the most important piece of constructive feedback you have given the applicant. Please detail the circumstances and the applicant’s response. (250 words)

Harvard Business School admissions officials emphasize that a recommender’s in-depth knowledge of you, and particularly your ability to problem solve and to overcome obstacles, is more important than their prestige or connection to the university. Choose your recommenders carefully according to how well they know you rather than, for example, their status as Harvard alumni.

#6: Resume

HBS applicants must submit a current business resume through Harvard’s online application system.

Your resume doesn’t have to be in any specific format. Just provide the same resume you’d send out for a job search.

#7: Acceptance of Policies and Harvard MBA Application Fee

With your application, you will submit a signed acceptance of HBS Admissions Policies and the non-refundable Harvard MBA application fee (payable only by credit card) of $250. Make sure you do so before the Harvard MBA application deadline.

Applicants to the 2+2 Program pay a $100 Harvard MBA application fee.

#8: Interview

If you make it through the first round of admissions, you’ll be asked to attend an interview with a Harvard representative in your country or region or via Skype. You don’t have to travel to Harvard for the interview.

Invitation to an interview indicates interest on HBS’ part, but not a guarantee of admission. However, if you are invited to interview, you must follow through with the interview in order to be considered for acceptance.

HBS Interviews are 30 minutes long. In the interview, you’ll be asked questions about your background, obstacles you’ve overcome, and your plans for the future. This conversation will be evaluated along with the rest of your application before a final admissions decision is made.

After the interview, you will have the opportunity to fill out a Post-Interview Reflection. This is an evaluation of your interview where you will have the chance to provide any additional information you missed or want to clarify or anything you would have done differently in your interview.

What Harvard Business School Looks for in Applicants

Harvard Business School looks for particular qualities in potential applicants. Let’s go over the main traits you should highlight to make your application stand out to the admissions committee.

#1: Leadership Skills

As one of the Harvard MBA application requirements, HBS wants applicants to demonstrate a “habit of leadership.” Leadership skills come in many forms, from initiative and leadership in campus organizations to heading a community service team, and from managing employees effectively to motivating staff to reach sales goals.

The key is to make sure your leadership skills are demonstrated on your application. You can do this through anecdotes in your essay and examples on your business resume. Additionally, you should ask your recommenders to highlight your leadership skills in their recommendation forms.

#2: Analytical Abilities

Success in a challenging environment like Harvard Business School requires strong critical thinking and reasoning skills and a high level of intellectual aptitude. Your GPA, academic history, essay, recommendations, and GMAT score should reflect your analytical abilities, as they are a good predictor of your ability to succeed in the competitive academic environment of an MBA program.

In particular, your application should demonstrate both verbal aptitude—through the essay portion, the GMAT or GRE verbal section, and your academic history of success in humanities and social science courses—and quantitative abilities (through the GMAT or GRE quantitative section and your history of success in coursework that relies heavily on quantitative abilities).

If you are lacking in any of these areas, think of creative ways to demonstrate your skills. For example, if your undergraduate coursework doesn’t include many quantitative-heavy courses, you might consider addressing this by taking postbaccalaureate coursework to fill that gap.

#3: Community Service

Harvard Business School admissions counselors place a high premium on engagement with the surrounding community, diversity, and dedication to helping underserved populations. A strong grasp of ethical business standards and practices, corporate responsibility, and the intersection of business and community engagement is important to demonstrate on an HBS application.

You can highlight your experiences in campus and community service, as well as your interest in ethics or social justice issues and how you plan to apply them in your future career, in your essay, resume, and interview. You can also ask your recommenders to highlight your dedication to high ethical standards in your online recommendations.

Harvard MBA Admissions Tips: 4 Ways to Make Your Application Stand Out

Ready to prepare your application to Harvard Business School? Check out these four key tips first to make sure you’re putting your best foot forward.

#1: Be Direct in Your Essay

According to Harvard admissions counselors, when it comes to the HBS admissions essay, less can sometimes be more. Since there’s no word count (maximum or minimum) for the writing sample, some students will be tempted to write lengthy essays or use convoluted, flowery language that they might think is sophisticated.

Instead, get straight to the heart of what you’re trying to say. Highlight your demonstrated leadership skills using specific examples, and be as concise and clear as possible.

