Low GMAT Score? UC Berkeley Haas' Perspective

Let's say UC Berkeley's Haas School of Business is at the top of your list of schools. Let's say your GMAT score is not within Haas' middle 80 percent range of 680 to 760. Do you still have a chance?

"We're not looking to admit numbers, we're looking to admit people," said Corrine Kang, Associate Director of Admissions for the fulltime MBA Program at UC Berkeley Haas School of Business. Kang said Haas provides the middle 80% score range to give applicants a sense of how competitive admission to Haas is, but has no minimum score cutoff.

Kang said Haas reviews every complete application it receives, regardless of the GMAT score. At Haas, like many other MBA programs, the GMAT is one of the indicators used to predict the probability of a student's success in the first semester, especially in core quantitative courses - with ONE being the operative word. Other factors schools consider in assessing your academic preparation is your undergraduate record - especially in quantitative subjects - and work experience - especially demonstrating quantitative proficiency.

Kang said applicants with GMAT scores lower than they like can do several things before their application is final. Beyond the most obvious remedy, retaking the test, Kang recommends enrolling in a statistics or calculus course, as performance in a class can predict your probablility for success in the core curriculum.

For those who get into Haas, but still feel shaky on the quantative side, Haas offers an optional quantative workshop two weeks before classes start, to bone up on core subjects like statistics and accounting. Although this course is post-admission, it can still help jump-start your preparation for the academic onslaught of the first semester, and be a big help to those who may have been accepted on qualities other than their strong quantatative background.

Listen to our show: Dealing with a Low GMAT.