Many seniors are filling out graduate school applications, and that process involves taking graduate school standardized tests. I am in the 3-2 MBA program at the Daniels College of Business, and I took the GMAT for admission into the program. When someone asks me about the graduate school standardized tests, I usually smile and say, “Don’t get me started.” Well, I guess with the graduate school buzz in the air, I want to explain why I do not think kindly of the standardized tests required for admission to graduate programs. First, standardized test scores are important for admission to most academic programs. The “academic marketplace” is becoming more competitive, and great test scores add a competitive edge to an application. However, I think that many admissions officers increasingly focus on getting good numbers rather than getting good people for their schools. Numerous colleges and universities are using standardized test scores for benchmarking purposes. Is that really the right answer?Standardized test score requirements create a stigma that deters potential applicants from applying. My sister recently attended a college fair, and an admissions representative from an Ivy League school said her SAT score was not suitable for that university and to apply to other schools instead-he knew nothing else about her. This made me wonder how many people do not apply to a school simply because of test score requirements. I am guilty. I chose not to apply to some schools because I did not want to pay for a fancy rejection letter. I think that too many of us believe that we are wasting our money on an application fee if we do not have the “magic” score number. However, part of life is learning to take risks.I do not feel that these scores truly measure the ability, merit or potential of an individual. These standardized tests do not measure critical, analytical and creative thinking. Instead these tests measure obscure, impractical forms of thought. When I took the GMAT, I repeatedly questioned the relevance of what was being tested. I often felt like I was playing a mind game and not taking a test. The tests neglect to consider real intelligence, practicality, personality, values, ambition, leadership, temperament, maturity, proclivity to learn and make good judgments. I think those are the factors that matter. I struggled with the GMAT and took the test multiple times. Through my GMAT experience, I really learned that the secret to success is hard work. I bought almost every GMAT book except GMATs for Dummies (somehow, I just could not bring myself to buy that book). I took a GMAT preparation class, used GMAT software programs, made flashcards, did several mock exams, and studied for endless hours. Because I spent five months in “GMAT hell,” graduate school was something that I really wanted. I was not going to let a standardized test score prevent me from doing what I desired. My family, friends and professors motivated me with their support and encouragement, and I am so happy to be in the MBA program and done with standardized tests for now, at least. I know that these tests are here to stay. Since we have to live with them, it is important to continue questioning the relevance and methodology behind these tests. I think that psychology professor Jeremy Gray says it best, “There’s a lot more to what it means to be a person than raw computational power. If you think about that as being intelligence, that’s a limited view.”