EssaySnark

  • about
  • contact
  • help
  • sign up
  • login
CLICK FOR MORE!
  • Essay Questions
    • Harvard
    • Stanford
    • Wharton
    • Chicago Booth
    • Kellogg
    • MIT Sloan
    • Tuck
    • NYU Stern
    • Columbia
    • Yale SOM
    • Berkeley Haas
    • UVA Darden
    • Duke Fuqua
    • Michigan Ross
    • UCLA Anderson
    • Cornell
  • Strategy Guides
    • MBA Interviewing Guide
    • Getting Off the Waitlist
    • Applying in Round 3 mini-guide
    • Applying to European Business Schools
    • School-Specific MBA Application Guides
      • Columbia 2020 MBA Strategy Guide
      • Harvard 2020 MBA Strategy Guide
      • Kellogg 2020 MBA Strategy Guide
      • MIT Sloan 2020 MBA Strategy Guide
      • Chicago Booth 2020 MBA Strategy Guide
      • *MORE SCHOOL-SPECIFIC GUIDES HERE*
  • MBA Consulting
    • Free essay reviews
    • What stage are you in?
    • Military MBA
    • BIPOC Program
    • Testimonials & Reviews
    • Guest Posts
  • My SnarkCenter
    • My Strategy Guides
    • My Favorite Posts
    • Discounts & Offers

($) GMAT? or GRE? 2019 edition

May 28, 2019 by EssaySnark Leave a Comment

Here’s the thing: For most people, the GRE math is easier. It just is.

Both the GMAT and the GRE are tough tests. But the GMAT is at least a tiny bit tougher.

Plus, the GMAT has the Integrated Reasoning, which isn’t really any harder than any other part of the test (some people even kind of like the IR questions), but even if you’re a whiz at them, you still need to study and prepare.

All the schools now will accept the GRE interchangeably with the GMAT. They claim that there is no difference in applying with one versus the other. Some schools are even directly encouraging you to take the test that you will do better on. Meaning the GRE, in many cases.

And yet…

We still see people with a higher GMAT score have an advantage when it comes to the most competitive admissions environments.

This is totally a category where it’s case by case.

What pool are you in? Who are you competing with? What do the other candidates who are “like you” look like on paper? Are they applying with GMATs or GREs? What types of scores are they scoring? If you have a GRE, is your score high enough?

These are questions that you probably don’t know the answer to, and certainly, no admissions person will tell you. (Shameless self-promotion: EssaySnark can tell you! It’s what our Comprehensive Profile Review was designed explicitly for.)

It also depends on what your test history is (which test(s) have you taken, what were the scores, what of those were canceled) and when you’re applying.

If you dread any standardized test and have not started studying at all, and you’re kind of nervous and scared about how all this will play out, then seeing as it’s only May and you have at least some window of time within which to operate: Take practice tests for both exams.

If you feel more confident with the GRE, then go with the GRE.

If you’ve already taken the GMAT and are thinking of switching to the GRE because you think you can do better, that is a more complicated situation.

We cannot be definitive and make any declarative statements in this post that would be accurate and viable for everybody. We would need to look at the specifics of your profile, your test profile, your GPA, your set of schools, and talk to that. (Which we absolutely do in our personal and private and tailored-for-you Comprehensive Profile Review, in case that would be useful for you.)

What we can say is that we still encourage BSers to go for the GMAT if they are able to.

If you’ve already started studying for the GRE, then does it make sense to ditch that and switch to the GMAT? Well….. again, the answer is “it depends.” If it were already July and you asked us, we’d say no. We’d say, get cranking on your GRE test prep and nail that GRE test, and get it done soon, because there will be essays to write soon, and you don’t want to try tag-teaming both of those tasks simultaneously.

But seeing as we’re still here in springtime, if you have any inkling that you could do decent to well on the GMAT, we encourage you to buckle down and make that test happen.

Will a GRE score be any type of deficit on your app? Will it keep you out if everything else is in tiptop shape and impressive?

Oh gosh no. Absolutely not.

Will a GMAT score smooth the skids a bit and possibly help you over a hurdle that the GRE could not?

At most places, no — but at some schools, a resounding yes to that.

Again, it depends, and it also entirely depends on what score you have in your hot little hand. This is very difficult to even discuss with hypotheticals.

Most schools have only started releasing class data including GRE scores in the past year, and we’ll be on the lookout for trends that may start to arise as more adcoms are increasingly transparent. Right now NYU, Yale, and Harvard are leading the charge in what they publish on GMAT and GRE too.

In the interim, you can dig through the ‘snarchives in our GMAT and GRE category of posts to see what else we have stated on this. This is one area where things are changing, and in the ancient past there was no grey areas, this was a black-and-white issue where the GMAT alone was the ruler. That has changed just lately but how much it may change or where the averages will end up is an unanswered question. We’ll be on the lookout for whatever we can share about this to help you navigate this critical strategic decision.

Whichever test you choose, please don’t shirk your responsibilities. Buckle down and do the hard work of studying — as if your life depends on it! Because in all honesty, truly it does.*

 
 
*not your literal life, but the options that are made available to you in the future as you go through this application experience

Filed Under: GMAT/GRE, GRE specific info

« Previous: Happy Memorial Day! Class of 2022 applicants, let’s go! The Countdown has launched!
Next: ($) GMAT or GRE – or Executive Assessment??? »

So who the heck is EssaySnark, anyway?!

We're the snarky experts in MBA admissions!

Sometimes amused and often appalled by what candidates write in their MBA applications to top bschools, EssaySnark created this little blahg to share common mistakes. Learn from them and avoid making admissions directors laugh (or want to hurl) when they read your essays. If you are hoping to have your essay reviewed anonymously on the blahg for free, submit it for consideration.

