How They Got In & How You Can, Too

If you’re applying to a highly selective business school, you’re grappling with the same challenges that many other candidates have dealt with, including the latest crop of MBA students at the top schools.

How did they prepare for the GMAT or the GRE? How did they go about drawing up a list of target schools? What advice might they have for applications who are drafting essays, doing admission interviews, and getting recommenders to write letters on their behalf? And ultimately what led them to choose the full-time MBA program they’re currently in?

We asked those questions and more of the incoming MBAs at all the top business school. Just click on the school you’re interested in and find out what advice they have for you.Whether they are looking to build their own skill sets, transform their lives, or leave their MBA program better than they found it, here are the stories from over 400 of the best-and-brightest MBAs from the Class of 2017.

Click on the school name to access class profiles. 

DOMESTIC PROGRAMS

Harvard Business School

 

The Harvard Business School received 9,686 applications for the 937 seats in the Class of 2017, an acceptance rate of only 11%. With an average GMAT score of 725 and an average GPA of 3.7, some 41% of the class is female, while 34% hail from countries outside the U.S., representing 64 countries.

University of Chicago (Booth)

 

The University of Chicago’s Booth School of Business received 4,286 applications for the 585 seats in the Class of 2017, an acceptance rate of about 23%. With an average GMAT score of 726, a new record, and an average GPA of 3.6, the class boasts an all-time high of 42% women, while 34% hail from countries outside the U.S., representing 55 countries.

Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania

 

UPenn’s Wharton School of Business received 6,590 applications for the 861 seats in the Class of 2017, an acceptance rate of just over 20%. With an average record GMAT score of 732 and a GPA of 3.6, some 43% of the incoming students are female, while 32% come from countries outside the U.S., representing 73 nationalities.

Northwestern University (Kellogg)

 

Northwestern University’s Kellogg School of Management received an estimated 4,400 applications for its 492 seats, an acceptance rate of about 23%. With an average record GMAT score of 724 and an average class GPA of 3.6, some 43% of the enrolled students are female, while 40% come from countries outside the U.S., representing 56 nationalities.

Columbia Business School

 

Columbia Business School received 5,829 applicants for its 762 seats, an acceptance rate of just 18%. With an average class GMAT score of 715 and a GPA of 3.5, some 36% of the incoming MBAs this year are female, while 42% are international, coming to Columbia for the quintessential New York City experience.

MIT (Sloan)

 

MIT’s Sloan School of Management received 4,254 applications for the 402 seats in the class, an acceptance rate estimated at 15.3%. With an average class GMAT score of 716 and a GPA of 3.6, Sloan enrolled an incoming group of students composed of 43% women and 38% international, representing 52 countries.

University of California-Berkeley (Haas)

 

UC-Berkeley’s Haas School of Business received 3,592 applicants for just 246 seats, the smallest intake of any Top Ten U.S. school for an acceptance rate of 13.2%. With an average class GMAT score of 715 and a GPA of 3.7, Haas enrolled a class composed of 41% women and 40% from outside the U.S., representing 46 countries.

Dartmouth College (Tuck)

 

The Tuck School of Business at Dartmouth College in Hanover, N.H., received roughly 2,487 applicants for just 286 seats in the Class of 2017, an acceptance rate of 22.1%. With an average class GMAT score of 717 and a GPA of 3.5, a record 42% of this year’s incoming MBA students are women while 32% hail from countries outside the U.S., representing 22 countries.

Yale School of Management

 

Yale’s School of Management received 3,449 applications, a 20% year-over-year increase, for its 326 seats in the Class of 2017, an acceptance rate of 20.7%. With a class average GMAT of 721 and an average GPA of 3.6, Yale enrolled equal percentages of women and international students: 40%. Students from outside the U.S. represent 47 countries.

Duke (Fuqua) 

 

Duke University’s Fuqua School of Business received 3,454 applications for the 450 seats in the class, an acceptance rate of 23%. With a class average GMAT of 696 (up six points from the previous class) and a 3.4 average GPA, Duke enrolled a class composed of 36% women and 38% international students, representing 48 countries.

University of Virginia (Darden)

 

The University of Virginia’s Darden School of Business received roughly 2,700 applications for the 334 seats in the Class of 2017, an estimated acceptance rate of 26.5%. With a class average GMAT score of 706 and an average GPA of 3.5, some 35% of the MBA students are female while 38% hail from countries outside the U.S., representing 37 countries.

University of Michigan (Ross)

 

The University of Michigan’s Ross School of Business received 3,205 applications, up a remarkable 31%, for the 407 seats in the Class of 2017, an estimated acceptance rate of about 28%. With a record class average GMAT score of 708 and an average GPA of 3.4, the new class is composed of 32% women and 35% international students.

UCLA (Anderson)

 

UCLA’s Anderson School of Management received 3,533 applications for the 370 seats in the Class of 2017, an acceptance rate of 19.8%. With a class average GMAT score of 713 and an average GPA of 3.5, the new class is composed of 30% women and 32% international students, representing 41 countries.

Cornell University (Johnson)

 

Cornell University’s Johnson Graduate School of Management received an estimated 1,784 applications and enrolled 207 students in the Class of 2017, an acceptance rate estimated at 32%. With a class average GMAT score estimated at 690 and an average GPA of 3.4, the new class is composed of only 26% women–among the lowest of any top-tier school–and 35% international students, representing 28 countries.

