Chapter Eleven
Getting In
 |
 |
 |
|
Schools with Low Admission Requirements
To put it succinctly and in very general terms, some online MBA program admission requirements are more stringent and competitive than others. It’s simply your job to find out what those requirements are and then decide whether the odds of getting accepted at any particular institution are worth the effort. After all, you don’t want to waste your time going through all the paperwork (and the possibility of required tests) of an admissions process only to find out you’re not accepted.
This chapter provides an overview of admission requirements and some
strategies for how you should meet them.
To
give you an overall sense of admission requirements, the following
examples reveal a spectrum of different admission processes that I have
personally qualified as having either low, medium, or high standards. My
personal definitions for these three categories, based on extensive
research and interviews I have conducted as an education journalist, are
as follows:
•
Low admission requirements.
These are schools that accept just about any applicant as long as the
applicant has an undergraduate degree.
• Medium
admission requirements.
Similar to low admission requirements in that a high percentage of
applicants get accepted, but you have to jump through more hoops to meet
all the requirements.
• High admission
requirements.
These are more selective than most schools, requiring that you meet a
longer list of more specific requirements than the “medium” programs.
Schools with high admission requirements may reject anywhere from 25
percent to 60 percent of applicants. However, they typically have a
prescreening process, whereby they will politely advise those
prospective students who don’t look acceptable not to apply, or to work
harder at boosting their acceptability factors before they actually go
through the application process.
The
following examples should give you a better sense for how low, median,
and high admission requirements are applied to online MBA programs.
Schools with Low
Admission Requirements
Capella University, the University of Phoenix, and Jones International,
three for-profit institutions, fit into this category of having low
admission requirements. All three of these schools do not require
prospective students to take the Graduate Management Admission Test
(GMAT), nor do they stipulate that applicants need much more than a
Bachelor’s degree in order to be accepted into their programs. The
University of Maryland University College (UMUC) also fits into this
category, because it, too, does not require applicants to take the GMAT.
UMUC does, however, require all of its newly accepted online MBA
students to take a one-credit MBA Fundamentals course (described in
Chapter Fifteen) that gets them off and running into the program. Also,
students can opt out of the fundamentals course if they took the GMAT
test and achieved a score of 600 or higher.
With regard to undergraduate degree requirements, Capella stipulates
that applicants’ official undergraduate transcripts must indicate a
cumulative grade-point average (GPA) of at least 2.30 on a 4.0 scale,
and the University of Phoenix and Jones International stipulate a 2.50
cumulative GPA for their Bachelor’s degree requirement.
In
my opinion, the fact that these schools all have requirements that give
every applicant with a bachelor’s degree a very likely chance of being
accepted does not mean that their online MBA programs are any easier to
graduate from than online MBA programs that have more stringent
admission requirements.
“Our admission requirements are pretty straightforward,” said Rosemary
Hartigan, director of business and executive programs at UMUC. “Students
must have an undergraduate degree from an accredited university to be
admitted. Student writing skills will be assessed to see if they need a
remedial course. They must pass AMBA 600 MBA Fundamentals, which is, in
part, a screening tool, as well as a method of orienting the students to
online learning, MBA culture, and as a primer for the skills they need
to succeed in the program.”
Schools with Medium
Admission Requirements
Schools with medium admission requirements will stipulate that students
must take the GMAT test, but not stipulate that a particular score must
be achieved. They may also stipulate that applicants have a certain
number of years of work experience, and a number of other general
requirements, such as letters of recommendation, a resume, an essay, and
an interview. Some schools that fit into this medium category include
Regis University, University of Massachusetts (UMass) Amherst, Florida
State University (FSU), and Portland State University (PSU).
In
addition to the above, every institution has its own quirks, so to
speak. For example, Regis University is a bit less stringent about its
GMAT requirement, stipulating that two analytical essays can replace the
test. FSU states in its admission requirements that all applicants must
also complete specific business foundation courses with a cumulative GPA
of 3.00 or better prior to enrollment in the MBA program. However,
relevant work experience may serve as a substitute for one or more of
these courses.
“We
look at their transcripts, references, and writing and evaluate all that
before we conduct an interview,” said Regis University MBA Professor Ed
Cooper. “We will then make a decision with them and basically let them
know if they have a deficiency. Students have some choice. It is not
likely that we will have a student applying for admission with poor
writing skills, but they do have alternatives, such as enrolling in an
online writing course or an online critical thinking course.
Schools with High
Admission Requirements
These will have very similar requirements as medium schools but they
will explain their admission requirements in more detail. In other
words, you’ll have to jump through a few more hoops to get recognized.