Want EssaySnark's personal assistance with your MBA applications? Start with our menu of consulting services and please read the Help FAQ to learn how we operate. Still have questions after doing all that? Email Team EssaySnark at gethelpnow at essaysnark dot com.

Good luck on your apps, Brave Supplicant!

Tell us what you think. Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Sign up for the 'Snark via email

Enter your address to get weekday blahg posts by email.

UPCOMING MBA APP DEADLINES

  • INSEAD Jan '22 Intake Rd 2
    in 1 week, 1 day, 5 hours
  • (expected) HBS Class of 2024 app requirements released
    in 3 weeks, 0 days, 6 hours
  • Columbia Class of 2023 final deadline - EXTENDED!!!!
    in 1 month, 2 weeks, 2 days, 10 hours
  • INSEAD Jan '22 Intake Rd 3
    in 2 months, 0 weeks, 3 days, 5 hours
  • (expected) Columbia J-Term/ED app to open
    in 2 months, 0 weeks, 3 days, 6 hours
   
From a BSer January 2020:
"love the guide books!"


CLASS OF 2023 MBA APPLICATION STRATEGY GUIDES

     
    The 2020 Berkeley-Haas MBA Application Guide - updated for the Class of 2023 application!
SnarkStrategies Guide for Berkeley Haas - refreshed and updated, with brainstorming exercises and structured maps to help you focus your stories!
   
    The 2020-2021 NYU Stern MBA Application Guide that covers the main essay, the EQ Endorsement and Pick Six!
SnarkStrategies Guide for NYU - discusses your requirements for the Class of 2023 essays!
   
    The 2020-2021 Columbia MBA Application Guide
SnarkStrategies Guide for Columbia Business School for 2020-2021 applications
   
    The 2020 Harvard MBA Application Guide - completely overhauled and updated for the coronavirus era!
SnarkStrategies Guide for Harvard Business School!
   
    The 2020-2021 Duke Essay Guide - covers the 25 Random Things essay and all the rest too!
SnarkStrategies Guide for Duke Fuqua - up to date for the current season!
   
    The 2020-2021 MIT Essay Guide covers the org chart, the contacts for two references, and additional tips for the cover letter and 'introduce yourself' video -- and everything else you need to know!
SnarkStrategies Guide for MIT Sloan MBA - totally revised for the Class of 2023!
   
    The 2020-2021 Tuck Essay Guide has been refreshed with latest insights and advice for your essays about "investing generously" and "why Tuck"!
SnarkStrategies Guide for the Dartmouth Tuck MBA - completely overhauled for 2020, to help you demonstrate how you are nice, aware, etc stuff!
   
    The Yale SOM MBA Application Guide for Class of 2023 candidates!
SnarkStrategies Guide for Yale SOM - updated for 2020-2021
   
    The 2020-2021 Chicago Booth MBA Application Guide - ready to go to support your Class of 2023 essay strategy!
SnarkStrategies Guide for Chicago Booth for this year's MBA app!
   
    The 2020 Wharton MBA Application Guide - even more advice on how to get to a win with those essays!
SnarkStrategies Guide for The Wharton School - with new tips for 2020!
   
    The 2020 Kellogg Essay Guide - with a full methodology to identify your 'lasting impact' and your 'values' -- plus tips on 2020 world events and applicability to your essays!
SnarkStrategies Guide for Kellogg MBA - updated and revised for the new realities of 2020!    
      The 2020 Stanford MBA Application Guide - for "what matters most" in your MBA application!
SnarkStrategies Guide for Stanford GSB for the Class of 2023
   
    The 2020-2021 UCLA Anderson MBA Application Guide - updated for Class of 2023 on "impact"!
SnarkStrategies Guide for 
UCLA
   
   

Brave Supplicants' latest reviews on The 'Snark


Feb 11, 2021
by hopeful on MBA Interview Prep: Custom Practice Questions
Helpful

Just wanted to say thank you for these questions! A lot of them were really tailored to my profile, ... Read more

Apr 10, 2020
by George on EssaySnark
Great Starting Point

I thought getting over the GRE/GMAT hurdle was fairly straightforward--disciplined study then test execution... Read more

Apr 10, 2020
by George on Single Shot Express MBA Essay Review
Worth Every Penny

I used the Single Shot Express to decimate essay #1 at my first-choice school. Paired with the school... Read more






Not sure where to begin with EssaySnark?
Our Snark Selector
will tell you!



What were we snarking about at this time in past years?

  • 2020: ($) What to consider with your Kellogg (or other school's Rd 3 Flex) app: Recs, timing, optional essay
  • 2020: ($) Coronavirus and the MBA: Kellogg changes the game
  • 2019: Is your GMAT good enough?
  • 2019: Volunteering and MBA applicants from the non-profit world
  • 2018: ($) If you took the GMAT while you were in college and now X years later you're applying for an MBA
  • 2016: Success Story! Deciding between two offers: "I was surprised by how the more I thought about it..."
  • 2015: ($) Continued from yesterday: When will Harvard release their MBA app? And which app should you do first?
  • 2015: Which schools release MBA essay questions when?
  • 2014: Bschool is all about food.
  • 2013: Researching MBA programs
My Tweets

See the Top U.S. Business Schools on a Map!


EssaySnark is currently available! We're accepting new clients! Standard turnarounds apply. If you're in a hurry, Speedy Review is available!

EssaySnark® is a registered trademark. All content copyright © 2010–2021 Snarkolicious Press · Privacy Policy

Where should you start with EssaySnark?

Which EssaySnark service is right for you? Answer a few questions to find out!

This field must be set to Everyone - then in the Settings -> HTML -> After Fields screen there's JavaScript to hide it.
Sending