Do I send score to 5 schools if I won't be applying soon?

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I don't plan on applying to schools for at least a year after I take the GMAT, but I know it can be expensive to submit scores to additional schools at a later date. With five free score submissions to list before taking the test, should I list any schools? I do have an idea of my top five schools, but I'm not sure if they keep the scores in a database and refer to them whenever they receive your application or if they receive the score and wait on an application to compliment the score for the next round of submissions? Any suggestions?

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by Brian@VeritasPrep » Tue May 25, 2010 11:49 am
Hey, oceanview:

Great username - I'm happily viewing the ocean as I type this!

The five schools that you select will keep your scores on file for five years (until the scores are no longer valid), so you might as well send those now and save yourself the money in the future. I've always said that I'd love to spend a day in the Harvard Business School mailroom...they must get tons of "screw it..I'm picking Harvard as my fifth" score reports.

Another question that comes up is regarding whether you should wait until you know that you have a high score to send it. Because schools almost exclusively only care about your top score (there are some pretty outlandish scenarios in which they might be turned off by a pattern of several terrible scores, but not one or two), you, again, might as well save yourself the money and send to five schools that you may be interested in now so that those scores are on record. If the scores are good, you already have an asset on file; if not, you'll be retaking anyway, so there's no real risk.

Best of luck!
Brian Galvin
GMAT Instructor
Chief Academic Officer
Veritas Prep

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