How to woo the MBA admissions committee
What do admissions committees look for in an MBA candidate? The answer is as varied as the motivations of the applicants and the many flavours of MBA degrees that now make up part of the Canadian business school landscape.
When it comes to gaining entry, previous academic performance and Graduate Management Admission Test (GMAT) scores are critical. “We look for a solid B in the final two years of an undergraduate degree and we have minimum required scores on both the quantitative and verbal sections of the GMAT,” says Isabella Piatek, manager MBA programs at the DeGroote School of Business. That said, there are other qualities that can help sway the decision. “We look for a well rounded candidate to bring a diverse set of experiences, who can communicate well, has passion and is engaged,” says Ms. Piatek.
One of the key areas of focus for Brock University is fit, says Shari Sekel, director of graduate programs for the university’s faculty of business. “We are trying to make sure that what a student is trying to achieve with their MBA is something our program is capable of delivering. Not all MBA programs are alike. There are similarities, but they all have different specializations, styles of learn-ing, opportunities, extra-curricular activities. We want to make sure there is a good fit between the expectations of the student and the realities of our program.”
Who is a good fit for Brock’s MBA program? “Someone who looks beyond the books. Some of our courses base 30% of the final grade on in class contribution,” says Ms. Sekel. “We are looking for people very comfortable in participating, sharing ideas, asking questions. We are also looking for them to get involved outside the classroom and have a lot of extra-curricular opportunities to help them round out the graduate experience.”
It is exactly for that reason that Ms. Sekel has concerns about the emphasis placed on GMAT scores. Administered by U.S.-based Graduate Management Admission Council (GMAC), the GMAT has become the standard assessment tool to measure the likely success of MBA candidates used by business schools around the globe. The test is divided into three parts: verbal, quantitative and analytical writing skills.
“The GMAT is well regarded and widely used but I’m torn on the subject. The admissions function is all about predicting who is going to be the most successful in the MBA program. The GMAT serves as a common evaluation tool because all students have to write the same test. That’s one of its most important uses,” says Ms. Sekel.
“On the other hand, we have to recognize the GMAT is not the only piece of an application that’s important, particularly when you are looking at students fresh from undergraduate programs. If you have students even in history or science who are scoring well, getting As, these are students with a good work ethic, they are motivated and those are some of the skill sets that will serve them well at the MBA level. The GMAT holds less weight in those instances for us.”
Jenni Denniston, associate director of MBA recruiting and admissions at the Richard Ivey School of Business, sees another drawback to the GMAT. “The way the three components of the GMAT are tested is not the way they are going to be tested in an MBA program.”
And for international students, the fact that the test is written in English can pose challenges. “When you assess GMAT performance for strengths and weaknesses, it is difficult to separate out what percentage of their score relates to language strength or challenge, versus what part of the score represents quantitative content,” says Ms. Sekel.
“Maybe it doesn’t matter. Maybe some schools are using the GMAT as a language assessment as well. But I find that it muddles the analysis a little bit for nonnative English speakers.”
Even so, top-tier accredited MBA programs rely on the GMAT – and sometimes, so do employers. “Some recruiters look at your GMAT score as a differentiator. Typically, your top consulting firms and banks want to see the GMAT in addition to grades when they are looking at applications,” says Ms. Denniston. “Not a lot of people realize that.”
While Ms. Denniston appreciates the apples-to-apples comparison the GMAT offers, she cautions against focusing too narrowly on the score. “We look at candidates holistically. You can have some strong, successful people who can’t take standardized tests.
“On the flip side, you can get fantastic test takers who aren’t able to contribute to a learning environment. I think it’s an important data point, but I don’t think it’s the most important data point.”
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