You have a killer GPA, excellent work progression, and the perfect letters of recommendation—and you even volunteer to save the whales or the environment or whatever other cause is near and dear to you. However, you’re not great with standardized tests, and you are afraid you’ll bomb the GMAT/GRE/EA. Does this one data point in an otherwise perfect application mean that your dreams of an MBA have been dashed? Fortunately, no!
Admissions committees tend to understand that not every excellent candidate is great at standardized tests, which is why you often hear of schools taking a holistic approach to evaluating applicants. Furthermore, the pandemic forced many schools to find ways to assess applicants’ academic readiness without using a test score. Although in-person and at-home tests are available again, some schools are still allowing applicants to apply for test waivers.
Most of the schools that do so allow all applicants to apply for waivers regardless of their circumstances. However, MIT Sloan is an exception in that the school states: “If your current situation prevents you from being able to submit a test score, you may request a test waiver explaining the situation.” You will have to describe your situation honestly. If you are able to safely access one of these tests, either in person or virtually, then you will likely not be granted a waiver. MIT Sloan does not consider a granted waiver to be a statement of your academic readiness, as it is only a statement of your ability to access a test. As such, Sloan may still require you to take a test after granting you a conditional acceptance.
Full-time MBA programs that offer test waivers without such a qualifier include (in alphabetical order):
- Auburn Harbert
- Babson Olin
- Boston College Carroll
- Carnegie Mellon Tepper
- Case Western Weatherhead
- Clarkson Reh
- Cornell Johnson
- Dartmouth Tuck
- Emory Goizueta
- Florida State
- Fordham Gabelli
- Georgetown McDonough
- Georgia Tech Scheller
- Indiana Kelley
- Johns Hopkins Carey
- Michigan State Broad
- New York Institute of Technology
- NYU Stern
- Northeastern D’Amore-McKim
- Notre Dame Mendoza
- Ohio State Fisher
- Oklahoma State Watson
- Rice Jones
- Rutgers
- SMU Cox
- Syracuse Whitman
- Texas A&M Mays
- University of Arizona Eller
- University of Buffalo
- UC Davis
- UC Irvine Merage
- UCLA Anderson
- UC San Diego Rady
- University of Colorado Boulder Leeds
- University of Denver Daniels
- University of Edinburgh
- University of Georgia Terry
- University of Houston Bauer
- University of Kentucky Gatton
- University of Louisville
- University of Maryland Smith
- UMass Amherst Isenberg
- University of Michigan Ross
- UNC Kenan-Flagler
- University of Oregon Lundquist
- University of Pittsburgh Katz
- University of Rochester Simon
- USC Marshall
- University of Texas at Dallas Jindal
- University of Texas McCombs
- University of Virginia Darden
- University of Washington Foster
- University of Western Ontario Ivey
- Vanderbilt Owen
- William & Mary Mason
- Wisconsin School of Business
Be sure to pay attention to the exact waiver requirements for any given program. Some schools say they will grant waivers on a case-by-case basis, while others generally say that you need to show academic readiness or meet specific requirements (e.g., specific GPA, bachelor’s degree in a STEM field, performance in quant courses). At Smith, for example, applicants must apply through the Maryland Advantage program to be eligible for a test waiver, while at Jindal, candidates who receive a waiver will become ineligible for scholarship opportunities.
If you are applying through The Consortium to a school that allows you to be considered for a test waiver, then you will have to indicate “Yes” in the Consortium application, as per the Consortium Test Score Waiver Student Procedure. If you are applying to more than one Consortium school, including those who do not allow test waivers, you will still have to supply the Consortium with a test score to be considered at the non-waiver programs. Be aware, though, that because you will have a test on file, all schools to which you’re applying through the Consortium will have access to view your scores.
Of course, not all schools that offer a test waiver will grant one. If you are granted a waiver, it means the admissions committee has assessed that you have properly demonstrated your ability to handle the rigors of a top MBA program. To learn how to apply for a waiver, read “How to Write a Compelling GMAT Test Waiver Request.”
Do not let standardized tests stand in the way of you earning your MBA! You may still be able to find a dream school that will waive the test requirement. If you’re open to online, flex, or EMBA programs, you might find even more opportunities for test waivers.
An MBA is a very personal endeavor. Take the time to be thoughtful and strategic about your application. If you’re looking for help in navigating the complex and competitive MBA application landscape, reach out to one of our counselors for a free 30-minute consultation. All of Stratus’s counselors have degrees from top MBA programs and would love to support you in your next phase in life!