Tech’s Influence On MBA Value

Test Exemptions for International Students

There’s good news for international students who struggle with standardized testing.

A number of US b-schools have policies that allow international applicants to bypass exams like the TOEFL and GRE, U.S. News reports.

Exemptions for English Proficiency Exams

More than 30 million people from all over the world have taken the TOEFL test to demonstrate their English-language proficiency, according to Educational Testing Service.

The exam, known as the Test of English as a Foreign Language, is accepted by more than 10,000 colleges, agencies and other institutions in over 130 countries.

Yet, a number of U.S. grad schools offer exemptions to the requirement.

For instance, according to U.S. News, at the University of Deleware, the Conditional Admissions Program (CAP) is offered to grad students who are qualified for admission, but lack English proficiency.

“Students can first enroll in CAP to build their skills before beginning their graduate program, without needing a score on the IELTS or TOEFL, the two common standardized English proficiency tests,” U.S. News reports.

Nancy Svenson, associate vice president for enrollment for graduate and professional enrollment at the University of Redlands, says the school offers exemption to its English testing requirement for students who can demonstrate English proficiency in other ways.

“International applicants who completed their undergraduate degree in English may request to have the TOEFL waived, as well as applicants who have an in-person interview with an admissions counselor or faculty,”Svenson tells U.S. News.

Other Factors Could Waive GRE and GMAT

At a number of U.S. grad schools, there are exemptions available to the GRE and GMAT requirements.

DePaul University in Chicago offers over 175 graduate degree programs, many of which do not require the GRE or GMAT exam, according to Suzanne Depeder, associate vice president of graduate and adult admission in the marketing division of DePaul University.

In addition, the school offers case-by-case exemptions. For instance, if a student has work experience or a U.S. degree, he or she may eligible for a GRE waiver.

While the GMAT is a requirement at the majority of b-schools across the nation, select schools don’t require it for admission.

University of Dallas Satish & Yasmin Gupta College of Business, Ohio University’s professional MBA program and the University of Redlands MBA program all don’t have GMAT requirements for their MBA programs, according to U.S. News.

In addition, schools like DePaul’s Kellstadt Graduate School of Business and Golden Gate University in California, offer GMAT waivers if an international student has work experience or a U.S. degree.

Jigar Trivedi, who is an international MBA student at the University of Redlands, says he took the GRE twice, but felt ill-prepared for the exam. Eventually, Trivedi was accepted to the University of Redlands based off other areas of his application.

“Merely a few hours of testing will not decide your future goals and neither should demotivate you,” Trivedi tells U.S. News. “Aptitude tests are part of applications but not the decision maker of your career.”

Sources: U.S. News, Educational Testing Service