Does Your GMAT Score Matter Once Youre Admitted Into Business School

One of the most anxiety-inducing and nerve-wracking aspects of the MBA application process for many candidates is  the GMAT. Whether it is preparing for the exam, actually taking the test, or wondering if your score is high enough and your Verbal/Quant splits are well-balanced, the GMAT  can drive you  crazy. However, once applicants  are able to break through and secure admission into their target programs, one would think all of this GMAT stress is behind them, right? Unfortunately, not exactly. For most students, the GMAT is, in fact, a thing of the past and they  can breathe easy and move on from those dreaded four letters after business school begins. For some students, however, their GMAT score can still represent an important measure of aptitude even past the MBA application process and matriculation. Let us focus on these students who must still concern themselves with their GMAT scores. The GMAT is really only relevant for recruiting purposes at this point, and only in a select few industries that tend to put a heavy weight on analytical skills and â€Å"intellectual horsepower.† The most common industry recruiters that fit the bill here are management consulting firms like the Boston Consulting Group, financial institutions like Goldman Sachs, and prestigious tech companies like Google. These specific firms  are just used for representative purposes, but many similar companies use  the GMAT as a key decision point when selecting students for interviews, and also when making their  final decisions in  on-campus hiring. Therefore, it is important to do  your due diligence and  discuss with the recruiting firms you are interested in the components that factor into their  decision-making processes. Generally, companies  that put an emphasis on the GMAT are looking for you to break a  threshold. So it is not simply the higher score you get, the better your chances. The standard tends to be at the 700 mark  Ã‚  if your score is below this threshold, your chances at securing an interview or an offer at these firms may be a bit more difficult. Although again (I cannot emphasize this enough), every firm has a different value system towards the GMAT and you will often  never truly know how much of a factor it plays within the recruiting process, but it is still important to keep in mind  that it is a factor. Information is king! Do your due diligence upfront in the recruiting process,  understand the strengths and weakness of your profile, and be knowledgeable of how factors like the GMAT may play a role during on-campus recruiting. Applying to business school? Call us at 1-800-925-7737 and speak with an MBA admissions expert today, or take our free MBA Admissions Profile Evaluation  for personalized advice for your unique application situation! As always, be sure to find us on  Facebook,  YouTube,  Google+  and Twitter. Dozie A.  is a Veritas Prep Head Consultant for the Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University. His specialties include consulting, marketing, and low GPA/GMAT applicants. You can read more articles by him  here.