New York University (Stern)

 

New York University’s Stern School of Business received 3,696 applications for the 405 seats in the Class of 2017, an acceptance rate estimated at 19%. With a class average GMAT score of 720 and an average GPA of 3.5, the new class is composed of 35% women and 38% international students, representing 62 countries.

University of North Carolina (Kenan-Flagler)

 

UNC’s Kenan-Flagler Business School received 2,357 applications and enrolled 276 in the Class of 2017. With a class median GMAT score of 700 and an average GPA of 3.4, some 30% of the class is composed of women, while 32% of the class are international students from 28 countries.

University of Texas (McCombs)

 

The University of Texas’ McCombs School of Business received 2,293 for its 267 seats in the Class of 2017, an acceptance rate of 28.4%. With a class average GMAT score of 694 and an average GPA of 3.4, women make up 32% of the class, while 28% are foreign nationals, representing 19 countries.

Carnegie Mellon University (Tepper)

 

Carnegie Mellon University’s Tepper School of Business received 1,698 applications and enrolled 208 students in the Class of 2017, an acceptance rate of 31%. With a class average GMAT score of 690 and an average GPA of 3.3, some 26% of the class is female while 35% hail from outside the U.S., representing 29 countries.

Emory University (Goizueta)

 

Emory University’s Goizueta School of Business received 1,460 applications and enrolled 166 MBA students in its Class of 2017, for an acceptance rate estimated at 30%. With an average class GMAT score of 678 and an average GPA of 3.4, the class is composed of 34% women and 35% international students, representing 15 countries.

University of Washington (Foster)

 

The University of Washington’s Foster School of Business received a record 1,045 applications for the Class of 2017 and enrolled 130 full-time MBA students, an acceptance rate of 26%. With a class average GMAT score of 688 and an average GPA of 3.4, some 33% of the incoming MBAs are women while 33% hail from outside the U.S., representing 14 countries.

Georgetown University (McDonough)

 

Georgetown University’s McDonough School of Business received 2,034 applications–up 16% from a year earlier–and enrolled a full-time MBA class of 270, for an acceptance rate of 39.6%. Students collectively averaged a 692 GMAT, with an undergraduate GPA of 3.4. Some 31% of the Class of 2017 is female, while 33% come from non-U.S. nations, representing 40 countries.

University of Notre Dame (Mendoza)

 

The University of Notre Dame’s Mendoza School of Business received 692 applications for its 122 seats in the full-time MBA Class of 2017, an acceptance rate of 40.4%, up from 34.8% a year earlier. With an average class GMAT score of 682 and an average GPA of 3.3, the school enrolled a class with equal percentages (30%) of women and internationals, representing 14 countries.

USC (Marshall)

 

The University of Southern California’s Marshall School of Business received 1,780 applications–up 11% from a year earlier–for the 223 seats in the Class of 2017, an acceptance rate of 29%. With an average class GMAT score of about 690 and an average GPA of 3.3, the school enrolled a class with 30% females and 26% from outside the U.S., representing 32 countries.

Rice University (Jones)

 

Rice University’s Jones Graduate School of Business received 775 applications for the 116 seats in its full-time MBA Class of 2017, an acceptance rate of 27%. With an average class GMAT score of 676 and an average GPA of 3.3, the school’s incoming MBAs were 35% female and 23% international, the latter number down from 34% a year earlier. That’s one of the lowest percentages of international students at any top MBA program in the U.S.

Vanderbilt University (Owen)

 

Vanderbilt University’s Owen Graduate School of Management received 879 applications for the 175 seats in the Class of 2015, an acceptance rate of 41%. With an average class GMAT score of 690 and an average GPA of 3.4, the incoming class is composed of 26% women and 20% international students, representing 27 countries.

University of Minnesota (Carlson)

 

The Carlson School of Management at the University of Minnesota received 594 applications for the 86 seats in its full-time MBA program for the Class of 2017, an acceptance rate of 39%. With an average class GMAT score of 680 and an average GPA of 3.4, the school enrolled a class that is composed of 29% women and 15% internationals.

Washington University (Olin)

 

Washington University’s Olin School of Business received 1,581 applications for the Class of 2017, enrolling 141 full-time MBA students for an acceptance rate of 30%. With an average class GMAT score of 695 and an average GPA of 3.4, the school increased its female MBAs to 40% of the incoming class, up from 28% a year earlier, while internationals made up 35% of the class, representing 17 countries.

Ohio State University (Fisher)

 

Ohio State’s Fisher College of Business received 606 applications for the 114 seats in its full-time MBA Class of 2017, an acceptance rate of 34%. With a class average GMAT score of 664 and an average GPA of 3.5, the school enrolled an incoming group that is composed of 23% women and 35% international students, representing 14 countries.

Boston College (Carroll)

 

Boston College’s Carroll School of Management received 595 applications for the 88 full-time MBA seats in the Class of 2017, an acceptance rate of 38%. With a class average GMAT score of 664 and an average GPA of 3.3, the school assembled a group of students who are 35% female and 33% international, representing 16 countries.

INTERNATIONAL PROGRAMS

INSEAD

London Business School

IESE Business School

IE Business School

HEC Paris

Cambridge University (Judge)

Oxford University (Saïd)

CEIBS

University of Western Ontario (Ivey)

University of Toronto (Rotman)