Some schools that fit into this category include Indiana University,
University of Florida, Syracuse University, and Penn State World Campus.
(By the way, these schools also have some of the highest tuition costs.)
In
addition to your undergraduate GPA, Indiana University’s Kelly Direct
program website notes that “analytical thinking and quantitative tools
have a significant influence on success in our programs, so we expect
you to be competent in algebra, be comfortable with the use of
spreadsheets, and have a basic knowledge of statistics. But no matter
what your academic experience or how unusual your background, we
encourage you to apply.”
University of Florida explicitly states that they are “very selective.”
Its admissions committee looks for “evidence of intellectual ability,
managerial promise and community involvement. Strong interpersonal
skills, communication ability, motivation, maturity, career focus and
leadership potential are also important qualities in prospective
students.” Successful applicants demonstrate high performance in
academic ability, professional experience and personal character.
“We
definitely look at what somebody has been doing in their career,” said
Alex Sevilla, director of MBA Programs, University of Florida. “How
focused have they been? What kind of accomplishments have they been able
to complete? How solid is that work experiences and the direction in
which they are heading professionally. Academically we clearly take a
stronger look at students that have participated in peer institutions,
nationally renowned four-year institutions, in addition to their GPA.
And finally we require the GMAT for every single one of our students.”
Syracuse University notes that admission into its iMBA program is
“highly selective,” requiring five years or more of post-graduate
full-time work experience. In addition, it is noted on their website
that “no formula is employed in admission decision-making.
“Candidates are evaluated individually, with special consideration given
to professional experience and accomplishments, including potential for
career growth and advancement. Other factors considered are the
candidate’s prior academic success, and communication skills, as
evidenced in the application essays and the required admission
interview.”
Penn State’s online MBA program “is suitable for individuals of diverse
academic and professional backgrounds and requires no prerequisite
course work. However, previous course work in accounting, economics,
math, and statistics, or knowledge of these subjects gained through work
experience adds to the strength of your application portfolio.”
Many of the schools that I have talked with are not real specific about
how many students apply to their program and how many ultimately get
accepted. However, I think for the schools that have high admission
requirements, which are typically lock-step cohort programs that can
only accept a set number of students each term, the standard procedure
is for the program’s administrators to act as gatekeepers who advise
prospective students on their good or not-so-good odds of getting
accepted before they go through the entire admissions process.
At
the schools that have medium admission requirements and are also
lock-step programs with caps on the number of students they accept, it
could become just as competitive as the schools with high admission
requirements, depending on the school you are applying to. For example,
FSU, which is a lock-step cohort program, received 167 prospective
student applicants for the fall 2004 launch of its very first offering
of online MBA programs, which consists of a general MBA and
concentrations in hospitality administration and real estate finance and
analysis. The program accepted 66 students, and 53 enrolled.
The
reason for the competitive nature of FSU’s program launch could be due
to a number of factors, including the fact that it has a large alumni
base of business undergraduate students who were initially seeking to
enroll in the program, along with having relatively low tuition costs.
For 2004, the cost was $18,695 for non-Florida residents, and $17,493
for Florida residents. Of the 66 students who were accepted into the
program, 28 were FSU alumni, and 47 were Florida residents.
The
bottom line is it all depends on the school. For those schools with
medium to high admission requirements, you’ll have to feel out the
admissions process and your odds of getting accepted by talking to the
administrators and/or counselors of the program before you start filling
out forms, writing essays, and taking the GMAT.
From a national perspective,
no statistical data is available related to online MBA
applicants,. However, data on trends concerning the growth and decline
in the number of applicants in traditional MBA programs are available
through a study conducted by the Graduate Management Admission Council
(GMAC; provider of the GMAT).
GMAC published a 2004 Application Trends Survey that tracked the percent
change in the number of graduate business school applications for
enrollment in the 2003-2004 school year and compared it to the number of
applications in the 2002-2003 school year. The survey revealed that 78
percent of full-time, two-year business graduate programs experienced a
decline in the 2003-2004 application cycle compared to 2002-2003. On the
other side of this decline, however, 53 percent of Executive MBA (EMBA)
programs reported an increase in application volume. Some educators see
this growth trend in EMBAs, which are geared toward adult working
professionals, as a positive predictor of future growth in online MBA
programs that target a very similar student demographic.
Basically, prospective MBA students, in general, are increasingly
seeking out programs that allow them to maintain their jobs while
earning their degrees. Plus, as employers and prospective students alike
become more cognizant of the availability and quality of online MBA
programs, the competition could become stronger for getting accepted
into schools with medium to high admission requirements. It could also
mean that the schools with low admission requirements will continue to
see an increase in the number of applicants to their online MBA
programs.
