Top U.S. Schools That Don’t Require the GMAT/GRE
Applying to a full-time MBA program without a GMAT or GRE is hard to come by for the world’s best MBA programs. Most top U.S. business schools require a competitive GMAT/GRE score to be considered for admissions. However, due to COVID-19, there are a number of top schools that do not require the GMAT or GRE by offering GMAT/GRE waivers.
If you are an MBA candidate who’s not great at taking tests or earned a low GMAT score, don’t worry; you’re not out of luck. There are five programs in the U.S. that will accept your MBA application without the GMAT/GRE, as long as you meet certain specific other requirements.
These are the top U.S. schools that don’t require a GMAT/GRE.
The University of Virginia – Darden School of Business
At the Darden School of Business for select candidates, a standardized test may not be necessary. As a pilot for the 2020-21 application cycle (for the Class of 2023), Darden announced a standardized test (GMAT/GRE) waiver request.
For some candidates, particularly those who meet several of the criteria outlined below, a test score may not be needed for the Darden Admissions Committee to assess their preparedness.
Waiver requests will be evaluated on a case-by-case basis, and the Darden Admissions Committee will consider a number of factors when evaluating these requests. Particular regard will be given for indicators of academic and professional accomplishment, including but not limited to:
- A strong undergraduate and/or graduate record, including performance in analytical coursework or disciplines
- CPA or CFA designation or other professional certification
- Master’s or advanced degree in an analytical discipline
- Seven or more years of progressive, professional work experience in an analytical field
- Strong performance on a U.S. college admissions test (SAT or ACT) or a national exam administered for admission to bachelor’s study in other countries
These factors will be considered in combination with resume and transcripts for all degree-related coursework. Candidates who present a strong profile across several criteria (including supporting materials) are more likely to be granted a test waiver than candidates who meet only one criterion.
Candidates who believe they may qualify for a test waiver on the basis of the above criteria should submit a test waiver request.
Indiana University – Kelley School of Business
The Kelley School of Business Full-Time MBA program admits high-potential applicants for their academically rigorous curriculum. Kelley typically requires the GMAT or GRE as one demonstration of quantitative and analytic capability. In light of the recent challenges associated with taking standardized tests due to COVID-19, candidates may apply for a waiver of this requirement and submit other evidence of their academic qualifications. Kelley anticipates awarding GMAT/GRE waivers for a small percentage of their incoming class. In evaluating waiver requests, Kelley considers many factors, including rigor and achievement from previous undergraduate and graduate degrees, evidence of work experience requiring analytical and quantitative skills, and post–bachelor’s degree career growth including demonstration of leadership.
To request a GMAT/GRE waiver, you must complete the following two steps:
- Complete and submit the Kelley online information request form (to ensure that we have your most current contact information); and
- Submit via email (iumba@indiana.edu) a current professional resume, your unofficial or official undergraduate transcripts (and graduate school transcripts, if applicable), and a brief statement (500 words or less) summarizing why you believe you qualify for a waiver.
The University of North Carolina – Kenan-Flagler School of Business
The UNC Kenan-Flagler Full-Time MBA considers standardized tests such as the GMAT or GRE are a as a beneficial way for their Admissions Committee to evaluate the likelihood of academic success in their Full-Time MBA program, they recognize that some candidates can build a strong case for admission based on degrees earned, academic experience, professional milestones, or certifications. GMAT/GRE waivers are available for new applicants to the UNC Kenan-Flagler Full-Time MBA class of 2023.
Important points to consider before requesting a GMAT/GRE waiver:
- Be objective about your strengths and weaknesses in order to put together the strongest application! Consider whether a test score may help supplement your academic achievements.
- Candidates who present a strong profile across several criterion – such as five or more years of progressive work experience, earning secondary or terminal degrees (i.e. master’s, PhD, JD, MD), professional certifications with a quantitative focus (i.e. U.S. CPA or CFA Level III), or strong test results from the Executive Assessment, LSAT, or MCAT – are more likely to be granted a test waiver.
- Test scores are often a beneficial data point (but not required) for the Fellowship Committee when evaluating an admitted student for a fellowship award.
- Some employers use (or require) test scores during initial screenings, particularly in finance and consulting.
- Receiving a GMAT/GRE waiver does not guarantee admission to the program, and for some applicants, formal offers of admission may be based on the successful completion of Analytical Skills Workshop (ASW) prior to the start of the program.
