A GMAT waiver lets you apply to a particular programme without a GMAT score. It does not guarantee admission or waive the other requirements. Some schools are test-optional, so you can leave out a score without making a separate waiver request. This is also different from a fee waiver, which reduces the cost of taking the exam.
The Graduate Management Admission Test (GMAT) has been long considered one of the most important — and sometimes most dreaded — requirements for getting into business school.
However, many MBA programs recognize the value of professional career experience when it comes to the admissions process. In such instances, a GMAT waiver may be offered to those applicants who fit the bill.
Check which test options your programme offers
Business schools that offer GMAT waivers may accept other evidence of academic readiness, such as strong degree results, quantitative coursework or relevant professional — and sometimes military — experience. The criteria depend on the programme.
By understanding the areas the exam covers and the current GMAT format, you’ll be better prepared to highlight your strengths. Use the latest test content when deciding which academic or professional examples to include.
Some business schools accept another exam instead of the GMAT. Others do not require a test at all. Check whether a GRE or Executive Assessment score would still be needed before you request a GMAT waiver.
Follow the waiver request instructions
If you’d like to receive a GMAT waiver, first check how the programme wants you to request one. Some use a form or an application question rather than a separate letter. If a letter or statement is required, keep a few things in mind:
- Know the formatting requirements of the specific program you’re applying to.
- Open with a clear statement of the letter’s purpose.
- Clearly demonstrate through your professional work experience that you have the skills that would be reflected in the GMAT.
- Provide specific examples to support your claims.
- Use example waiver letters for structure, but write your own request and follow the programme’s instructions.
Make your professional experience stand out
Online MBA programmes may consider work experience as evidence of analytic and quantitative abilities. Show how you have used those skills; years in a job alone do not guarantee a waiver.
Throughout your application process, portray your professional experience in a manner that reflects how you applied your sharply-honed abilities in the roles that you’ve held.
Show how your career has developed
In an article for U.S. News & World Report, contributor Stacy Blackman says that when applying to an MBA program after years in the workforce, it’s important to show how you’ve grown throughout your career. She recommends a few tips to keep in mind:
- Show career progression that clearly reflects your professional growth. Blackman says you should also coach the people who recommend you to “specifically address this upward trajectory” in their recommendation letters. The same should be reflected on your resume, which should only include your most important roles and what they entailed.
- Show strong leadership, which should be reflected in your waiver request. Blackman says that your essays should include specific instances that create a vivid picture of your abilities: “You want to show how you always attempt to do more than a good job and strive to leave your mark on whatever situation you’re in.”
- Choose the right type of program that can be tailored to your professional and personal needs. Blackman says that since business schools want applicants with diverse interests and backgrounds, it’s important to “make sure all of those great qualities stand front and center in your MBA application.”
Examples of MBA test policies to check
- University of South Florida (Tampa, FL) — its ExecutiveMBAwaiverguidance considers at least five years of managerial experience together with degree and grade requirements. Other MBA formats have different criteria.
- Georgia Institute of Technology (Atlanta, GA) — the Scheller Full-time MBA has a test-optional policy; check whether submitting a score would help your application.
- Hult International Business School — GMAT and GRE scores are not mandatory for the Global One-Year MBA, available in Boston. Follow the programme’s current admissions checklist.
- Kogod School of Business (Washington, DC) — applicants to the full-time MBA are encouraged to send a GMAT or GRE score, but may submit a supplemental essay instead.
A management degree outside the MBA
Harvard Extension School (Cambridge, MA) offers a Master of Liberal Arts in Extension Studies in the field of Management, not an MBA. Its course-based admissions process should not be described as an MBA GMAT waiver.
Once you have checked the exact policy for your chosen programme, prepare the evidence it asks for. A waiver is a programme-specific decision, not a replacement for meeting the rest of the admissions criteria.
Prepare your next application
Applying to a business school with work experience can be a big leg-up, but it’s important to show its value clearly. Start with the programme’s waiver instructions and build your request around specific evidence.
Discover MBAs in the US, then review your chosen programme’s waiver instructions before applying.
