Thanks for checking out the new admissions blog! Though I enjoy reading them, this is my first experience blogging. I’m looking forward to it! I’m sure it’s an exciting time for you and I’ll do my best to help you navigate the process of choosing the right business school.

To kick off our admissions blog I’d like to start with what’s probably our most commonly asked question:

What GMAT score do I need to be admitted, and how much time should I spend studying?

First, the GMAT score is reviewed as just one piece of the entire application. While we can give you a guideline, the only 100% accurate way to know if your score is high enough is to review your full application and all the other pieces of it along with your GMAT score.

That said, a good benchmark is our middle 80% range of scores. Last year, for our incoming class, that was 610-720. If you’re below 610 it doesn’t necessarily mean you won’t be admitted, but you’ll need to offset a lower score with strengths in other areas of the application (like work experience or academics). Each school has their own idea of an acceptable GMAT score, so be sure to check with every school you’re considering.

Now, for studying – I recommend starting by taking a few practice tests (find them in just about any GMAT study guide or visit mba.com for old GMAT tests) to see how you’re scoring. This should give you an idea of where you stand — your strong areas, and where you need to study more — and guide you.

Keep this in mind — it’s VERY common to score 30 to 50 points lower on the actual test than you did on practice exams. We’re unsure why this happens, but we hear it often. Keep that in mind so you won’t be disappointed on test day by a score that’s a lot lower than you predicted.

Keep taking practice tests and you’ll build your confidence. Schedule the actual test once you’re consistently getting a score in the range. Remember, you can always take the test more than once. We’ll use the highest score you submit in your application.

Good luck!