The University of Texas – McCombs School of Business
The McCombs Full-Time MBA is providing the opportunity to petition for a special test score exception, if you have not been able to take the GMAT, GRE, EA, or TOEFL exams due to the following reasons related to COVID-19:
Applicants who meet both of the criteria below have the opportunity to petition for a special test waiver:
- You are unable to take an exam in-person at a designated testing center due to lack of availability in your region, or because you or someone in your household is immunocompromised, AND
- You are unable to take an exam online due to lack of availability in your region, technology or other test-taking requirements (e.g. device availability or compatibility, slow internet connection, testing environment)
If you do not meet both of these criteria, McCombs requires that you complete the standardized tests prior to submitting your application.
The University of Minnesota – Carlson School of Management
The Carlson School of Management continues to be one of the best MBA programs in the midwest. Candidates applying for admission to the Carlson Full-Time MBA program may be eligible for a GMAT/GRE waiver if they meet the following criteria:
- Must have one of the following:
- Previous undergraduate degree with 3.2+ cumulative GPA at an accredited institution using a 4.0 scale or better (domestic or international)
- Demonstrates quantitative ability through coursework (ex: Statistics, Engineering, Accounting, etc)
- Previous undergraduate degree in a STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics, etc) field with a 3.0+ cumulative GPA at an accredited institution using a 4.0 scale or better (domestic or international)
- Previous undergraduate degree with 3.2+ cumulative GPA at an accredited institution using a 4.0 scale or better (domestic or international)
- Must have one of the following additional requirements:
- 5+ years of full-time professional work experience
- Note: internships or co-ops cannot be included. Graduate assistantships and fellowships can be included.
- 4+ years of full-time military experience
- Graduate (masters or doctoral) degree
- Professional credential of CPA or CFA
- 5+ years of full-time professional work experience
Please note that a candidate must meet both areas requirements of the waiver process in order to be granted a waiver.
The Ohio State University – Fisher College of Business
The Fisher Full-Time MBA will consider your application without a GMAT, GRE, or EA test score as long as you meet the following minimum qualifications:
- Earned a 3.2 (on a 4.0 scale) undergraduate cumulative GPA or higher; and
- Achieved a grade of B or better in at least two college-level quantitative courses (algebra or higher); and
- Have a minimum of 4 years of post-baccalaureate work experience. You may not request a waiver if you have already taken the exam and requested your scores be sent to The Ohio State University.
The decision to grant the GMAT/GRE/EA waiver is made at the discretion of the Fisher Admissions Committee. Should the committee decide that a GMAT,GRE, or EA score is needed to fully evaluate your candidacy for the MBA program, you will be informed once your application has been initially reviewed.
In summary, if you are preparing your MBA application, be sure to review each schools official GMAT/GRE waiver process to ensure that you meet the requirements to request a GMAT/GRE waiver so you can attend a top-tier program. The U.S. schools that do not require the GMAT/GRE during COVID-19 may continue to expand, so stay up-to-date by registering with MetroMBA for more announcements.
Additional Resources:
MBA Programs that do not require the GMAT or GRE
Top Canadian Schools That Don’t Require the GMAT
Applying to an MBA program without a GMAT score can be a tricky business. Most business schools in the U.S. and Canada require a competitive GMAT score to be considered for admissions. However, that’s not always possible for every applicant.
If you are an MBA candidate who’s not great at taking tests or earned a low GMAT score, don’t worry; you’re not out of luck. There are five programs in Canada that will accept your MBA application without the GMAT, as long as you meet certain specific other requirements.
These are the top Canadian schools that don’t require a GMAT. Continue reading…
No GMAT? Check Out Some of Our Favorites Schools that Offer Waivers
Applying to MBA programs can be a labor intensive and overwhelming task, and one may wonder how necessary it is to add the GMAT to an already lengthy to-do list. It’s important to note that the GMAT helps admissions boards to efficiently gauge a student’s overall readiness for the MBA in comparison to other applicants, regardless of the rigor of their undergraduate work. Also, b-schools use the average GMAT of successful applicants in order to bolster their rankings in certain publications. Some programs do, however, accept GMAT waivers.
Here is a look at some top schools that do not require GMAT scores, along with a summary of their waiver requirements.
The Rutgers Business School offers MBA students to forego the GMAT or GRE if they have eight or more years of professional experience and an undergraduate GPA of 3.0 or higher. Students with a Master’s degree and at least five years of full-time work experience may also apply without taking the GMAT.
La Salle University has several possibilities for students who have not taken the GMAT. Potential MBAs can obtain a waiver if they have graduated from an AACSB-accredited school with a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.2; a minimum GPA of 3.0; and three years of work experience. La Salle’s MBA program director evaluates each applicant’s work experience to determine whether the waiver may be granted.
