Why B-Schools Want You to Take a Test: Inside the GMAT Podcast
What does taking the GMAT exam tell admissions committees about you and how do schools use the GMAT during the application process?
In this episode of the Inside the GMAT podcast, we discuss taking the GMAT in a test-optional world. Our guest panel is Imran Kanga from Rotman School of Management at the University of Toronto, Bruce Delmonico from Yale School of Management, and Jessica Krom from Jones Graduate School of Business at Rice University.
Episode 22: Take the GMAT in a Test-Optional World
On what your GMAT performance communicates to schools.
Imran Kanga, Rotman School of Management at the University of Toronto: “The GMAT is a great way for candidates to showcase their academic ability in the application. So, you know we typically would ask for an undergraduate GPA and a test score if an applicant doesn't have the strong, you know GPA that they hope for the GMAT is a great way to still prove to the admissions committee that they have the academic ability to make it through a rigorous program. So, you know GMAT is a very, very useful tool to showcase their ability… The Career Center at Rotman has done extensive research that actually correlates positively a candidate’s GMAT score to their performance in the program, as well as their post-MBA employment. So, a strong GMAT score correlates positively to their, you know, strong performance in the program, which in turn correlates to a positive post-MBA employment outcome. And so the GMAT exam is also an indicator of how successful a candidate, broadly, will be in the program, and after as well.”
On the value of the GMAT exam to admissions committees.
Bruce Delmonico, Yale School of Management: “I think the most direct and most obvious way in which the GMAT exam or standardized tests more generally are valuable to an admissions committee in making decisions is simply helping us normalize across very divergent applicants, very divergent applicant profiles, for business schools for MBA programs and business degrees, more generally. We get candidates with very diverse academic profiles and professional profiles, and the standardized tests help us do just that to really kind of help compare across candidates and get a better sense of where they are in terms of preparation for the program since it is correlated to success in the midpoint success or one year successful, or to your program. It does give us much more comfort that we have a sense of how candidates can compare against each other. Obviously, there's nuance to that and it's not a one size fits all thing, and obviously this device test is one element in a larger review a large more holistic review but that is sort of the main value out of the test to us and admissions decisions.”
On how the GMAT adds to the story of your application.
Jessica Krom, Jones Graduate School of Business at Rice University: “This is a holistic review process, and it's very important to consider the narrative of your application package, right? So taking each component of the application process, each required component, and thinking about how do you tell your story… and the value of a standardized test, especially when you have a modest GPA or modest professional experience, this is an incredible opportunity for you to reinforce your application package with recent data that elicits confidence.
So, we are as admissions committees or admissions professionals, we're not looking for reasons to deny you—we're looking for reasons to admit you, right? We want you to be a part of our programs, we want you to be successful, and if we have these data points and if you're controlling the narrative and being very thoughtful about the narrative, the standardized test score can be a critical component or very helpful element of the duration of your narrative as you curate your application package. I would just encourage applicants to think about the whole story and think about the confidence that a standardized test score, especially your recent standardized test score, can be not only to the admissions committee, but maybe even to yourself.”
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Inside the GMAT features experts that share tips on taking the exam, prep, and how to optimize your application cycle for graduate business school. This bi-weekly show gives you insights on everything you need to know for your graduate business school journey. If you want the inside scoop on the GMAT exam, graduate business school assessments, industry insights, and graduate business school success strategies—this podcast is for you.
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