[Webinar] What Business Schools Look For in Your Academic Profile
A bachelor’s degree equivalent is going to be necessary, the evaluation of your academic background, transcripts and test scores. But remember that this is just one data point that we’re looking at during a holistic. Your story, career, your impact results in leadership also matters in crafting your story through your admission process. Official transcripts are important because of COVID-19. The MBA program look at everything you have done before and the entire application itself is a holistic review not just looking at what you’ve done before but it’s more about what you intend to do during your MBA and how that ties with your story.
The sending of an official transcript is going to be much later in the process so just keep your official transcripts on hand for when that’s needed. But at least with our process you are going to have to upload it twice. List your transcript GPA on the application even if it is not a US-based. The reason why we are having you upload it twice is because the transcript evaluation is with us and so we’re going to look at your transcript and we’re going to look at the grades you received, the courses you took when we may even have to google or look up your institution just to get a sense of what it is because there’s a lot of international folks who are applying and we’re going to know every details about your institution. But we will probably do some research just to get a sense of it.
Second is the validation and it occurs with our graduated international admissions center. These are people who look through transcripts all day and they make sure that your bachelor’s degree is good to go. With test options, obviously we are accepting GMAT or GRE. Most schools are offering waivers, if for instance for us it’s about if there’s a technology issue and you’re not able to take the test where you are living currently so that would be covered with waivers. We are now one of the schools that’s expanded our test offerings. Some people are taking SATs and we’re not doing that. We do have this waiver that’s in place.
If your language of instruction wasn’t in english then you will need to take a toll foe IELTs school test just to demonstrate your english profeciency and that’s another criteria for international applicants. If you have demonstrated english proficiency then you can also ask for the waivers too. 704 is the average GMAT score for 2021 so that would be Olamides class and then for GRE it’s 159 quant 159 verbal and you’ll see that middle 80%.
How did you decide which test to take?
I started preraring for the GRE first of all then it crossed my mind that I wanted to take GMAT because I was interested in consulting when I started putting my applications to business. What I did was that I took practice exams like the dummy packs exams for the GI and GMAT and I just found the GRE a lot easier for me to understand without really going throuh the entire material for prep and when I looked at GMAT it was also confusing. I just focused on prepping for the GRE. So that was mostly what I did because I really understood analytical writing the quants and the verbal very easy.
How Long did you take to prepare? How much tiome did you spend before you were comfortable with the score?
I spent one month prepping for the GRE. I decided on business school in July 2018 and I wanted to apply my first round to my clones and started prepping for the GRE on August and I needed to write the test before October. I wrote my test the end of September and I spent like 2 weeks prepping for the GRE. It was intense.
The thing with the test is you just need to keep taking as many practice tests as possible. Using the test makers materials would be the best reflection to care for the GRE.
If you send us multiple scores we may have to reach out to you and know which one you want us to use. You need to tell us about your education history in your resume. Having a master’s degree is helpful too because it shows that you’re committed to learning and developing your skills. We didn’t get into the resume or professional work experience that much but impact results in leadership it all comes into play.
You need to write the resume by yourself because that’s the best way you’re able to put out the right story that you want the admissions team to see about your profile. It should not just be about your job responsibilities on your resume. It should be more about what exactly did you do and what was the impact of the company as a whole.
If I have a PhD, how is that evaluated by the committee? How is the MBA going to help me achieve my career goal?
We have folks who have terminal degrees, we have a dual degree program with the medicine school so you’re seeing that kind of perspective coming into the classroom. Most of the time it’s like a dentist or pharmacist, part of it is going to be you being able to articulate it.
When you pick an oil admission package and you look at the transcript. What exactly are you looking for?
We are looking for either great grades, just above average ideally or if you started out just improvement throughout your academic journey. The other thing is using kind of what you learned in school on the job possibly. Obviously you were a younger person then and so maybe your mentality and the way you approach work has changed and so that would be something you would probably talk about in an optional third essays.
If you’ve been doing great in undergraduate then your grades can speak for themselves. The other thing that we focus on is the last two years of your undergraduate experience because we think that your upper division course is where you’re really kind of leaning into your academic studies and you get a groove. It’s probably a better representation of you.
How do you apply to a business school with a terrible transcript or a terrible grade?
That’s where the score can come into play to offset maybe some a challenge that you had from the undergraduate experience. So we’re looking for improvement and so that’s where the test can show the improvement in your ability to handle a rigorous MBA program. The reasons why those are important in terms of transcript and a test score is because the MBA is a rigorous program and you’re going to have probably times when you’re going to have the imposter syndrome and ask whether you are worthy for the degree. But you learn the best when you are uncomfortable and that’s why an MBA program is so rewarding. You’re able to deal with ambiguity and to refine your skills to be able to become a better manager.
What are the different kinds of academic profile?
We’re looking for all backgrounds when it comes to an MBA and the reason is if you are an organization that wants to be able to deal with changes, be innovative and be able to adapt then you are going to need someone who comes from all backgrounds. It’s not just business folks who are going to get you to your goals. You really do need something that reflects not only the globe but also the variety of ways that people approach priblems. So there isn’t necessarily one academic background.
In reviewing the applications, does the admission committee have a caught up score? Do they review the application below a particular score grade?
There is not necessarily a cut off mark because we are going to invite people to interview and then we’re also going to reread people’s applications. During reread or review, we are going to look about something about your story that stands out. That’s when an invite could go out. But if you’re looking for a good target then that’s when we have the 80 %.
What happens if a very strong academic grade has an average GRE score? How importat is the GRE and GMAT?
If you have a great record in terms of academic from college then your average is still positive.