Applicants with a CPA license or a CFA Charter may also apply without the GMAT, as may those with a Ph.D. or a Master’s degree or higher from an accredited institution. A cumulative GPA of 3.0 or higher is required for applicants with a Master’s degree.
LaSalle also has a ‘qualified admission’ option in which a student with two years’ work experience and a GPA of 3.0 or higher from an accredited school can waive the GMAT requirement. Qualified students may take up to four MBA courses, and with an overall GPA of 3.3, will not be required to take the GMAT. ‘Conditional Acceptance’ is also an option, in which a limited number of students are admitted for one semester, but then must take the test in order to remain enrolled and gain financial aid eligibility.
University of Delaware’s Lerner College of Business and Economics gives waivers to MBA students if they possess a terminal degree (Ph.D., MD, or JD, for example) or if they have four or more years of professional experience at the full-time level. Other conditions under which a student may apply with no GMAT are a minimum undergraduate GPA of 2.8; a minimum grade of ‘B’ in two non-introductory level statistics or calculus courses; and an acceptable level of writing ability and English proficiency.
Lerner also grants exceptions to the GMAT requirement for undergraduates of the school who have fewer of four years of work experience and a GPA of 3.0 or higher, in addition to ‘B’ grades or better in 200 level statistics or math courses.
The Pace University Lubin School of Business MBA admissions board considers waivers of GMAT scores for students with a 3.2 GPA or above for all undergraduate coursework. For those applying to the one year fast track MBA in Financial Management or Marketing Management, applicants need a cumulative GPA of 3.3 or above and a B grade or better in all undergraduate business courses.
Babson College’s F.W. Olin College of Business offers GMAT waivers to all applicants to the Blended Learning MBA program, as students applying to this track are required to have extensive work experience. Additionally, those applying to Babson’s evening MBA do not have to submit GMAT scores in certain circumstances, such as a grade of ‘B’ or better in two or more quantitative undergrad and/or graduate courses or exhibited quantitative and analytic skills in a work setting.
Babson evening MBA applicants who have a professional certificate with a quantitative focus such as a CPA or CFA may also apply without taking the GMAT. Other instances in which evening MBAs may apply without the test are a 3.0 GPA or greater throughout their undergrad degrees, a prior degree from Babson, or completion of Babson’s Certificate in Advanced Management (CAM) program.
The GMAT requirement may also be waived at DePaul University’s Kellstadt Graduate School of Business if an applicant meets some specific criteria. With a bachelor’s degree from an accredited university along with five years of work experience, a student may petition for a waiver. Work experience must include both management and quantitative responsibilities.
Like other programs mentioned above, the GMAT may not be required if a student already has a PhD, JD or MD, or a Master’s degree in finance. An LSAT score of 160 or higher along with an undergraduate degree, or completion of all parts of the PE exam may also exempt an applicant from the GMAT requirement.
Students applying to the part-time MBA program who have attended DePaul’s Driehaus College of Business for their undergraduate work may receive a waiver with a minimum GPA of 3.2 and at least two years of work experience.
Suffolk University’s Sawyer School of Business allows students who have taken the CPA exam to request a waiver, and also those who have taken the first level of either the CFA or the FRM exams. Second semester seniors and undergraduate business students applying for an MBA may waive the GMAT with a cumulative GPA of 3.3 or greater.
Students with work experience and certain GPA requirements may waive the GMAT; those who have worked for two years in a relevant position with an average grade point of 3.4 may request a waiver, as can those who have four years of work experience and a 3.3 GPA. With six years of work experience and at least a 3.2 GPA, an applicant may also waive the submission.
Law school graduates (from ABA approved schools), along with MSA, MSF, MSBA or MST from an AACSB approved institution are eligible for waivers. Sawyer allows MBA applicants who are in their second senior semester of undergraduate music management at Berklee College to request a GMAT waiver as well, provided the student maintains a 3.3 minimum GPA. Recent Berklee graduates may also request exemption from the GMAT requirement.
Golden Gate University’s Edward S. Ageno School of Business has several options for students who wish to apply without the GMAT. Those with a Master’s degree or higher from any accredited US institution may be exempt, along with any applicant with a 3.5 GPA or greater during undergraduate studies. Applicants with a CPA or other professional license may also petition for the waiver.
Any applicant with proven work experience of five years or more and/or management experience are eligible to waive the submission with approval from the Dean.
At UNC’s Kenan-Flagler Business School, applicants with a CPA or CFA license are eligible for waivers, as are those with a Master’s or Ph.D. in a technical field. Kenan-Flagler does not list minimum GPA requirements for eligibility, and professional experience is evaluated on a case-by-case basis.
