At the beginning of your MBA application journey, you might hit a common fork in the road: which exam should you take—the GMAT, GRE, or possibly even the Executive Assessment (EA)? In this post, we outline the differences and similarities among these exams, help you determine which test to take, and discuss what a competitive score is for each one.
With regard to the GMAT, raw intellectual horsepower helps, but it is not everything. Manhattan Prep’s Stacey Koprince teaches you how to perform at your best on test day by using some common sense.
Have you been studying for the GMAT for a while now but find yourself struggling to lift your score? Perhaps you have some problems of which you are unaware, or you are studying in an inefficient or ineffective way.
This article includes links to a number of additional articles. If you see something that applies to your situation, follow the link!
Almost everyone has timing problems; many people think they do not, but they are wrong. If you have been studying for a while but your score does not seem to be changing much, then one of the culprits is probably timing. Another common sign: your practice test scores fluctuate up and down.
Next, analyze your most recent practice test to see whether you have any timing problems and, if so, what they are.
You may also, of course, have content problems—maybe modifiers are driving you crazy, or combinatorics.
Not all content areas have equal value. Some areas are more commonly tested than others, and those areas are obviously worth more of your time and attention. For example, modifiers are very commonly tested, but combinatorics questions are infrequent. If you are struggling with this topic, good news! Forget about it.
How do you know which areas are more or less commonly tested? This changes over time, so ask your instructor or post the question on some GMAT forums.
The test review we discussed in the time management section will also tell you your content strengths and weaknesses. Your next task is to figure out how to study in a more effective way.
Many people do huge quantities of problems, but we are not going to memorize all these problems. If that is what you have been doing and you are struggling or taking forever, stop now!
What we want to do instead is use the current practice problems to help us learn how to think our way through future new problems. When doing GMAT-format problems, be aware that roughly 80% of your learning comes after you have finished doing the problem. Your goal here is not to do a million questions but to do a much more modest number of questions and really analyze them to death. Here is how to review GMAT practice problems.
Super-High Score Goal
What if you are going for a super-high score (730+) and find that you are stagnating? Maybe you have hit 700 but cannot get past that mark. First, do you really need such a high score? Not many schools will reject a 700-scorer for that reason.
If you are determined to push into the stratosphere, learn the differences between a 700-scorer and a 760-scorer. A super-high scorer has certain skills and habits, and you will need to learn how to develop them. Also, recognize that you might need outside help from a class or tutor to make this leap.
Have you experienced a big score drop (more than 70 points) on a recent practice test or an official exam? I know you are disappointed, but you are not alone. Your task now is to figure out what went wrong, so that you can take steps to get back to the pre-drop level.
Finally, if you just cannot figure out what is holding you back, then you likely need the advice of an expert. You can get free advice on various forums (including the Manhattan Prep forums!). You could also take a class or work with a tutor—this will cost money, of course, but if you have really been banging your head against the wall for a long time, then you might decide the investment is worth it.
The McCombs School of Business at the University of Texas, Austin, features several highlights in its MBA program that allow students to benefit from expanded opportunities for work experience (including with nonprofits), entrepreneurship, and leadership programming. For example, in the Texas McCombs Labs program, students learn marketing and supply chain skills by working hands-on for such major firms as Dell and Sam’s Club. All first-year MBA students are eligible to apply to the program, which runs through the course of one academic year.
Another notable program, the Texas Venture Labs Investment Competition, awards MBA scholarships to the winners of a start-up pitch competition, in which both admitted and prospective students can compete. The competition awards nearly $50,000 in prizes annually. In the area of nonprofit work, McCombs hosts a chapter of the Net Impact program, which affords students the chance to work on socially and environmentally responsible projects aimed at solving major societal problems.
