{"id":9039,"date":"2012-06-02T12:00:12","date_gmt":"2012-06-02T18:00:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.mbamission.com\/blog\/?p=9039"},"modified":"2022-01-26T13:15:08","modified_gmt":"2022-01-26T18:15:08","slug":"gmat-impact-how-does-sending-scores-really-work","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.mbamission.com\/blog\/gmat-impact-how-does-sending-scores-really-work\/","title":{"rendered":"GMAT Impact: How Does \u201cSending Scores\u201d Really Work?"},"content":{"rendered":"

When it comes to the GMAT, raw intellectual horsepower helps, but it is not everything. In this weekly blog series,\u00a0Manhattan GMAT<\/a>\u2019s\u00a0Stacey Koprince<\/a>\u00a0teaches you how to perform at your best on test day by using some common sense.<\/em><\/p>\n

My friends at mbaMission have very helpfully provided me with a list of common GMAT questions that their clients ask. Today\u2019s post addresses a frequent question: how does this \u201csending scores\u201d business actually work?<\/p>\n

How do I send scores?<\/strong>
\nWhen you go into the testing center to take the exam, you\u2019ll be allowed to select, for free, up to five schools to which you can send your scores. If you choose to send a score report after<\/em> the exam is over, however, you have to pay a fee of $28 per school.<\/p>\n

Seems like a no-brainer: I can save $140 by selecting the schools while at the test center! A lot of people pass on this opportunity, though\u2014they don\u2019t select any schools for free while at the exam center. Why? In a word, psychology. We have to make this selection before we take the test, and many people think, \u201cI don\u2019t know my score yet. What if I don\u2019t do well?\u201d<\/p>\n

Can I send only my best score to my schools?<\/strong>
\nNo, unfortunately, you can\u2019t. A GMAT score report is like a university transcript: the schools will see it all. GMAT scores are valid for five years, so scores from any tests taken within the past five years will be on your score report.<\/p>\n

On the bright side, though, you might as well select five schools for free while you\u2019re in the testing center. If you end up applying to any of these schools, they will see your entire score report anyway, so it doesn\u2019t matter whether you don\u2019t end up getting the score you want today.<\/p>\n

But I don\u2019t want them to see a bad score first!<\/strong>
\nIt\u2019s useful to know how this \u201csending scores\u201d process actually works. Nothing is mailed to the schools; rather, the schools have access to an online database, and they\u2019re simply given permission to view your record.<\/p>\n

You\u2019re thinking, \u201cWell, that doesn\u2019t change anything. I still don\u2019t want them to view my record until I have the score I want!\u201d I completely agree. Here\u2019s the key point: the schools aren\u2019t going to bother to check your record unless and until you submit an application. They don\u2019t care how a bunch of random people did on the exam. They care about verifying your score if they think they might want to admit you. As a result, they verify your score report after<\/em> they receive your application. At that point, someone verifies that your self-reported GMAT score is actually valid according to your official score report. Remember, it is also in the schools\u2019 best interest to consider your highest score the \u201cvalid\u201d one, because higher scores help boost their averages. Improving your GMAT score can actually be a positive thing, because it demonstrates tenacity and a commitment to achieving a goal.<\/p>\n

The moral of the story: pick five schools for free when you\u2019re in the testing center. If you\u2019re not yet sure where you\u2019re going to apply, pick five likely schools. If you take the test again a few months later, pick five different schools. (If you don\u2019t take the test again for several years but still plan to apply to the same schools, then you may want to select them again, just to make sure.)<\/p>\n

Let us be very clear, high scores and high percentiles are great. We are not a firm of Polyannas, but applicants need to look past superficialities and statistics to understand the bigger picture, in context. We are always happy to provide that context through a free 30-minute consultation<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

When it comes to the GMAT, raw intellectual horsepower helps, but it is not everything. In this weekly blog series,\u00a0Manhattan GMAT\u2019s\u00a0Stacey Koprince\u00a0teaches you how to perform at your best on test day by using some common sense. My friends at mbaMission have very helpfully provided me with a list of common GMAT questions that their … Read More  <\/i><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[125],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-9039","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-gmat"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nGMAT Impact: How Does \u201cSending Scores\u201d Really Work? | mbaMission - MBA Admissions Consulting<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.mbamission.com\/blog\/gmat-impact-how-does-sending-scores-really-work\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"GMAT Impact: How Does \u201cSending Scores\u201d Really Work? | mbaMission - MBA Admissions Consulting\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"When it comes to the GMAT, raw intellectual horsepower helps, but it is not everything. In this weekly blog series,\u00a0Manhattan GMAT\u2019s\u00a0Stacey Koprince\u00a0teaches you how to perform at your best on test day by using some common sense. 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