Ross to continue GMAT waiver for the 2020-2021 application cycle.As the novel coronavirus spreads throughout the world, several countries have closed standardized research centers where MBA candidates will normally take the GMAT and GRE tests. As a result, several schools are revising their late-round MBA application deadlines and procedures. The most frequent modifications are schools delaying Round 3 and Round 4 deadlines or reviewing applications without standardized test scores. As more shelter-in-place restrictions are being imposed, schools can continue performing virtual admissions interviews and holding orientation events online.
Michigan Ross reveals that for the 2021-2022 admissions cycle, students will be able to seek a waiver of their standardized test requirements. This article will walk you through some of the essential facets of the GMAT waiver process and improve the submission of the MBA application without taking the GMAT.
IS GMAT WAIVED FOR 2021? - WHICH OTHER B-SCHOOLS ARE WAIVING THE GMAT IN 2021? The next business school to follow the footsteps of Ross is Darden. It extends its GMAT waiver policy to the 2021-22 application cycle after high demand from applicants. Speaking about numbers, roughly 13% of its next entering cohort of MBAs this fall will have enrolled with an approved GMAT waiver.
We believe, with last year’s experiment of waiving standardized test requirements, the schools have seen success in admitting stellar applicants, and now with two of the best b-schools waiving GMAT requirements, others will follow the lead and make their application process a little more flexible by allowing GMAT waivers.
HOW DO THESE TOP BUSINESS SCHOOLS PERCEIVE MBA APPLICANTS WITHOUT GMAT?As Poets & Quants reports, Darden and Ross unequivocally believe that the GMAT waivers have attracted a more diverse and successful group of applicants. As a result, Darden considers waiving standardized tests altogether for applicants with “strong alternate indicators of academic, personal or professional accomplishment.”
Dawna Clarke, executive director of admissions, remarks, “The GPA is correlating more than the GMAT. The interviews are predictive of academic success. And now, we are looking at factors like Coursera classes, CPA or CFA certifications, or students who have taken HBx online for applicants enrolling for MBA without GMAT.
Similarly, Michigan Ross claims to find ‘many incredible applicants’ who applied using GMAT waivers. “We found that many incredible applicants applied using a test waiver. Whether it was prior coursework, work experience, or professional certifications, they demonstrated their ability to handle the rigor of the MBA program without GMAT(a standardized test).”
SHOULD YOU APPLY TO ROSS AND OTHER TOP MBA PROGRAMS WITHOUT GMAT?The GMAT/GRE is required as part of the application process for an MBA program. It's overwhelming, necessitates a lot of studying, and you would, of course, pay for the test. Participants are well aware that doing well on the GMAT/GRE would significantly improve their chances of admission to business schools. Since due to the GMAT waiver, standardized test scores are no longer needed. Thus, the responsibility of displaying analytical and quantitative abilities shifts to other aspects of the application, such as undergraduate/graduate coursework, full-time work experience, and professional certifications. If you are applying to top MBA programs without GMAT, there is a strong possibility for more competition.
According to the Graduate Management Admission Council, 67% of business schools worldwide announced increased applications in 2020 due to policy changes and GMAT waivers. In addition, 43% of those schools registered an increase in applications of more than 20%. However, with many top schools, the figure may be even higher. This is a great advantage for MBA aspirants who are applying via the GMAT waiver.
Ross reports that it will continue to allow candidates to seek a GMAT waiver, significantly increasing competition for Ross GMAT waiver applicants draws more students than at the other colleges. “If you are going to a school with a GMAT waiver, everything else in your application, particularly the essays, must be exceptional.” Therefore, if you wish to apply for an MBA without GMAT in the 2021 application cycle, you must have “exceptional” essays and evidence of your academic potential. Even if you have all these qualities, sometimes applying with a GMAT would considerably add weight to your profile, and sometimes it harms your profile. And we have seen applicants have problems with this decision. So let’s break it down into parts:
1. Those who have not taken GMAT yet and are thinking of applying for MBA without GMAT:
If you have not taken the GMAT yet and already have an excellent profile, it’s prudent not to spend so many months preparing for the GMAT. Instead, invest good time in your application and make sure you bring out an authentic personality on paper so that your MBA application stands out even without a GMAT. However, if you think you do not have good academics during your undergrad and not much evidence of your quantitative aptitude, it would be better to take the GMAT and target a good score.
2. Those who have taken GMAT:
If you have already taken the GMAT and are in conundrum about applying with a GMAT waiver, you should look at your test scores. If it’s 690+, then using the GMAT should make sense. However, if you have an otherwise excellent profile and a low GMAT, it would be prudent to apply with a GMAT waiver because that score can only harm your candidature.
HOW CAN YOU ENHANCE YOUR APPLICATION FOR ROSS WITHOUT GMAT?The GMAT score is an integral part of an MBA program. While the essays, MBA letters of support, statement of purpose, interviews, and work experience, contribute to the application’s overall success, the GMAT score provides a much more objective look at an applicant's skills. After all, it is a ranking based on a uniform and standardized exam. Therefore, if you are applying for a GMAT waiver, the business school will require all relevant details from you in order to make an accurate decision.
As a result, to assist you in making your profile appealing with a GMAT waiver, we'll go over all of the best practices for making your MBA profile appealing to the MBA admissions committee of your target business school even without a GMAT.
Read here:
How can you enhance your application for ROSS without GMAT and ROSS GMAT waiver request process.
To everybody out there hesitating in applying to their dream business schools because of their gaps, we would like to say, everyone has one or the other gaps in their profile! What matters is your clarity of going into a business school and how you present this clarity of purpose to adcoms. Yes, your story and its logic do play a very important role in compensating for any of your gaps. So, do not sell short, go and apply to your dream schools! We are with you!
Cheers!
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