Will Not Submitting GMAT Affect My Chances for HEC Paris Master in Marketing?

Not submitting the GMAT won’t automatically hurt your chances at HEC Paris for the Master in Marketing, since it’s listed as optional. But if you're applying from India, where competition is high, you’ll need to make the rest of your application stronger.

Do these three things well:

• Make sure your academic record is strong, especially in subjects like marketing, strategy, or business analytics.
• Use your essays to show clarity of goals. Explain how your past experiences connect to what you want to achieve through HEC. Make it less about listing roles and more about showing how each step led you forward.
• Your resume should highlight outcomes. Instead of just naming responsibilities, mention campaigns, results, or metrics that show impact.

Your LORs are a plus, especially from your CMO. If your undergrad marks are solid and your essays are focused, you can apply confidently without the GMAT. But if your academics are just average, even a 630+ GMAT score can still help push your application up.