US News & World Report, will for the first time this October begin collecting GRE General Test data as part of its annual rankings of top MBA programs.
In an unprecedented move, US News & World Report, publisher of 'America’s Best Graduate Schools,' will for the first time this October begin collecting GRE General Test data as part of its annual rankings of top MBA programs. The announcement follows a US News & World Report study that showed dramatic increase in the number of top business schools that use or will soon use the GRE test for MBA admission.
The announcement appeared on the blog “Morse Code,” written by Robert Morse, director of Data Research for the magazine. US News & World Report also published a companion article, 'GRE is Fast Becoming a GMAT Alternative for B-School Applicants', the day Morse announced the change on his blog.
“We believe that GRE offers real advantages to MBA programs and prospective business school students,” says ETS president and CEO Kurt M Landgraf. “The dramatic increase in MBA programs accepting GRE, and the recent decision from one of the most respected and influential publications to collect GRE data as part of its MBA ranking survey, validates the GRE test as a meaningful option for MBA admission.”
The “Morse Code” blog states that a “growing number of MBA programs are now accepting the Graduate Record Examinations or GRE test for admissions. This new trend gives prospective MBA students more testing options …” The posting continues: “One key reason why MBA programs are adding the GRE as a testing option is it enables them to broaden their applicant pool and get more potential students to consider going to B- school.”
“About 50% of our students come from non-business undergraduate programs, such as science, law and engineering,” says Blake Bedsole, director of Admissions and Student Services at Manderson Graduate School of Business, University of Alabama. “We’ve found that these students prefer to take the GRE test so that they can apply to other graduate and professional programs. In fact, 25% of last year’s class opted to take the GRE instead of the GMAT. Accepting GRE scores allows us to be much more flexible in our recruitment efforts, and that’s a good thing for our program and the students.”
Currently, 338 MBA programs accept GRE for admission, including 33 of the US News & World Report top 100, according to Educational Testing Service (ETS). Since December 31 of last year, more than 50 MBA programs have signed on to accept GRE scores, and this number has been rapidly building on top of the 69% increase recorded in 2009.
“Comments from deans indicated clearly that schools are either accepting the scores or seriously planning to do so very soon, because it simply makes sense for the schools and for the applicants,” says David G Payne, VP and COO for Graduate and College Programs at ETS, about his recent presentation at the International Conference and Annual Meeting of AACSB International (The Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business) — the premier accrediting agency of collegiate business schools and accounting programs worldwide.
The US News & World Report announcement comes at a time when the GRE program is gearing up to launch the GRE revised General Test in August 2011. Graduate and business schools have commented that the revisions will bring more value to institutions and test takers. Students will especially like many of the new test-taker friendly features, including content that is more like graduate school work, advanced test navigation capabilities, and an on-screen calculator. ETS officials anticipate that potential MBA students will find taking the GRE revised General Test an attractive option.
“Because it makes perfect sense for programs to broaden and diversify their applicant pools and to provide increased options for students, it’s only a matter of time before nearly every business school and MBA program across the globe accepts the GRE test,” adds Landgraf.
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
)
)
)
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}