For most applicants, taking a standardized test is likely the least appealing part of applying to business school. At the onset of COVID in the spring of 2020, many Full-Time MBA programs created great flexibility with their GMAT or GRE requirement. In some cases, the test was waived altogether; in other cases, either the online…
Survey Says: MBA Applicants Have Increased Chances of Acceptance in 2021-22
The booming job market coupled with the emergence of the Delta variant spells “o-p-p-o-r-t-u-n-i-t-y” for MBA applicants and those contemplating an MBA, according to Linda Abraham, president and founder of Accepted. In October Accepted conducted a survey to gauge how these two trends were affecting MBA application plans. The results based on close to 250…
Encore: Application Trends to Watch in 2021, and a Look Back at 2020 [Episode 411]
Thanks for joining me for the 411th episode of Admissions Straight Talk. I am taking a week off for family time this week. As a result I decided to air an encore of our most popular podcast so far in 2021. It actually is a solo podcast that I did for our 400th episode back…
Enhancements to the GMAT Online Exam
The Graduate Management Admission Council (GMAC) recently announced that the GMAT Online, a take-at-home version of the GMAT introduced in April 2020 in response to COVID restrictions on public gatherings, is to become a permanent option for test-takers. At the same time, GMAC added the Analytical Writing Assessment (AWA) to the GMAT Online and made…
What Post-MBA Life Is Like, During COVID and Beyond [Episode 404]
Applying the lessons of MBA school to the reality of COVID-19 [Show summary] Al Dea, a tech product manager who earned his MBA from UNC, dives deep into what life is like after business school, including how the pandemic has impacted the post-MBA experience. What steps can businesses take to help employees thrive during COVID?…
Application Trends to Watch in 2021, and a Look Back at 2020 [Episode 400]
Can the lessons of 2020 help us forge a better 2021? [Show summary] For Admissions Straight Talk’s 400th episode, Linda Abraham reflects on a turbulent year and identifies the most important trends in higher ed admissions to watch in 2021. Applying to graduate school: A journey of self-improvement [Show notes] We’ve reached Episode 400! I…
How to Answer MBA Application and Interview Questions about COVID-19 and Other Major Events of 2020 [Video]
2020 has been a dark, dismal year, but as it draws to a close there’s light at the end of the tunnel. A vaccine is on the horizon. The election is behind us. Maybe, just maybe, we’ll soon be able to gather, hug, meet, and travel. Maybe we’ll be able to largely return to the…
MBA Life at UC Berkeley Haas, From Its New Executive Director of Admissions [Episode 391]
Learn what’s new at Berkeley Haas, as well as tips for crafting admissions-worthy applications. [Show summary] Eric Askins, the newly appointed Executive Director of Admissions at UC Berkeley Haas, explores the school’s full-time MBA program and its admissions policies, as well as how it’s adapting the MBA experience to COVID-19. Interested in applying to Berkeley…
How to Address COVID-19 and the Events of 2020 in Your Application [Episode 387]
Wondering how to write about the tumultuous events of 2020 in your application essays? [Show summary] Accepted Founder Linda Abraham offers a framework for discussing COVID-19, the events of 2020, and their impact on your life in your undergraduate or graduate program applications. Your application should include information about your experience of and response to…
Recovery Expected in 2021 Hiring of MBA and Business Master’s Graduates
GMAC (Graduate Management Admission Council) has published the results of their latest annual survey of corporate recruiters. The 2020 survey concentrated on the impact of COVID-19 for business master’s and MBA grads by comparing data from two waves. Survey responses were collected from 712 corporate recruiters in Wave I (February 17–March 17, 2020) and 232…
MIT Sloan Will Not Require GMAT/GRE This Year
MIT’s Sloan School of Business is not requiring applicants to take the GMAT/GRE as part of their application process this year. Sloan is the first M7 business school (the so-called Magnificent Seven highly selective MBA programs) to drop the standardized test requirement. Sloan joins a growing number of top business schools that have made standardized…
Harvard Business School’s Campus Will Open in the Fall
Harvard Business School (HBS) has decided against having a fully online MBA program this fall and will reopen their campus for a hybrid blend of in-person and online classes, according to Poets & Quants. This policy is different from the university’s plan for undergrads, in which only 40% of students will be permitted on campus…