Wharton’s latest admissions stats have surprised some business school experts.
Tyra Banks teaches business school, a below average GMAT scorer attends a top MBA program, and the admissions interview remains a make or break moment for many applicants. Catch all the trending stories for future business leaders.
Below-average GMAT score at top MBA
The Wharton School just released some interesting statistics regarding its incoming MBA class. In what many observers have found surprising, the top-ranked business school said that it had accepted and enrolled a student who scored only a 570 on the GMAT. This is the first time Wharton has done this in four years. A 570 is more than 150 points below the business school’s average GMAT score, which this year stands at 732—up 14 points from 2012. The average number of years of work experience stayed exactly the same as last year—with most students having spent five years in the workforce The school also reported that while the number of applicants increased by just over 1%, it actually cut the size of its incoming class by 10 students, to just 851. (Poets & Quants)
America’s next top MBA
Tyra Banks, one of America’s most successful entrepreneurs in the fashion and entertainment industry, is going to share her business acumen with MBA students at the Stanford Graduate School of Business this fall. The class will focus on students’ ability to create, manage, and promote an image for themselves, with the first assignment being called Project You: Building and Extending your Personal Brand. The 42-year-old Banks is going to bring the tough love, no nonsense approach that she took on her TV show. “If I see somebody not paying attention, I’m gonna call on them,” she says. Allison Kugler, who will be co-instructing the course, approached Ms. Banks after seeing her speak to students at a recent Stanford event. (The Wall Street Journal)
Big business school decisions
As you may know from personal experience (or will soon learn), there are is so much that goes into the business school admissions process apart from the decision itself to apply. Your final decision—and perhaps your biggest—is deciding where to go. Many factors go into this, including thinking about where you want to work and how the reputation of that school in your particular field will help you get where you to go professionally. Meet Samuel Humbert, a young aspiring MBA who’s currently working as a strategy analyst and assistant to the CEO of the Asia-Pacific division of a large company that owns over $2.3 trillion in assets. Though he’s currently based in Australia, he has his eyes on several U.S. business schools because he knows they have top MBA programs for those who want to work as financial analysts. “I am targeting two-year programs so that I have the time to take full advantage of the academic, networking and professional development opportunities that an MBA offers. The US was the logical geographic choice for me, given that I’d like to work in the New England region after my MBA.” He also says he took the GMAT instead of the GRE because he know it’s more widely accepted. Oh, and he’s studied using a Kaplan product! (BusinessBecause)
The admissions interview matters
One of the most important factors in the business school admissions process is the interview. According to our own research, a poor interview is one of the biggest “application deal breakers.” Many students view the interview with trepidation because interviews can highlight their vulnerabilities as an applicant in a high-pressure atmosphere. There’s no place to hide. The good news is that applicants can utilize a great many strategies to make the interview work for them. One big tip: Get familiar with the school’s interviewing style. You can find that sort of information online from previous applicants. Another tip: Stay on message. Practice interviewing with friends who can role play of admissions officer. (U.S. News & World Report)
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