Slug: 090908_ci_Business
Edits: pk
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Headline: Most business schools will not consider GRE scores, study says
Layercake: GMAT-only schools remain widespread
By ELENI STEPHANIDES
Aggie News Writer
A Kaplan survey conducted in July and August found that most business schools, including the UC Davis Graduate School of Management, do not plan to accept the Graduate Requisite Exam.
The survey gathered information from admissions officers at 260 of the nation’s top business schools that were culled from U.S. News & World Report’s “America’s Best Graduate Schools” 2010 edition. Seventeen of these respondents were from the nation’s most selective business programs.
Even though well-known business schools such as Harvard, Wharton, Darden and Stern began accepting the GRE in recent months, 76 percent of top business schools only accept the Graduate Management Admission Test. Of this 76 percent, only 4.3 percent say they may accept the GRE in the future.
Harvard, Wharton, Darden and Stern now accompany Stanford and Sloan, two prestigious business schools that began accepting the GRE in 2006.
Lacking a section for GRE scores, the current UCD Business school application includes sections for personal information, career information, essays, resumes, optional information and scores for GMATs 1, 2 and 3, TOEFL 1 and 2 and IELTS 1 and 2.
Both tests have verbal, math and essay sections, with scores that are valid for five years. They differ in that the GRE offers a subject test, while the GMAT does not.
“The GRE is more flexible for students that are thinking about different types of programs and is helpful in attracting the strong, diverse candidates we are interested in,” said Yale School of Management Admissions Director Bruce DelMonico.
The GMAT also contains a critical reasoning section in place of the analogy and antonym section present in the GRE. In addition, the math sections of both tests differ, with the GRE including quantitative comparison and the GMAT containing data sufficiency. The GRE is most commonly used for non-business graduate schools.
“Schools that have expanded their admissions options to accept the GRE say they are doing so to attract non-traditional students,” said Jason Moss, vice president of graduate programs for Kaplan Test Prep and Admissions.
Moss said that while several of the most competitive MBA programs took this route, the majority of competitive GMAT-only business schools surveyed have said that they have no plans to change their admissions policies for the time being.
Some are doubtful as to whether the results of the Kaplan survey will hold true.
David Payne, head of the GRE program, said that seven of the top ten global MBA programs accept the GRE because it makes good business sense.
“Despite this survey, we expect the trend of business schools accepting GRE to continue and grow,” said Payne.
ELENI STEPHANIDES can be reached at city@theaggie.org. XXX
