When to Stop Studying for the GMAT
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Studying for the GMAT is likely one of the hardest things that you’ll ever do. Many of my former students tell me that studying for the GMAT was way harder than business school classes!
So what happens when you’ve spent months of your time studying, invested money in a class or books, put your heart and soul into trying to increase your score… but you still haven’t hit your goal? Here’s the uncomfortable truth:
You Might Not Hit Your Goal Score
As an educator, I’m deeply invested in doing whatever I can to help all my students succeed, but I also don’t believe in sugar-coating or building false hope. I know that even with months or years of hard work, not everyone is going to get above a 700.
Personally, I know that if I worked with the best personal trainer in the world for months, I could become significantly stronger and more agile. But no amount of hard work would turn me into an Olympic gymnast. I’m just not built for exceptional (or even above-average) athleticism. At a certain point—despite all the effort I could muster—there would be vanishing returns on the athletic skills I could achieve.
The same is true when studying for the GMAT: after a certain point, everyone hits a threshold of vanishing returns, after which all the studying in the world won’t yield a score increase. (For me, it’s 780-790. I make too many careless mistakes to ever get a perfect score!)
You might be thinking, “Wow, this is really discouraging.” (You might also be thinking, “What is she thinking? Shouldn’t she be telling me that I’ll succeed if I just buy more books or resources or tutoring hours?” Absolutely not! My mission is always to do what’s in the best interest of my students, and I would never want anyone to spend time or money on anything that wasn’t going to bring results. Every one of my colleagues would agree.)
But don’t despair yet: here are several reasons why it’s ok to stop studying for the GMAT before you hit your goal score.
1. The GMAT is not the most important part of your application.
This surprises some people, but it’s true. Business schools care about the whole applicant: work history, undergraduate record, hobbies and interests, etc. They want someone who is going to be an all-around asset to their class.
If you have a 770 GMAT score but a low GPA and resume that shows no initiative or leadership… you’re not going to get into a top school. The GMAT score alone won’t get you in. On the other hand, if you have a very impressive resume but a lower GMAT score, you might be able to get into a top school. Schools can overlook the GMAT if they have enough other data points to believe that you’d be an asset.
2. Your time might be better spent improving other parts of your application.
Let’s say that you’ve been studying for the GMAT for 4 months, you’ve learned all the content, and your practice exam scores have gone from 530 to 610 to 640 to 660… to 670… to 670… but they’re not budging from there. You’ve taken the real test twice and got a 660, then a 680. Your goal is to get a 700-720.
Option 1: You could spend another 2-4 months grinding away, spending every spare hour studying, in the hopes of bringing your score up a few more points.
Option 2: You could spend that time doing more volunteering, perhaps taking on a leadership position in an organization. You could take an online or extended-learning class in finance or accounting to demonstrate interest and academic prowess. You could help your friend build an app for her new startup. You could write an article and get it published, etc., etc.
A GMAT score increase might seem more immediately necessary, because that’s what will be measured directly against other candidates. But I assure you, some version of Option 2 is the much better option: that’s what will make you unique and stand out among the competition! Think about the things you could put on an application that no one else could, then think of ways to accentuate those things.
If you’re looking for advice on how to make yourself stand out, I recommend doing a free consultation with our partners at mbamission.com.
So How Do I Know When I Should Stop?
Here’s a flowchart of questions to help you decide:
It can be disappointing to let go of a goal before you’ve fully reached it. But if you’ve put real, significant effort into your studies and gotten as far as you reasonably can, it’s the prudent decision to ignore the sunk costs and invest your time elsewhere.
Making prudent, rational decisions about what to invest time, energy, and money into—isn’t that what business school is all about? ?
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Céilidh Erickson is a Manhattan Prep instructor based in Boston, MA. When she tells people that her name is pronounced “kay-lee,” she often gets puzzled looks. Céilidh is a graduate of Princeton University and a master’s candidate at the Harvard Graduate School of Education. Tutoring was always the job that brought her the greatest joy and challenge, so she decided to make it her full-time job. Check out Céilidh’s upcoming GMAT courses (she scored a 760, so you’re in great hands).