Estimated reading time: 8 minutes
No one likes tests. No one. Studying for the GRE or GMAT is not anyone’s idea of a good time.
There has never been a single person to ever say: “Oh wow! I can’t wait to take this enormous test tomorrow! I’m so excited that it will dramatically impact the rest of my life! :)”
If you know someone that said that I would highly consider distancing yourself from them as quickly as possible.
This site is all about giving you some of the hard truths facing you during your transition from the military. Here’s a few:
- No one owes you shit.
- You will never again have to wear a PT belt (hopefully this does not cause some type of existential crisis for you — it’s a lot to handle.)
- If you want to go from the military to a top MBA program, you need to have good test scores.
There’s just no way around it.
I know, I know, you’re amazing. You served your country and deployed three times and led combat patrols in Afghanistan. That’s all great and wonderful, but how’s your algebra? Because there ain’t no close air support you need to manage in the operations department of a tech company. And your ability to blindly disassemble and reassemble an M240B will probably not help out much in your accounting class.
There’s a few reasons that there is a lot of emphasis placed on the test:
It’s objective. Your GPA is relative to where you went to school and what your coursework was. Everyone will have different work experience in their applications. But the test is the one thing that is standardized across all applicants. Everyone has to submit test scores and everyone who took the GMAT or GRE took the same one as everyone else. Whether consulting or military background, MBA candidates get standardized by the test.
Employers care. Granted, not all employers care. But if you are pursuing a consulting career at a top firm, they will likely ask to see your test scores. And if you desire to go into investment banking, you should again expect to share your scores. Why? Again — objectivity. Every MBA program will provide different academic rigor, but companies can use test scores to differentiate between potential hires.
The rankings. Business schools care about their rankings. They LOVE to go onto the forums and do interviews and say that they don’t care, but at some level the rankings affect them. And test scores affect the rankings. Schools with the best rankings attract the best candidates who will graduate and get the best jobs and make the most money and will give that money back to the school so they can recruit the next candidates and so on and so on.
I say all this to say that the test matters. Your veteran status is not going to get you out of studying hard for the test. You can’t just say, “I’m military!” and get into an MBA program.
GRE or GMAT?
Before we go further into studying for the GRE or GMAT, here’s a few things to note:
- There does not appear to be any significant advantage to taking the GMAT.
- Take the test YOU will do best on. But know that for certain careers, you will need to take the GMAT.
The GMAT is historically known as the “business school” test. This seems to be changing. In the last few years, more schools have started accepting the GRE and their reports show that more and more students submit GRE test scores. Notable GRE rates for 2023 include:
- HBS: 34%
- Stanford GSB: 39%
- Tuck: 42%
- Yale SOM: 37%
- Fuqua: 37%
Both tests are designed to evaluate critical thinking, verbal reasoning, and quantitative ability. The GMAT is typically thought to be a more difficult test for quantitative skills while the GRE is tougher on verbal knowledge and reasoning.
GRE Overview
Quantitative
The GRE’s quantitative section will test basic math skills like rations, arithmetic, fractions, geometry, and chart reading. Sounds easy, right? The basic math is fairly simple, but to score well you need to have the fundamentals down well so you can spend the time necessary on questions.
Verbal
The GRE’s Verbal section consists of four types of questions: Text Completion, Sentence Equivalence, Reading Comprehension, and Critical Reasoning.
As you can see, the GRE places a premium on vocab knowledge: in all four sections, your vocabulary will be tested.
Analytical Writing
This is just measuring how well you can craft an argument into an essay format. You have 30 min on one essay to “analyze an issue.”
GMAT Overview
Quantitative
The GMAT will test the same skills as the GRE. However, the delivery of the questions will be different. There will be more logic involved in solving the problems, with the expectation that you have a higher grasp of the quantitative skills. Whereas in the GRE you are tested on your ability to conduct the calculations, the GMAT places an emphasis on integrating those skills into a problem-solving formula.
Verbal
The GMAT wants to measure your critical thinking and problem-solving skills. Compared to the GRE, there will be less emphasis placed on your knowledge of vocabulary.
Analytical Writing
The GMAT will present you with a brief argument similar to a paragraph you would find in a Critical Reasoning question on the Verbal section. You will be expected to critique the author’s arguments. Unlike the GRE, there is only one essay.
GMAT Focus:
- No writing
- No geometry
- No sentence correction
- May favor quantitative people more
So which do you pick?
If you feel confident in your quantitative skills, go for the GMAT. If you are more inclined toward verbal reasoning, maybe go for the GRE.
You should know that jobs like consulting and banking will likely ask for your test scores. And they will want to see the GMAT — not the GRE. In deciding whether you should be studying for the GRE or the GMAT, there’s more than just your applications to think about.
How should you be studying for the GRE or GMAT?
Likely, this will be a challenge for many people moving from the military to an MBA program. You probably had to study for something difficult at some point in your career, but you haven’t been in a normal classroom in a long time.
If you are reading this, you are likely veteran and you know a thing or two about following a calendar and staying disciplined. The best results from study will come from disciplined habits. Enough said on that.
Ok, but what resources?
This comes to a good point about price. As vets we aren’t used to paying for services — everything in the military was given to us. And during your transition, you will discover a gazillion organizations offering free resources to you.
I tried the cheap option. I bought a study book for $25, but found that I just wasn’t learning how I wanted.
That’s when I sprung for the Princeton Review self-paced study course. The site has it currently listed for $499, and I seriously cannot recommend this format enough. It took my studying for the GRE to another level.
The program came with easy-to-watch videos with well-integrated graphic that showed me the steps to dissect and solve a problem. And tied in with the program, there were tons of practice problems which were optimized for me to address weaknesses that I displayed. If I started showing that I was doing poorly at problems with ratios, I would get recommended problems with ratios.
The price tag turns people off. I get it. But here’s the way to look at it.
The median base salary for University of Texas McCombs (typically around the #20 spot in US News and World Report) graduate is $119,036.
What is it for Harvard (usually in top 3)?
$148,750
Getting into Harvard’s MBA program after the military could be as easy as busting your ass, studying hard, and getting the test scores that match the rest of your profile. And then that $499 for a study course will be money EXTREMELY well spent. The potential return on investment (ROI) for raising your score just a few points can be tremendous. That’s why I say go for the gold and pay for the best test-prep you can get. I tried a few other services, and Princeton Review’s format stood out to me by leaps and bounds.
Scheduling.
Plan to take the test twice before you submit your application, which you should shoot to do no later than Round 2.
I strongly encourage you to knock this out as soon as you can. Your test scores are good for 5 years. And you want to give yourself time to do the rest of the application, work, and get out of the military. Get the test out of the way early and the whole process will be far less stressful.
Look, the test is no fun. But you have to do it. And the better you can do, the better it will be for you.
Make a schedule. Follow it. Stay disciplined with your study habits. Take multiple practice tests.
And by all means, take the damn thing as soon as possible and get it done. You will have enough else to worry about.
Give yourself enough time to take the test at least twice before your target admission round.
Related:
Test Day: GRE and GMAT Logistics
Free Online Classes for Veterans
5 Books to Read During Your Military Transition