3 Tips For Networking As An MBA Applicant

Does Skipping the GMAT Hurt Your Job Prospects?

In recent years, standardized testing – such as the GMAT – has been de-emphasized by B-schools. In fact, 67 of the top 100 B-schools have decided to officially go test-optional or actively promote test waiver policies.

But can skipping the GMAT come back to bite you when it comes to applying for jobs post-grad? Patrick Thomas, of The Wall Street Journal, recently reported the latest on how top companies view test scores when it comes to hiring.

THE EFFECT OF THE PANDEMIC

When the COVID-19 pandemic hit, many B-schools changed their testing policies and offered test waivers as testing in-person became nearly impossible. Additionally, the pandemic highlighted the long-standing issue around the lack of diversity in MBA admissions, in large part due to the use of standardized testing.

“The pandemic was making testing difficult, and for many people, last spring’s racial protests underlined the need to recruit students from a wider range of racial and socioeconomic backgrounds,” Thomas writes. “M.B.A. admissions-training courses, used to coach students on how to get into the most selective programs, can cost thousands of dollars.”

HOW TOP COMPANIES VIEW TESTING

For the most part, a majority of top companies including Bain, Goldman Sachs, and McKinsey have all put less emphasis on standardized testing when it comes to recruiting and hiring practices.

“I don’t mind one bit campuses waiving the GMAT requirement,” said Keith Bevans, a partner who leads recruiting for Bain, tells WSJ. “Business schools are admitting a much broader range of talent, and I expect to find strong candidates this fall in places I wouldn’t normally see them.”

Rather, top companies like Bain are starting to see that a test score isn’t always the only predictor of talent.

“If you’re at a top B-school, you probably have something amazing going for you anyway. If you were training for the Olympics rather than taking the GMAT, that tells me more about your competitiveness than if you can tell me the angle of this triangle,” Bevans tells WSJ.

Sources: The Wall Street Journal, P&Q

 

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