The
University of Phoenix (low admission requirements) is a perfect example
of how this trend is already occurring; its fully online MBA program and
FlexNet (part online and part face to face) MBA program have continued
to grow substantially in the number of students enrolled over recent
years.
At
Penn State World Campus, “Online applications are increasing each year,”
says John Fizel iMBA program director. “We are up about 25 percent each
year, and we probably admit around 50 percent, or more, of the people
who apply.”
Preparing for the
Admission Process
If
you are entertaining the possibility of applying to a school with medium
to high admissions requirements, you will need to address three primary
measures of applicant quality:
• The GMAT
• Essay and/or
statement of purpose
• The interview
Most schools will also ask for one or two letters of recommendation from
professionals you have worked with or studied under, and they will
suggest that these letters address both your academic and business
acumen.
All
these measures combined become your admissions packet that an admissions
committee will review.
The
first thing you need to tell yourself about the GMAT is “Don’t worry
about it.” Taking this test, particularly for adult working
professionals who have been out of school for a good number of years, is
often the cause of a great deal of unnecessary anxiety.
“I
tell applicants to approach the GMAT with confidence,” said Penn State’s
Fizel. “You can do that in a number of ways. One is to recognize that it
is something you have to do. Recognize that if you are a competent
student, competent businessperson, competent individual in the
professional business world, you can do well on the GMAT.”
The
GMAT is comprised of three components: verbal, quantitative, and
analytical writing. The writing component was added to the test in 1994
based on the input of business schools and recruiters who emphasized
that graduates should be skilled in effectively analyzing and presenting
arguments, said Daphne Atkinson, GMAC’s vice president of industry
relations. For the quantitative component, test takers can expect
arithmetic, basic algebra, and basic geometry questions. The verbal
component measures reading comprehension and a person’s ability to
evaluate arguments and correct written material to conform to standard
written English.
Everything you need to know about the GMAT is available at
GMAC’s MBA.com website.
Atkinson adds that the test “is not a predictor. The GMAT does not
attempt to say that its raison d’etre is to predict success in a career,
but it was designed when used in conjunction with an undergraduate GPA,
to give you a notion of the probability that someone will be successful
academically. It measures constructs that have been validated for and
predictive of success in the core requirements, which are often quite
quantitative.”
“If
you were to pin me down and ask what does the GMAT really tell us in
addition to it being a general aptitude and ability test, I would say
that we have discovered that it is a good indication of somebody’s
ability to successfully complete an MBA program on the quantitative
side,” said the University of Florida’s Sevilla.
To
state the obvious, doing well on the GMAT will require that you prepare
for it. “Take a few practice exams to allay the anxiety you may have,”
said Fizel. “It will improve your mental approach to the exam as well as
increase your knowledge about the procedures and content. We find that
preparation always improves scores. So if you just take your time, if
you do it in a relaxed manner, most of the time you will do fine.”
“Understand what it is you are not getting right,” said Atkinson. “That
is the first thing. The second thing is to decide whether or not what
you are not getting requires remedial help from outside. Is it that you
forgot it, or is it that you did not learn it? If it is the latter, you
may need to take a business math course, for example, at a community
college during the summer term.”
If
you have simply forgot what you once learned, then you basically have
two choices: Buckle down and study to refresh your memory, or pay for a
test-preparation service to help you buckle down and study to refresh
your memory. For the self-motivated, one way of studying is to purchase
GMAC’s most recent edition of The Official Guide for GMAT Review, which
contains more than 1,400 multiple-choice questions found on the actual
GMAT, along with explanations prepared by test authors. The guide also
has analytical writing assessment topics, a math review, and test-taking
tips. At the time of this writing in the Fall of 2008, the guide was
selling for $36.95, plus shipping and handling, via the MBA.com website.
In
addition to MBA.com, there are other places online where one can get
practice tests and web-based help for taking the GMAT, and many local
and national companies provide face-to-face classes or have professional
private tutors walk students through test preparation, both of which are
typically pricey options. Depending on the instructional package and
provider, face-to-face classes at some of the test-preparation providers
can cost well over $1,000, and private tutors can reach to more than
$2,000. GMAC does not endorse one method of test preparation over
others, said Atkinson. “We do say that familiarity with the test is an
important part of doing well on the GMAT.”
