Should I take the GRE or GMAT?

Applying to deferred programs this march. I currently attend a top 20 undergrad and have a 3.9+ GPA. I also interned last summer at a BB and will be going back FT there next year. Do you think taking the GRE instead of the GMAT would hurt my chances at a top 5 B-School? I'm really torn as I don't want to put the effort into the GMAT only to be able to score higher on the GRE instead...

Thanks!!

8 Comments
 

Business Schools don't mind which test you take. Business schools are also more lenient "score wise" when it comes to the GRE i.e. I believe that its easier to get into a good school with an average GRE score than an average GMAT score.

If you are good at English and have a good vocabulary, whilst being okay at math then I would recommend the GRE, as the math on the GRE is easier and you have an on screen calculator. I did the GRE and I preferred it to the GMAT. There are also no data sufficiency questions within the math section of the GRE. 

 
Most Helpful

Hi.

Here are a few articles who interview faculty from HBS and Stanford Business School, which illustrate this. 

https://www.businessbecause.com/news/mba-degree/4254/meet-the-team-harv….

https://www.gsb.stanford.edu/programs/mba/admission/class-profile#:~:te….

https://www.facebook.com/HarvardBusinessSchool/posts/10157177762353172

https://www.vinciaprep.com/en/blog/do-mba-programs-prefer-gmat-or-gre

Anecdotally, I applied to a well known business school for an MiM programme with a GRE score and got accepted, which sort of pushes me to believe that business schools really don't mind which test you take. I think if a business school stipulates "they don't care which test you take" and this is evidently displayed by the fact that they do indeed accept candidates who take either test, you can take their word for it.

However, here is an article that also gives a good analysis of whether you should take the GMAT or GRE. It also states that candidates at HBS who do the GMAT tend to fair better in the admissions process but that overall you should take the test that suits you best. I think that people tend to focus too much on the GMAT or GRE and ignore other aspects of their application. 

https://ellinlolis.com/blog/gmat-vs-gre-which-should-you-take/#:~:text=….

Hope this helps a bit :) 

 

Placeat labore voluptatem unde illo. Esse modi culpa labore et dolores id sapiente.

Est aperiam quisquam laboriosam voluptas incidunt. Perspiciatis consequuntur est delectus natus possimus. Assumenda quo qui aliquid quia rerum atque. Enim qui iusto quisquam quod praesentium. Voluptatem et dicta distinctio rem.

Career Advancement Opportunities

June 2026 Investment Banking

  • Evercore 01 99.4%
  • Moelis & Company 01 98.8%
  • JPMorgan 01 98.2%
  • Guggenheim Partners 01 97.7%
  • Morgan Stanley 07 97.1%

Overall Employee Satisfaction

June 2026 Investment Banking

  • Moelis & Company No 99.4%
  • Morgan Stanley 01 98.8%
  • Evercore 01 98.2%
  • BMO Capital Markets 12 97.6%
  • Banco Santander 01 97.1%

Professional Growth Opportunities

June 2026 Investment Banking

  • Moelis & Company No 99.4%
  • Evercore No 98.8%
  • Morgan Stanley 05 98.2%
  • JPMorgan No 97.7%
  • BMO Capital Markets 12 97.1%

Total Avg Compensation

June 2026 Investment Banking

  • Vice President (14) $434
  • Associates (43) $259
  • 3rd+ Year Analyst (8) $210
  • 2nd Year Analyst (22) $179
  • Intern/Summer Associate (13) $156
  • 1st Year Analyst (75) $151
  • Intern/Summer Analyst (66) $101
notes
16 IB Interviews Notes

“... there’s no excuse to not take advantage of the resources out there available to you. Best value for your $ are the...”

Leaderboard

1
redever's picture
redever
99.2
2
kanon's picture
kanon
99.0
3
BankonBanking's picture
BankonBanking
99.0
4
Secyh62's picture
Secyh62
99.0
5
Betsy Massar's picture
Betsy Massar
98.9
6
dosk17's picture
dosk17
98.9
7
GameTheory's picture
GameTheory
98.9
8
CompBanker's picture
CompBanker
98.9
9
DrApeman's picture
DrApeman
98.9
10
bolo up's picture
bolo up
98.8
success
From 10 rejections to 1 dream investment banking internship

“... I believe it was the single biggest reason why I ended up with an offer...”