Another Southern institution, Emory University’s Goizueta Business School—named after late Coca-Cola CEO Roberto C. Goizueta—is deeply rooted in a legacy of global business leadership. Goizueta’s MBA program offers one- and two-year formats, strives to maintain an intimate learning environment, and offers its students the benefit of being located in a significant global commercial hub. One of the program’s notable advantages has been its success in attracting recruiters. The school’s recruiting strengths seem to be reflected in its latest employment report as well—99% of the Class of 2021 received job offers within three months of graduation and accepted positions with such major companies as Amazon, Deloitte, EY, Google, Microsoft, PwC, and UPS.
The Penn State Smeal College of Business takes a straightforward, no-nonsense approach to its one required, written application essay, asking candidates to explain the most basic factors behind their pursuit of an MBA: where they want to go professionally, why they believe they are positioned to reach their career objectives, and what role the MBA plays in their plans. The other required “essay,” however, is a total 180, in which applicants must respond on video to several random, unknown questions, with less than a minute in which to prepare for each. Smeal appears to want to capture both sides of its candidates—the formal and carefully planned and considered side and the instinctive, improvised, and unguarded side—in its assessment of them. Read on for our more thorough analysis of the school’s application essays for 2022–2023.
To craft a successful essay response to this rather classic prompt, you will need to accomplish a few things (though not necessarily in the order we are about to present them). One, clearly present both your immediate post-MBA goal and your longer-term aspiration. Two, ensure that the connection between these two objectives is clear, and if not, provide appropriate context or explanation to reveal the connection and why the transition from one to the other is reasonable and attainable for you. Three, describe the skills and background you already possess that position you for success in your desired roles and industry, along with those you still need to attain via an MBA education (thereby demonstrating your understanding of what is required to reach your stated positions and thrive there). And four, identify the resources and experiences that Smeal offers (and, ideally, that other top business schools do not) that will allow you to gain the abilities and exposure you currently lack. We explain these concepts and how to achieve them in more detail in our mbaMission Personal Statement Guide, which is available free of charge. Download your complimentary copy today!
Required video components—and especially spontaneous ones like this—can easily strike fear into the hearts of business school candidates, but let us reassure you a bit and unpack this component of the Smeal application process, in hopes of helping you relax and put your best self forward. First of all, keep in mind that these video questions are not meant to trip you up or entice you to do or say anything that would get you immediately disqualified from consideration. Videos are generally opportunities for the admissions committee to put a “face” on your written application and learn a little more about your personality, energy level, communication style, and other such intangibles. By putting you on the spot and under stress to some degree, the video questions allow the school to see how you act under pressure and intuitively, which naturally reveals more of one’s true character. Rather than being intimidated by this fact, though, try to see it as a chance to show Smeal the real you and your enthusiasm about participating and sharing. Step beyond the stats and the restrictive boxes of the written application and let your personality shine through.
Many MBA applicants feel that they are purchasing a brand when they choose a business school. However, the educational experience you will have is what is crucial to your future, and no one will affect your education more than your professors. Today, we focus on Katherine Schipper from the Duke University Fuqua School of Business.
Katherine Schipper is the Thomas F. Keller Professor of Business Administration at Fuqua and has typically taught one of the MBA program’s core accounting courses, “Financial Accounting.” She previously served in several roles for the American Accounting Association and is currently the president of the International Association for Accounting Education and Research. Schipper was editor of the Journal of Accounting Research for many years and was a member of the Financial Accounting Standards Board from 2001 to 2006, before joining Fuqua. In 2007, Schipper was the first woman inducted into the Accounting Hall of Fame.
A second-year student we interviewed who had taken the course “Global Institutions and Environment” (which is not available during the 2021–2022 academic year) with Schipper said, “She was outstanding. It was amazing to have professors of their caliber teaching the first class we experienced at Fuqua.” Another second year told us, “I was really nervous about accounting, but she made it very accessible, and even occasionally fun.” When asked which professor impressed her most, a second year we interviewed named Schipper, praising her rigor in the classroom: “She held every single person to an impeccably high standard and set the tone for graduate level expectations.”
For more information about the Duke University Fuqua School of Business and 16 other top-ranked business schools, check out our free mbaMission Insider’s Guides.
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