I took the GRE a few months ago thinking I wanted to pursue a PhD. I did well, scoring 170Q/164V (99%/94%). I've realized as I've started working the past few months that business school may be more up my alley. Is it worth taking the GMAT or do schools not mind if applicants submit GRE scores instead? The advice I've seen in forums around the site is pretty mixed, and it seems as though schools may have shifted their views recently.
For reference, I studied math and economics at a top 20 school (think Emory/Vanderbilt/Wash U) and have a good GPA, but by no means out of this world (3.7). I'm working at a quantitative trading firm that is relatively well-known within the industry at the moment, and I also interned in Investment Banking at a top BB (GS/MS/JPM).
Also, I would probably only choose to go to business school rather than a masters in financial mathematics/financial engineering if I were able to get into a Harvard or Stanford or Wharton type of school. Please let me know if you think that might be unrealistic - I'm not too worried about it, but it has crossed my mind that many places might view my work experience as too "quantitative" rather than business oriented.
Many thanks in advance.
Your GRE score, when converted, puts you at a 770 GMAT. That is a really high score, and based off of your quantitative background and work experience, I think you are totally fine not taking the GMAT, unless you think you can score above a 770, which is really not worth your time and effort.
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https://poetsandquants.com/2017/05/10/average-gre-scores-top-business-s…
I don't think your current GRE will hurt you (like, the fact htat it's GRE), but a super high GMAT could be a differentiator whereas this won't be
Thanks for the replies guys. Any other opinions?
Def don't need to take the GMAT with a GRE score like that.
Thanks for the advice. Truly appreciate it.
Stick with your GRE score. It's strong. In recent years b-schools have accepted both GRE and gmat scores without really a strong preference for one or the other.
Sounds good, I think I'll do that - thanks for the advice.
Depends on what you're recruiting for from school. If it's IB/Consulting, then it's worth a swing at a GMAT since you seem capable of scoring very well. An ultra high GRE score isn't a differentiator. But an ultra high GMAT will get you interviews almost in and of itself.
For b school admissions, not much difference.
Another question - does working at a quantitative options market making firm put me at a disadvantage for an MBA? It seems like everyone getting into the top schools comes from IB/PE/Consulting. I do have a summer in IB, but it is just a summer.... Is my work too "quant" oriented to focus on MBA programs rather than MFE/MFin?
Worth taking GMAT after GRE? (Originally Posted: 11/03/2016)
After graduating, I thought I wanted to do a PhD in economics. After some life experience and working in Restructuring and PE for three years, I changed my mind and decided to stick with finance. However, I already took the GRE and scored pretty well (Verbal-164, Quant-168, Writing-5). The only top BSchool that releases GRE scores is Stanford, and they have an average of V-164,Q-165,W-4.8. When "converted" to GMAT, GRE score is above the average of Harvard and Wharton GMAT. However, is there a bias against the GRE? Would I be penalized by some schools? Or should I just submit my GRE score.
As an added point here's the rest of my information:
Undergrad - Top 5 per US News (oscillates between top 3 and top 7 depending on the ranking site) - 3.65 GPA Career- Restructuring Analyst, promoted to Associate, now at PE Demographics - Male, Hispani
that translates to like ~740 GMAT? given high score, strong work exp, top undergrad, and URM status I don't see a need to retake for M7
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