#2: Keep Your Resume Concise and Achievement-Focused

Your resume for your Harvard Business School application should never exceed one typed page with standard margins and font size. While it might be tempting to include every bit of experience you have, it’s more professional to keep things concise, highlighting only the most relevant and significant pieces of your academic and work history.

When describing your accomplishments, make sure to highlight any changes you made through your leadership or collaboration. For example, rather than simply listing the positions you’ve held, provide as many specific details as you can about social media views, sales numbers, or changes you implemented.

#3: Choose the Right Recommenders

Selecting a recommender who is connected to HBS in some way or who holds an especially prominent position elsewhere, but who doesn’t know you as well as others might, is a common trap for MBA applicants.

Your recommenders will be asked to reflect on your personal history, accomplishments, and traits in depth, and to highlight the specific qualities that make you a standout applicant. It’s best to choose recommenders who have personally seen you solve problems or learn from your mistakes, or who have collaborated with you on a personal level, rather than to choose someone based on their letterhead.

#4: Be Honest in Your Interview

As in your essay, if you’re invited to interview, be as direct as possible. According to student feedback, most HBS MBA interviewers will ask you about your academic and work history, your ideas about your personal strengths and weaknesses as a candidate, your plans for your future career trajectory, and why you’re interested in HBS in particular.

While you shouldn’t be self-deprecating or overly apologetic, you should be as direct and straightforward as possible in your responses to tricky interview questions. Be prepared to talk about things you would do differently in your undergraduate studies or former workplace environments if you had the chance. For example, could you have been more assertive? More organized?

Answering questions about your weaknesses with self-awareness shows you can learn from your mistakes and solve problems, which is a hallmark of a strong leader and a key factor in determining your fitness for a business school environment.

According to admissions counselors, your responses should also be concise, with a clear beginning, middle, and end. As in the essay portion of the application, going on and on unnecessarily is a common trap in the HBS interview.

What’s Next?

Now that you know more about how to get into Harvard Business School, you might want more background on MBA programs in general. We’ve got you covered.

Does your GMAT score compare to the average scores of students at your prospective schools? Find out here before you apply.

Wondering what kind of grades you should have to get into business school? We can help.

The post 4 Harvard MBA Application Tips to Help You Get In appeared first on Online GMAT Prep Blog by PrepScholar.

If you’ve started to research trends involving GMAT scores for top business schools, you’ve likely noticed that the average GMAT scores for top MBA programs have been on the rise. But what does this increase mean for you as an applicant?

In this guide, I’ll list the GMAT scores needed for top business schools in the United States and explain what they mean. First, I’ll give you information on the average GMAT scores for top MBA programs across the country.  Next, I’ll talk about the upwards trend in GMAT scores. Why is this rising trend happening, and what does it mean for you? Finally, I’ll talk about goal setting in light of this information. If you’re looking to get into a top business school, what kind of score should you shoot for and why?

Average GMAT Scores for Top Business Schools

Have you heard of the M7?

The M7 is an informal grouping of the top seven MBA programs in the United States. The M7 includes Harvard, Stanford, Wharton (University of Pennsylvania), Kellogg (Northwestern University), Booth (University of Chicago), Columbia, and Sloan (Massachusetts Institute of Technology).

The M7 often represents a shining, seemingly unattainable dream for MBA applicants. But, while admission to these programs is undoubtedly selective, getting in isn’t impossible.

The best way to secure admission to one (or all) of these schools is to make sure your application, including your GMAT score, is as competitive as possible with other applicants. To do that, it’s important to understand what you’re up against in terms of the qualifications other applicants have. In the following chart, we’ll look at average GMAT scores for top MBA programs.

Overall, you can see that these scores come together in three main groups. Stanford and Wharton have the highest average scores, in the 730s, while Harvard, Kellogg, and Booth have average scores in the mid 720s. Finally, Columbia and Sloan have slightly lower average GMAT scores of 715 and 716, respectively.

*According to 2016 US News and World Report rankings.

I’ll talk about what these averages scores mean for you in a later section. For now, let’s look at the average GMAT scores needed for top business schools outside of the M7.

*According to 2016 US News and World Report rankings.

As you can tell, the rest of the top 20 MBA programs have scores in the upper 600s to mid 700s. Several have average GMAT scores that are just as competitive as schools in the M7, specifically NYU, Dartmouth, and both UC schools. Emory has the lowest average GMAT score of the top 20 MBA programs at 678.