How would you describe your experience as an African at the McCOMBS MBA program?
Olamide: Being an African in McCOMBS MBA program, I would say that there is so much of a difference of feeling just being somebody of a different background or just being like a minority being in the program. I felt comfortable in the environment that I found myself in even though when I was pushing the studiy team and I was like the only international student there. My study teammates were very very welcoming. I’ve been able to bring my authentic self to school everyday and I’ve not felt like I needed to change any part of what I am.
Every November we have international nights in McCOMBS where everybody that’s an international gets to showcase their culture and talk about their food and dancing performance. This makes it a very comfortable environment.
Lola: McCOMBS creates an environment where every diversity culture is celebrated and I felt like for me particularly it was up to me as a person to also bring my background and my culture out to the program and let them learn about it whether that be like just having a community of Nigerians. We try to get together and understand our struggles and help each other.
So just because you are a minority or a black person or a Nigerian doesn’t prevent you from taking leadership roles really making a difference within the organization or the program itself. Being a Nigerian, I’ve had a tremendous experience and an opportunity.
What are the funding options to minority groups at McCOMBS Business School?
Jaden: The way that we think about scholarships it is a holistic review. We are going to consider everything that you have submitted. There is no additional forms or esays that you have to fill out. But the scholarship ranges from five thousand dollars to full tuition and over half of our students will receive some sort of aid. That gives you a sense of the way that the scholarships are awarded.
What is the the teaching method about columns? Is it case method or hybrid?
Olamide: It is a combination of both and it depends on the classes you take. But for the core courses that you take in the first year, it’s mostly going to be more instructional than than case-based. Some of the classes like for your first semester of your first year you have the core courses which are finance, accounting statistics and market economics and these courses basically are just taught by an instructor because they are the foundation courses for you to be able to build upon in the second and spring semester(36.47) and also in your second year. But the moment you start taking electives and actually you might start taking the flex score for the strategic management, it’s more of a case-based class where you just read the case and then you come to class and have conversations with the friends about it. And when you decide to take electives, there are electives that are instructional and there are those that are 100% case so it depends on what you want for yourself. After you’re done with your classes and maybe some of your flexible classes, rest of them become either case-based or instructional. It’s all for you to decide and we have really amazing electives.
How will the admission come into view candidates with PhD from UK since they don’t have transcripts?
Jaden: We’ll probably look at your undergrad experience that will have grades and that’s when we’ll think about your academic preparation. In terms of work experience, three to eight years is out work experience middle 80%.
How is McCOMBS business school in collaboration with medical school?
Jaden: It’s brand new, it’s only been open for four years and we’ve now launched a health innovation master’s program. We have a fellows program which is called health Innovation fellows which focusses on health transformation like what the future of healthcare in general. So there is a lot of energy in opportunities within that space and they’re are actually even tearing down buildings to increase the medical innovation space just as an institution. That’s something on the horizon and you’ll probably see a lot more energy dedicated, not only energy but also classes and faculty research in that space.
What the impact of an applicant’s age on the application process specifically 30 plus applicants? Does McCOMBS have an age limit?
Jaden: It depends on your profile, do you really have the desire to stop working and do full time program. There’s some family obligations that doesn’t allow you to do that so we’re very cognizant that that could be the case which why lots of schools offer a variety of ways to get an MBA. I wouldn’t say you’re at disadvantage but it’s about why you need an MBA and why full time.
How do you view online certifications when you see them on transcript on the resume? Does it have any impact?
A certificate isn’t going to impact your GPA because most a times certificates don’t have a GPA tied to them but its going to show that you’ve gone beyond. Obviously it is going to be differebt like if you have a CFA or some kinf of certificate. Thats shows that you’re able to get a level of achievement so I think that there are some certificates that go further that others.
Lola: What are the diversity recruitment priorities at McCOMBS? What are the the steps being taken to improve upon the number of minorities coming into the program?
Jaden: We hired a new diversity and inclusion lead within McCOMBS ambassador committee to pay attention to and be mindful of the ways that we need to be attracting diverse talents which means doing stuff like this making sure that we are creating opportunities that are specifically targeting international folks. it is about the continent of Africa. Is it about focusing on Nigeria. Is it about how we also train people within McCOMBS Ambassador committee to train them for inter-culture difference. How do we prepare people for someone who doesn’t look like that to be able to engage in our conversations and lean into discomfort owning your identity. What does it mean to be a woman of color going into this kind of field and so people just are armed with information so that it doesn’t put the burden on just one type of person to be able to have conversations.
How do you bring everything to priority when you are comparing the applications?
We’re not doing any translation or like kind of flipping it to 4.0 scale. We are looking at the individual transcript of the individual and then thinking of how the grades that you earned during the program. There is a service that we could use to do that but we don’t.
How is COVID-19 impacting the MBA program at McCOMBS for the first year applicants or first year candidates? How is it going to impact those who are coming next year?
Jaden: COVID-19 has just really changed the way the application process is. Everything is virtual and it has changed the student’s experience. For us, it’s a hybrid system which means that the half the class is in person as virtual and then you switch depending on the day. There are classes that are completely virtual and those have been identified and shared.
Olamide: I have two classes that are fully online then three that are hybrid. It’s been a very esasy switch to go from online to hybrid. It’s not as bad as I thought it would be. Another thing that is very good about McCOMBS is that all our classes are in one video so you don’t have to shuffle around the campus.
Jaden: It has also impacted on how the employers are engaging with students. The way recruiting is happening right now, everything is virtual. In the future we may see empoyers more willing to engage in the virtual setting. You’ve also seen employers approach virtual seeing no need to work from the office.