GMAT Score: Need Not to Over Emphasis

“Your exam results do not define you as a person and/or predict your future!”

Laura Henry

The GMAT aspirants often focus more on attaining a brilliant GMAT score of more than 730. The Indian students have a tendency to measure their or other’s intellectual skills based on the score obtained in any competitive exams. While seeking admissions in international B-schools the Indian aspirants have the highest GMAT Score centric preparation. Although, MBA admissions don’t consider only the GMAT scores for admissions.

In 2016, the Harvard Business School (HBS) class constituents comprised of an aspirant with 510 GMAT score. Previously, in 2013 the lowest admitted GMAT score in HBS was 580. Thus it’s breaking the rigid thought that securing a GMAT max score is not the only gateway into top B-schools around the world. Now that we are aware of the GMAT score range, there are several other factors which influence the admission selection procedure.

Here are some key points that work as a selection criterion for almost all the top notch B-schools and based on these parameters your performance, the fate of being selected or rejected is decided.

Academics:

Academic records are one of the important factors which influence one’s chance of being shortlisted. It represents the consistent performance of the aspirant during the bachelor’s degree course. It offers the adcom an opportunity to analyze one’s learning and competency levels. Although most universities don’t prefer to admit candidates who have only academic intelligence, it certainly plays a crucial role in the admission process. The MBA syllabus is pretty vast and it requires you to learn many managerial concepts which are mandatory for your job prospects at a later stage. So it will bode well with the admissions committee if you have good academic records over the course of your undergraduate studies.

Published Papers and Research Projects:

After academics, the published papers, journals and academic projects you have undertaken will add up value to your profile. It highlights the ability of the student to think in an innovative way. It also shows an in-depth knowledge of the subject and your interest to engage in the subject outside of the established academic syllabus. If your papers are published in renowned publications then it adds credibility to your profile and certainly enhances your chances of getting admitted in the University of your preference. Therefore it is recommended you invest enough time to working on research projects and publishing papers.
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Extra-curricular Activities:

An MBA program demands multifaceted talents from an individual. The active participation in extracurricular activities highlights the qualities of the students like- their jovial side, creative thinking skills, interest beyond seeking bookish knowledge, passion and risk-taking skills to try something new. All these are necessary to become a successful manager as they have to play several roles at the same time once they take up important positions in a company. The ability to think quickly and take swift actions is definitely valued a lot. You should involve yourself in any activities which you believe will help you showcase your talents and skills. The admissions committee will look to add candidates who can bring diversity and unique skills to their campus so you shouldn’t shy away from participating in such activities.

Industrial Internship:

Industrial internships allow the aspirants to get the actual knowledge about the industrial operational activities. These kinds of internship programs give the opportunity to convert the theoretical knowledge gained in classrooms into practical knowledge. These give you industrial exposure and allows you to build good networking connections with the employers. Universities will be glad to admit candidates who have sought to do internships as this is a valued experience. Such students will definitely have an edge over their counterparts who might not have pursued internships. The internships also help you to gain knowledge about how a work atmosphere is, the hierarchy followed in the company, the various departments which exist in a firm and which departments one may have to coordinate with for their work, the ability to learn valuable skills for the job etc.

Work Experience:

Work experience holds the maximum value in your application for admissions. It defines the individual’s ability on how quickly they are able to interpret their teachings into practicality to meet the company’s aim. It describes the individual’s role, responsibility, and achievements acquired in the organization. Generally, most of the top B-schools in the world look to admit candidates who have a minimum of 4-5 years of work experience. They believe that such individuals will be able to contribute more to the university as they will have more maturity, business acumen acquired over years of working, competencies etc. The MBA program is also structured in such a manner that the experienced professionals will be able to easily adapt to the same and learn in a better manner.

The reputation of your college:

Students from the institutes such as IIT, NIT, BIT, DCE, etc. are given priority over other institutes. The status of your institute also works as a selection criterion. But it doesn’t mean that it is one of the utmost important criteria for admissions.

After consolidating the aforesaid points, the next step is to yield persuasive letters of recommendation from your ex/current employers or supervisors or from the professors from your respective departments. Hence, focus on all the other main factors required for seeking admission in your dream B-school.

We’ll be glad to help you in your GMAT preparation journey. You can ask for any assistance related to GMAT and MBA from us by calling us at +918884544444. You can write to us at gmat@byjus.com.

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