Don’t Fear the GMAT!
Thursday, March 10, 2016 | 12:00 AM
Once you've made the decision that you are going to apply to online MBA programs, the next step is figuring out if you need to take the GMAT. The GMAT can be quite daunting for some prospective MBA students, especially for those who have been out of school for a long time. However, the GMAT is nothing to fear. First of all, many schools offer waiver programs for certain levels of experience. For example, The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley offers GMAT waivers for students with graduate degrees, who graduated with a 3.8 or higher from undergrad or have four or more years of managerial experience. Â Therefore, taking the GMAT might not even be required.
Another reason not to fear the GMAT is that every student, regardless of whether they are still in school or ten years out, are all in the same boat in many respects. For example, the math knowledge that is required on the GMAT is high school level, so most students have forgotten it all anyway, even if they were math majors in undergrad. Furthermore, two out of the three verbal sections don't even require any outside knowledge.
Taking the GMAT and doing well, is about learning how to take the test more so than learning what the material is. For example, you can do very well on the sentence correction section, with only a basic understanding of grammar, if you understand how to approach the questions systematically. This is another reason not to stress over the test too much. Once you understand what GMAC wants, it becomes much easier to tackle.
The final reason not to let the GMAT stress you out too much is that online MBA programs value work experience. Therefore, your GMAT score may not be the most important aspect of your application. Admissions experts actually say that your essays are the most important. So, if you know what is required of you and you study strategically, the GMAT shouldn't be a big worry.
Learn about University of Texas Rio Grande Valley online MBA Program.
Have a question or concern about this article? Please contact us.
