should i send the scores now if i am planning to join 3 years later

[hopeplan]

I am taking the gmat in october this year (2008). However, it is not before 2010 that I will be able to wrap up everything and proceed for a phd in management.

1) should i send the scores the day i take the test?

2) once these scores reach the relevant school, will they be preserved? so that when i actually apply 2-3 years later, i can refer to the scores send in, say 2008.

3) Or, will i need to send the scores in the year that i apply?

[possible_phd]

I've actually been asking programs about this recently. I took the GMAT last year and sent my score report to many schools, but I ended up deciding not to apply at that time. I still plan on applying at some point, either this year or next, so I e-mailed them to find out if I would need to resend the scores (it's expensive!). Well, as one might expect, it varies from school to school. Some schools will retain access until the scores expire after 5 years, while others do not retain it at all if you do not apply that year. Most, however, seem to hold onto it for a year or two.

Long story short? E-mail the programs to ask how long they hold it, just to be sure. If you want to be really smart about it, find out which of schools you plan on applying to will hold onto the scores the longest, and send your scores to them on the day of the test in order to save yourself some money.