Should I take a standardized test?

August 2, 2024 | Sharise Kent

The following post was written by Sharise Kent, assistant director of MBA recruitment. Sharise works with prospective students who are considering the Full-Time MBA program at Simon Business School. As a Rochester native, she loves welcoming prospective students to Simon and Rochester to experience everything the school and the city have to offer. 

“Should I take the GMAT or GRE?” is a very common question we receive in the Simon Admissions office. The answer is not necessarily the same for everyone. Let’s unpack the reasons you may or may not choose to submit a standardized test score with your MBA or MS application. 

Test scores are not required.

First, let me say that Simon Business School does not require submission of a standardized test score as a part of the application process. Applicants can, however, choose to submit scores from the GRE or the GMAT. Applicants to the Full-Time MBA can also submit results from the Executive Assessment test.

Given the stress of applying to business school while completing an undergraduate degree or working full-time while juggling non-work responsibilities, why do some applicants choose to still submit test scores? It is a personal choice and usually involves careful consideration of the following criteria:

Academic preparedness

Standardized tests like the GRE and GMAT provide an assessment of your verbal, quantitative, and analytical skills. If during your undergraduate education you had limited exposure to math or quantitative courses, a test score may bolster your quantitative preparedness. 

Simon students come from a wide variety of academic and professional backgrounds. We do not have a required major, but we do look for academic rigor and some quantitative or analytical courses.

Additionally, we will consider certifications such as CPA, CFA, PMP, or post-undergraduate coursework in business, math, or programming languages as support for demonstrating quantitative capabilities.  

Career goals

In some industries, test scores are potentially taken into consideration for internships and job opportunities. If you are considering a career in investment banking or consulting for top firms, you should consider taking the GRE or GMAT.  

The top firms in these industries receive applications from impressive business school candidates from all over the world. Presenting a strong test score as a part of your profile could help you stand out from the competition for those career opportunities.

What if I already have a test score?

If you have already completed a standardized test and are curious to see how you compare to our current students, check out our MBA student profile (see MBA profile) or the student profile for your MS program of interest (Accountancy, Business Analytics, Finance, or Marketing Analytics). If your score falls within or above our middle 80% range for one of the listed exams, we encourage you to submit your score in support of your application as an additional data point.

In the event you are planning to take a standardized test, be mindful of our application deadline rounds. Schedule your test with enough time to get your scores back to be included with your application. 

Once you have submitted your application for admission, you will not be able to provide us with your test scores. The only exceptions for providing a test score after submitting your application are during your admission interview (if you are an MBA candidate) or if you are waitlisted for an MS or MBA program.

We accept any valid GMAT or GRE scores, and MBA applicants also have the option of submitting scores from the Executive Assessment. If you have questions about this, please reach out to our office.

If I submit without a test score, am I still considered for scholarship?

Yes! We offer generous merit-based scholarships—in fact, 90 percent of our Full-Time MBA candidates receive a merit-based scholarship ranging from about 40 percent up to full tuition. Nearly 70% of our incoming MS students receive merit-based scholarship support as well.

When awarding merit-based scholarships, we use the same criteria that we do for admission.  Our holistic approach to admissions enables us to build a diverse class of talented students. We consider internship/work experience, academic performance, leadership skills, teamwork, extracurricular activities, cross-cultural experiences, certifications, the application essays, and an admission interview (for MBA candidates). 

Test scores provide us with an additional data point to assess quantitative capabilities. A good test score can potentially boost an applicant’s merit scholarship consideration. 

Questions about your individual candidacy? Let’s connect.

Ultimately, we want all applicants to submit the strongest application for admission possible—with or without a test score. 

We are available to provide feedback on your individual candidacy through our Check Your Eligibility process. Complete the form, provide a résumé or LinkedIn profile, and we will get back to you with advice on how to submit your most competitive application to Simon Business School. As a reminder, our application opens in early September, so getting feedback now will provide a great jump start as you prepare to apply! As always, you can reach us at admissions@simon.rochester.edu with any additional questions you have.

Wishing you all the best as you prepare for business school!