Following is a short list of additional GMAT-preparation alternatives,
provided both online and face to face:
•
Test Prep
Review. This free online service features self-assessment quizzes that keep your
score and can reveal learning gaps. Also provides links to numerous
online resources that can help improve your weak areas. The quizzes
cover basic and advanced algebra, geometry, basic and advanced grammar,
reading comprehension, and much more.
•
The Princeton
Review. This company provides classroom-based, online, private tutoring, books,
and other course materials for students who are willing to pay for GMAT
test-preparation services. Princeton Review has offices, where both the
physical classes and private tutoring are conducted, across the country.
The website has a search function that shows you where the closest
office to your zip code is located.
•
Kaplan Test Prep.
Click on the GMAT link in the Business category - this company is
similar to the Princeton Review in that it also provides
classroom-based, online, private tutoring services, books, and other
course materials for test preparation; it also has offices located
across the country.
•
800score.com.
This company offers a variety of software and downloadable
test-preparation guides. Check out their free online Sample GMAT Math
section.
• Check with an
institution nearby. Most institutions have testing support service
centers or academic resource centers on campus that provide
classroom-based GMAT test-preparation courses to the public. Their
prices are typically competitive and worth researching. For example, the
University of Baltimore, which has an online MBA program, provides a
14-hour live GMAT Quantitative Review course, held from 9 A.M. to 1 P.M.
on four consecutive Saturdays, for $85. Many institutions have similar
test-preparation services.
Another Point of View
About the GMAT
As
noted previously, not all online MBA programs require the GMAT, which,
to me, is fine and good. However, schools that do require the GMAT might
tell you otherwise. I personally have always believed that these kinds
of tests are a waste of time, especially for people like me who are
horrible test takers. Perhaps I am biased about this topic, but it goes
back many years ago when I had to take the Graduate Record Exam. The
night before taking that test I was so anxious that I could not sleep.
The following morning I had to get up early and drive 1.5 hours to the
nearest testing location. About one month before the test, I began a
daily review trying to cram everything I learned as an undergraduate
back into my brain. By the time I put pencil to paper on that fateful
test day, I was frazzled. Needless to say, I did very poorly. Does that
mean I’m not capable of being a successful student? Absolutely not. Does
it mean that I’m a lousy test taker? Absolutely yes.
When you look at the big picture, there seems to be compelling evidence
to support both sides of the test-taking issue. Some educators argue
that the GMAT test can weed out students who would possibly disrupt the
team and community building of an online course due to their lack of
appropriate academic skills. Other educators argue that numerous adult,
working professionals would contribute immensely to any MBA curriculum
if only they weren’t eliminated from the process because of a GMAT
requirement.
“Our program is not designed for people who are good test takers; it is
designed for people who are conscientious,” said Hartigan from UMUC.
“It requires discipline and the ability to apply what you learn
as opposed to being able to take a test.”
“We
know that with working adults, in particular – whether it is the GRE or
the GMAT, or whatever – these tests are not good in terms of predictive
validity relating to whether they will succeed,” added
Craig Swenson, former provost and senior vice president for
academic affairs, University of Phoenix. “You find out very quickly if a
person is going to succeed or not once they get into class. You set the
bar, and they will show you that they can do it, or they will
self-select out if they cannot do it.”
Writing Essays and
Statements of Purpose
As
noted in Chapter Sixteen, writing skills are very important as an online
student. Some online MBA programs with medium to high admission
requirements screen out applicants with poor communication competencies
by having them submit an essay and/or a personal statement as part of
their admission requirements. These essays/statements also serve as a
means to qualify applicants in relation to their overall business skills
and personal integrity. At Indiana University, for instance, online MBA
applicants are asked to “give examples of leadership and discuss career
goals” in their personal statements. University of Florida asks
applicants to submit written essays to “convey one’s unique background,
personality, and ability to add to the diversity of the Florida MBA
programs.”
After reviewing application packets, a few online MBA programs with
medium to high admission requirements invite applicants in for an
interview. In the online world, these are typically held through a phone
conference; however, if a student happens to live close by, these
interviews can be conducted in person.
Paula O’Callaghan, former director of Syracuse University’s iMBA
program, took a personalized approach and interviewed each iMBA
applicant by telephone or in person. She added that the iMBA admissions
process is similar to what one might find in a good Executive MBA
program. “In the online environment, you are dealing with people with a
lot of work experience and very little time,” O’Callaghan explained. “It is almost embarrassing to turn them
down. So I want to avoid that. These are people in their 30s and 40s. I
don’t want them to have to go through all this trouble only to get
turned down.”
