Business Schools Admissions Officers Survey
The 2009 Results Are In!
Every year, Kaplan Test Prep and Admissions surveys admissions officers from top business schools in the US. This year's survey picked up on some key trends and focussed on hot topics such as the introduction of the GRE as a rival for GMAT, and the effect of social networking on applications.
One of the major topics of this year's survey was the decision of some schools to start accepting GRE scores in lieu of GMAT scores for MBA admissions. The survey found that three-quarters of schools do not currently accept the GRE, and of those schools, over 60% said they had no plans to start doing so. Therefore it seems that, for now, the GMAT remains the test of choice for most US schools.
Other key highlights of the survey include:
More than two-thirds of business schools surveyed reported an increase in applications this year compared to last year.
44% of admissions officers listed a low GMAT score as the biggest “application killer.”
28% of business schools surveyed reported an increase in the number of applicants they are accepting directly from undergraduate education.
Half of the business schools surveyed reported seeing an increase in the number of applicants who report they are currently unemployed.
Kaplan surveyed admissions officers from 260 leading business schools in the US, including 17 of the most selective MBA programs (with “most selective” as defined by acceptance rate of 20% or less and/or average GMAT score of 670 or higher). The survey was conducted in July/August 2009.
You can download highlights from the survey in our Downloads area.