How come Fuqua have low average GPA & GMAT and still ranks so highly?

Question

So yeah, why is that? How come they are punching so much more higher than what their incoming class suggests? Is it because they are run inherently better? Is there a bias for a low scoring applicant to apply to those schools?

I am thinking of going to a top 15 B. school and have a 3.54 GPA with a 332 GRE (equivalent to a 740 GMAT), so if I apply to those schools will those be considered safety schools for me?

Thanks!

PlastMan · Answer

On the GMAT
My suspicion is that 1. They don't try to boost the GMAT average with Asian candidates, who face tough competition overall, like other schools and 2. Maybe they care more about fit than score in a standardised test.

On the "punching above their weight" if you consider GMAT that important (I don't), I think it helps to have good alumni such as Melinda Gates and Tim Cook among others

alwayswaiting · Answer

You seem to think it is a piece of cake to get in to any of these schools. It isn't quite that easy, but if you get started now and start talking to admissions counselors, you will have a pretty good start on it.

Tip #1: Take the GMAT. These schools say they will accept the GRE, but the GMAT has been the standard for ages. I applied to three schools with just GRE scores (a 334) and didn't even get an interview. After taking the GMAT I had admits as well as three excellent scholarship offers. The difference probably wasn't 100% the GRE/GMAT, but I think it definitely helped.

Tip #2: If you feel too good for a school, don't apply there. Nobody wants to be around that one person who is just there because it is the only place that let them in. Only apply places you actively want to attend. 
2a: I always thought of "tiers" of schools. The top 4 or 5 (maybe as many as 7) have the brand and history to be a cut above the rest. The next 6-10 are all excellent as well, but not quite best-of-the-best. I would never assume anything in the top 15 is a safe bet of admission.

Tip #3: Each school has its own thing going for it. You should dive into which schools do well in what you would like to enter instead of just pulling from the overall rankings. (For example, I believe Tepper, ranked around #15-20, has an Operations program that is right up with Sloan's, despite the overall lower ranking of Tepper.) Furthermore, schools are much, much more than the stats of their applicants.

Tip #4: You need to have your own personal story down. You won't get in to any of the top 15 based on GPA and test scores alone. You need to highlight a few of your best traits to the admissions officers in your application and interview.

Good luck!

CMH524 · Answer

I visited Fuqua back in April and the Adcom representative touched on this point--it's because Fuqua values fit more than standardized metrics (e.g. GPA, GMAT). Fuqua prides itself on evaluating candidates holistically.

saugagmatter · Answer

Agreed. I visited Fuqua last year for 3 days and have kept in touch with current students and alumni. My experience so far has been that, Fuqua values the "fit" more than standardized test scores. You can see the culture flow through and through across their students and alumni.

asimov · Answer

Great question. I wondered the same thing when I was applying. Is Duke overrated?

I think the crux of this is that applicants think stat is more important, but students think employment is more important, and alumni think school network is more important. Every ranking places different emphasis on different aspect of the b-school experience. This is the reason Fuqua is #1 in BusinessWeek, and #13 on USNews.

Here's a question for you. Fuqua has similar employment stats as its peer schools, "inspite" of 1) lower student stats, 2) southern location (lower cost of living AND pay), 3) large class size (more difficult to place). What is driving that?

Plastelin · Answer

I will try to answer this question as a current student.
One reason might be that employers don't require and don't really differentiate students of all top MBA programs basing on their hard skills.

All MBA graduates of top schools are taught common skills and course set and employers reasonably conclude that both HBS and Fuqua students know enough about finance/marketing/stategy/etc.

The factors that differentiate students are: soft skills, ability to work well in teams, team leadership skills - all the things in which Fuquans are little bit stronger, when compared to others. And employers value these skills more that your undergrad GPA, that you got 5 years ago. 
Because MBA-type jobs in corporations require a lot of communication and team collaboration, and very few focus on your undergrad GPA as a diff. factor. This might give you an idea why Fuqua focuses on "fit factor" that much.

Posted from my mobile device

stevenfuqua · Answer

This person gets it.

Will add just one thing as a recent student an now "employer" and Fuqua alum. Think about it - do test scores/GPA correlate with corporate career success? As in, someone who scored 800 on their GMAT versus another who scored 650. Who's going to be the next VP/SVP/COO/CFO/CEO/founder of a Fortune 500 company? Probably either, neither or both. The point it, you can't tell.

Fuqua is in the business of developing future leaders of the business world, and test scores don't have a causal relationship with leadership, innovative thinking, or collaborative skills. It's there to make sure you can learn in an intense environment and actually graduate, and do well in an analytical role post-MBA. (which is what most MBAs get hired to do)

helloschool · Answer

I don't know stats for Fuqua. But there MUST be something way important than just stats, regardless which school we are talking about. HBS can easily fill their class with all students> gmat 760 and gpa >3.9, but they didn't do this!

bb · Answer

How come Fuqua have low average GPA & GMAT and still ranks so highly?

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