An MBA Or A Tesla? A Dean Answers

HOW IMPORTANT ARE GMAT SCORES IN MBA ADMISSIONS?

Another angle on business education came from a panel of admissions directors from top-ranked European schools (see video above for the admissions panel). Top of the agenda during their panel discussion was a question about GMAT scores. Many schools, particularly in the U.S., have been engaged in something of an arm’s race on ever higher GMAT scores.

But just how much does a standardized test score matter in admissions? “Is it important? Yes. Is it the most important thing on your application? No,” said Anna Faras, head of admissions at Said Business School at the University of Oxford. “We also consider what the regional averages are, so we understand what is normal in that part of the world. And we also take into account your background.  I would expect a higher GMAT from someone with an engineering background than if you come from a liberal arts background.”

“Remember the purpose of these tests,” reminded David Simpson admissions director for the full-time MBA at London Business School. “It is for us to measure your ability to get through some parts of the program. I don’t think anyone would obsess about it. We look objectively at an application, at what other evidence can we see that this person will be okay, and then we glue everything together.”

TAKING THE GMAT EXAM GETS YOU READY FOR BUSINESS SCHOOL

Virginie Fougea, director of MBA recruitment and admissions at INSEAD, added that “the way we see the GMAT is more as good preparation for an MBA program. You have been working for several years, you need to put your head back into books and go into study mode, and taking the GMAT gets you ready for that.” She added that she was happy to be convinced by someone with a 590 or 600 score, and that repeating the test several times to increase the score is not necessarily seen as a good use of time and effort.

Beyond the GMAT, then, what advice do the admissions directors have for applicants? “Try to understand what you want to get from the MBA experience, not just professionally, but also in terms of life experience,” said Andrea Hayem, associate director of admissions at IESE Business School. “Every school’s culture is different so talk to alumni and admissions teams. This is going to help you to find the right one for you.”

“Be yourself, be genuine, and don’t say what you think we want to hear,” advised Sarah Vance, Associate head of recruitment HEC Paris. “That is really important for you as well as us, because we want you to be happy at the end of the program and when we are looking at your application we are really trying to gauge whether we will be able to help you be successful in your dreams and goals. If you tell us something that is not true, it is difficult for us to assess whether we will be able to help you get there.”

David Simpson of LBS added: “We all want you to come to your school for the reason that makes us different. You need to show us that this is what you want, and why, so go into some depth about why as well. Don’t sleep walk into an application. Ask yourself what are your motivations. Who is deciding you should do an MBA – you, your employer, your colleagues? It needs to be you.” The most recurring advice? Be yourself. Make sure that an application expresses who you are. As INSEAD’s Virginie Fougea said, “If you have a sense of humor, make us laugh.”