What GMAT score do I need for a top Master in Management?

In this Applicant Question, Boban Sulic (below) of ESMT Berlin explains how a good GMAT score can set you up for success with a master in management (MiM) program

While not the sole criteria for admission, the GMAT is an important part of the application process as it helps us to judge all applicants on an equal basis and in a standardized way. 

Since our applicants come from different countries, cultures, academic backgrounds, and levels of work experience, this is one of the means to ensure a consistent comparable measure and a standard predictor of academic success for all kinds of applicants.

There is no particular weight for the GMAT score in the application review process. It is an objective tool that admissions offices use to predict how well a student might perform in the program.

It provides an unbiased measure of a student’s ability to be successful in the master in management curriculum. The overall impression of students’ education, work background, test results, and essay questions form the basis for the selection process. This also refers to GRE scores, which ESMT accepts as well. 

Average GMAT scores

The average GMAT score for the MiM at ESMT currently is 640. A GMAT of 640 or higher would be desirable to enable a fair chance in the admissions process together with other highly competitive applicants. 

But ESMT Berlin does not have a minimum GMAT score because we recognize that standardized tests are not always the best judge of an individual student’s abilities. 

Even with a GMAT score below 640, you still have a good chance of being admitted. We greatly value experience and potential in our students.

We want to ensure students' academic capabilities and would hate to see them taking too much risk on themselves by pursuing a path on which they may not excel. In that sense, taking a GMAT is a way for them to protect themselves from risk and to support in making an informed, rational decision. These risks can also be reduced if academic strengths are convincing, which a very high GMAT would clearly demonstrate.

How important is the GMAT for your master in management application?

We strive to achieve a fit between what our program has to offer and what candidates need for their professional advancement and self-development. Schools are keen to stress that there is no one-type-fits-all equation for their classrooms. 

There are people with less work experience who may have exceptional grades or a good GMAT score, or who have other skills such as the leadership of a charity project that may impress the admissions board. 

The committee uses various points of reference to judge the applicant's suitability: academic qualifications and GMAT test scores, professional qualifications, and references, motivation to attend ESMT, and the conclusions reached by the interviewer.

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