Is It True That GMAT Scores For Top Business Schools Are Rising?

If you’ve read up anything on trends regarding the GMAT scores for top business schools in recent years, you’re probably noticed that experts all agree that GMAT scores needed for top business schools have been on the rise.

But what does that actually mean? And, how do rising GMAT scores affect applicants?

Well, data over the last five years indicate that many MBA programs have seen a substantial rise in the average GMAT scores of their admitted students. According to Poets & Quants, Northwestern’s Kellogg School has seen a rise of 14 points in the average GMAT scores of applicants in the last five years, from 718 in 2011 to 732 in 2015.

Lower ranked MBA programs have seen substantial increases, too. For example, Michigan State’s Broad School of Management has seen its average GMAT score of its admitted students rise from 638 to 664. 

Overall, the general trend of average GMAT scores for MBA applicants has been on the rise.

What Do Rising GMAT Scores for Top Business Schools Mean for Applicants?

While it may seem intimidating that the average GMAT scores of admitted applicants to MBA programs are on the rise, it’s not necessarily a negative thing. 

GMAT scores aren’t just rising at the top business schools — the overall average has gone up as well. Whereas the average GMAT score in 1995 was 503, the average GMAT score in the testing year 2015 had risen to 554.

One reason that GMAT scores are rising is that business programs are putting greater emphasis on GMAT scores of admitted applicants, which contribute to their rankings. As schools seek out candidates with higher GMAT scores, the candidates themselves spend more time and energy trying to achieve those higher GMAT scores.

According to statistics from MBA.com, more applicants are taking part in test prep before taking the GMAT. That means that more applicants are more ready for the GMAT now, because they have taken test prep courses or have done their own studying before taking the exam. If you prepare for the exam, you’ll likely achieve a higher score than someone who hasn’t prepared.

The good news about the increased influence of test prep programs is that you, as an applicant, likely have the opportunity to do test prep of your own. Whether that means doing a self-paced study guide, or entering into a structured test prep class, there are endless options out there to help improve your score. 

The bad news about rising GMAT scores is that more and more applicants are scoring higher and higher, which means it will be hard to stand out on GMAT score alone. As an applicant, it’s important to consider the rest of your application beyond just your GMAT score. If you have a solid GMAT score that is at or above the average GMAT score of your goal score, as well as a well-rounded application that highlights your other strengths, you stand a better chance at being accepted.

How Can You Set a Goal Score for the GMAT?

As you can tell from the average scores I’ve listed above, having a GMAT score above 700 puts you in a good place for being a competitive applicant at many of the top 20 MBA programs. But where you set your specific goal score depends on what specific schools you are applying to.

In order to set your GMAT goal score, consider the highest average GMAT score of the programs you are applying to. For instance, if you’re applying to McCombs, Kenan-Flagler, and Darden, you’ll want to set a goal score of 710 or higher. Since Darden’s average GMAT score is 706, and it is the highest average GMAT score of the bunch, achieving a goal score of 706 will mean that you’re competitive at all of those schools.

You’ll also want to take a full-length, official GMAT practice test when setting your goal score, which helps you see where you’re currently scoring. Most GMAT test takers can improve between 50 – 150 points on their initial practice GMAT score based on the amount of time and breadth of their studying. Making an improvement over 150 points, however, is extremely difficult. If you need to improve more than 150 points to meet your GMAT goal score, you’ll want to consider changing the schools you’re applying to or boosting the rest of your application to truly standout as an applicant.

What’s Next?

Feel like you know all about the GMAT scores for top business schools, but still looking to learn more about how to make the rest of your application competitive? In our guide to how to prepare for an MBA, you’ll learn about long-term and short-term tips for making your MBA application stand out from the pack.

Want to learn more about calculating your GMAT score? Use our GMAT score calculator to determine what score you need on the quant and verbal sections to achieve your GMAT goal score.

Feeling frustrated by your GMAT score? Don’t worry. There’s a lot you can do to try to improve your GMAT score if you’re not meeting your goals. In our guide to improving your GMAT score, you’ll learn the steps you can take to better your GMAT score and increase your chances of MBA admissions.

The post What GMAT Scores Do You Need for Top Business Schools? appeared first on Online GMAT Prep Blog by PrepScholar.