Hi

In Harvard's online application form, it is required to state how many times one has taken the GMAT. Since this information is already available to the adcom, I'm a little puzzled as to the actual purpose of stating it in the application itself. Would anyone be able to comment?
Relating to the above point, I have taken the GMAT 4-5 times now, with 590 being the highest score thus far. I'm thinking that Harvard might not actually be checking how many times one takes the exam but only verifying the highest score in its current process. Hence, with this question, they are putting the onus on the candidate to be truthful while allowing them to "mark down" on candidates who have taken it above X(3-4 maybe?) times.

Any comments would be greatly appreciated.
S.Y

Thank you for your inquiry.

To my knowledge, only five scores are shown on the report that the school receives. So, it is likely that HBS is trying to weed out those that have taken the test more than five times – those who are taking it as many times as possible until they get the score they want. Still, even with typical candidates who have taken the test once or twice, this number helps tell a bit of a story. For example, the candidate who has taken the GMAT once and scored a 560, may inadvertently send a signal that he/she is not prepared to struggle and take the test again.

Remember, the AdCom will have the score report available for reference and will go back and check to verify scores. So, there is no point in being anything but truthful.

Sincerely,
Jeremy Shinewald
MBA Mission

www.mbamission.com
646-485-8844