According to Kaplan Test Prep’s 2012 survey of business school admissions officers at 265 MBA programs across the United States – including 17 of the top 25 – 41% said the GMAT’s new Integrated Reasoning section makes the GMAT more reflective of the business school experience, a big drop from the 59% who answered that way in Kaplan’s 2011 survey. Those who weren’t sure if IR would make the exam more reflective rose from 37% in 2011 to 49% in 2012. Admissions officers who said IR would not make the exam more reflective increased from 5% in 2011 to 10% in 2012. The survey also finds that nearly 70% of bschools now allow applicants to submit scores from the GRE as an alternative to the GMAT. For more complete results in PDF format, click here. Below are some key findings:
And which would you say is the MOST important factor in the admissions process? Is it…
- Entrance exam score: 49%
- Undergraduate GPA: 31%
- Work experience:18%
- Letters of recommendation: 2%
- Essays: 1%
Do you think the addition of the Integrated Reasoning section makes the exam more reflective of the business school experience?
- Yes: 41%
- No: 10%
- Do not know: 49%
Do you think the addition of the Integrated Reasoning section makes the exam more reflective of work in business and management after business school?
- Yes: 36%
- No: 10%
- Do not know: 54%
As you know, an increasing number of business schools now accept GRE scores in addition to GMAT scores. Is this an option your school currently offers?
- Yes: 69%
- No: 31%
Have you ever Googled an applicant to learn more about them?
- Yes: 32%
- No: 66%
- Not sure: 2%
Have you ever visited an applicant’s social networking page like Facebook to learn more about them?
- Yes: 27%
- No: 70%
- Not sure: 3%
(Asked only of those who said “Yes” to previous two questions) Have you ever discovered something online about an applicant that negatively impacted their application?
- Yes: 10%
- No: 85%
- Not sure: 6%