Most programs with medium to high admission requirements will ask for
your resume. It goes without saying that you should have a
professional-looking, well-written resume. Give it a good once over and
make sure it looks good and is well written.
In
particular, make sure you have a dynamite objective and mission
statement right up front that relates to your goals and aspirations as a
business professional in a very upbeat and positive way. If you don’t
have the time or inclination to do this, hire a professional resume
service to help you.
Most programs with medium to high admission requirements ask for two
letters of recommendation. I don’t mean to sound cynical, but has anyone
out there ever seen a poor letter of recommendation? Obviously
you’ll ask your favorite colleague, former professor, boss,
and/or other high-level executive to write a letter that you know will
shine brightly. So this requirement also seems to fit into a category of
not being an accurate measure of a person’s true capabilities.
Nonetheless, you will find this criterion listed on many programs with
medium to high admission requirements.
Some programs are very specific about what kind of letters they want.
For example, Portland State University points prospective students to
the “Apply Effectively” section of GMAC’s MBA.com website, which states
that “meaningful recommendations provide specific information that
demonstrates your ability to excel in both an MBA program and a business
or professional career.” It goes on to advise students to obtain letters
of recommendations that “confirm or elaborate on your credentials,
strengths, and aspirations.”
A
Google search using the term “letters of recommendation” will bring you
lots of advice from career counselors about how to organize such letters
and what kind of information should go inside them. Here’s a short list
of recommendations for letters of recommendations in relation to
business school applications:
• Try to have your
letter writer focus the content of the letter toward what a business
school would be looking for in a graduate candidate, such as
self-discipline, analytical skills, communication skills, interpersonal
skills, leadership skills, and intellectual strengths.
• Stress your ability
to work well with others, your integrity, your reliability, and your
energy and dedication to commit to a rigorous academic challenge.
• List all honors and
awards you have received throughout your life, as well as any
academic-oriented accomplishments you feel are worthy of noting.
Finally, my personal opinion is don’t write your own letter for someone
to sign and edit, which is a common practice. However, I do suggest you
explain to any prospective recommendation letter writer that you would
prefer that they focus their writing around some of the aforementioned
topics. Also, be very gracious and appreciative when asking anyone to go
to bat for you.
Another aspect of the admissions process that could come into play deals
with the prospect of transferring in previous credit earned. Some adult
learners, for instance, may have started but never completed
graduate-level courses in the field of business in the past through a
different program than the one they are applying to. If you earned such
graduate-level credits at a regionally accredited institution and are
applying to another regionally accredited institution, you may be able
to transfer 25 percent or less of the total credit needed to attain the
degree. However, regardless of accreditation status, every program
handles credit transferability issues differently. How long ago you
earned such previous credit as well as the nature of the courses you
took are all taken under consideration in such circumstances. Basically,
there are no guarantees that your credit will be automatically accepted.
Because the University of Florida (UF) has very
selective online MBA admission standards, I spoke with Sevilla
about UF’s overall philosophy concerning the quality of students it
accepts. I believe his response can be used as a basic guideline for
getting accepted into any of the programs that have high admission
requirements.
First, Sevilla said, in addition to looking at an applicant’s
professional experience, academic credentials and GPA, every applicant,
even if he or she is a senior vice president, must take the GMAT. “It’s
a valid assessment,” he explained. Second, to “maximize the learning
environment for everyone” in the UF iMBA program, admitted students need
to have the aptitude to understand statistics, economics, and the
quantitative side of accounting and finance. “We would really be doing
someone a disservice if we were to admit them into this rigorous iMBA
program, without these quantitative skills, especially if they are
keeping their job, working 50 to 60 plus hours a week, and trying to fit
this into a very busy life,” Sevilla claimed.
Sevilla also stressed that any student seeking admission into the UF
iMBA program must have realistic expectations. “This is a tough program,
and you have to have a commitment across the board, at home, at work, in
your personal life and professional life because you are looking at 15
to 20 hours a week.” Finally, your overall expectations must be aligned
with working hard and ultimately gaining knowledge, “not just a piece of
paper that you are going to hang on a wall.”
Of
course, UF’s iMBA program is not the only tough program out there. In
fact, the vast majority of online MBA programs are very challenging and
time consuming, to say the least. Regardless of the admission
requirements any particular program has, once you get accepted, be
prepared to travel down a road that will require you to drive hard with
a full tank of determination and brain power.
“There are reasonable rationales for every type of program, and there is no one program type that anyone should feel is better than or less than another. It depends on what your personal circumstances are, and what you are hoping to get out of a program. Regardless, program quality is critical,” noted GMAC’s Atkinson.
|
|
|
|