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lukacsdepereny
- Senior | Next Rank: 100 Posts
- Posts: 63
- Joined: Tue Jun 24, 2008 11:54 pm
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Hi,
I would like to talk about something I personally find a bit unfair regarding applications: the GMAT factor
Most top schools require great GMAT scores (700 or above) and seek for diversity on someone´s application. That is the ideal candidate from what I have read -and have been reading- throughout several mba blogs & forums.
Taking this into consideration, I might ask why a 180 minute exam sometimes weights more than 5 years of prooved high quality work experience?
:
On the other hand I agree the GMAT is a great tool to "measure" someone´s verbal and quantitative skills, yet, the GMAT is still something you can work on and practice -and it has been clearly demonstrated that people with very low scores (eg. 390) once they get to practice for this test have shown an impressive increase in their grades obtaining competitive scores (eg 680)-
Briefly, anyone -with time- can learn the way-to-answer question techniques.But how can you measure someone´s capacity of leadership, charisma, personality or emotional intelligence? (Yes, you might say "that is why interviews are for" however some candidates get "erased" early before having the chance to show themselves and never get interviewed. :roll:
Personally I believe the GMAT is a great tool but unfortunately, due to high MBA demand worldwide (and increasing each year, specially nowdays, when the globe´s economy is getting worst), this exam has turned to be a quantitative barrier (which I believe to have been its primary purpose) but in any case and under any circumstances its something someone can attribute to inteligence; its basically a mechanical approach related to math ability or verbal knowledge of English (for what English native speakers have a great advantage, I believe if this exam could be taken in someone´s native language, scores would be far better in average, but, because MBA programmes take place in a majority of English speaking countries -and accepting English as the N°1 commercial language internationally speaking- the GMAT has been built as it is) :arrow:
Therfore, how could an applicant, willing to apply for various top MBA schools, who has achieved a great carrer path through 6 years of pure work experience, handling managerial positions, supervising 300 persons or more, being responsable for the companies revenues and performance, who dominates (lets say...) 3 languages, with an adequate or strong GPA and transcripts, international experience (both professional and personal), who left university 6 years ago (having perhaps forgotten much of the stuff asked on the GMAT) can "justify" a low GMAT score taking into account that he works (lets again say..) 91 hrs per week, during 30 days (of non stop work, from 7am till 8pm) with only 2 weeks of holidays before retaking his 30 day duty (concretely talking: no time to study).... or to show that, although he got a low GMAT score he still managed to significantly reduce costs or that he pulled great numbers during his professional experience...
How can all this be compared to a 180 minute test? For an exam you can repeat it and get the attacking test tricks while in real life, this kind of achievements dont give you a second nor third chance. Once an error has been made you must cope with it or when success is present you can´t obtain it again by just practising...Thats capacity! 
Perhaps I might have a more humanized vision of the process which is not compatible with the massive MBA admission processes that cant be human because they need numbers. I cant imagine an Adcom interviewing 700 applicants, its not feasable nor practical: numbers turn to be arguments.
This dilema is still present for me, because the person previously described is me
As a matter of fact, the GMAT is of a great importance although many schools claim it to be just a "part" of the whole package. We should not forget it is also a marketing tool for many schools that seek to keep their "exlusive" MBA touch. Can you imagine Harvard, MIT, Yale or Stanford showing in their brochures an average GMAT of 610 or less? NO WAY!!!
Nevertheless I cant minimize the effort and capacity of people getting high scores (I believe a good GMAT score is the result of effort rather than capacity) Moreover I cant be blind to deny the difficulties MBA schools can have while getting to know each candidate as I pretend. Lets not forget the GMAT is also lucrative business.
What I have learnt throughout this years is that the only way to gain things is hard working and practising and that when certain rules are established you must accept them just the way business get you to cope with extreme situations! I did not mean to show my complaint about the actual system, its just that I find it somewhat unfair.
I would like to thank everyone here for giving their impressions and sharing their views. This is human knowledge: diversity of thoughts.
Best 4 u all,
LUK
I would like to talk about something I personally find a bit unfair regarding applications: the GMAT factor
Most top schools require great GMAT scores (700 or above) and seek for diversity on someone´s application. That is the ideal candidate from what I have read -and have been reading- throughout several mba blogs & forums.
Taking this into consideration, I might ask why a 180 minute exam sometimes weights more than 5 years of prooved high quality work experience?
: On the other hand I agree the GMAT is a great tool to "measure" someone´s verbal and quantitative skills, yet, the GMAT is still something you can work on and practice -and it has been clearly demonstrated that people with very low scores (eg. 390) once they get to practice for this test have shown an impressive increase in their grades obtaining competitive scores (eg 680)-
Briefly, anyone -with time- can learn the way-to-answer question techniques.But how can you measure someone´s capacity of leadership, charisma, personality or emotional intelligence? (Yes, you might say "that is why interviews are for" however some candidates get "erased" early before having the chance to show themselves and never get interviewed. :roll:
Personally I believe the GMAT is a great tool but unfortunately, due to high MBA demand worldwide (and increasing each year, specially nowdays, when the globe´s economy is getting worst), this exam has turned to be a quantitative barrier (which I believe to have been its primary purpose) but in any case and under any circumstances its something someone can attribute to inteligence; its basically a mechanical approach related to math ability or verbal knowledge of English (for what English native speakers have a great advantage, I believe if this exam could be taken in someone´s native language, scores would be far better in average, but, because MBA programmes take place in a majority of English speaking countries -and accepting English as the N°1 commercial language internationally speaking- the GMAT has been built as it is) :arrow:
Therfore, how could an applicant, willing to apply for various top MBA schools, who has achieved a great carrer path through 6 years of pure work experience, handling managerial positions, supervising 300 persons or more, being responsable for the companies revenues and performance, who dominates (lets say...) 3 languages, with an adequate or strong GPA and transcripts, international experience (both professional and personal), who left university 6 years ago (having perhaps forgotten much of the stuff asked on the GMAT) can "justify" a low GMAT score taking into account that he works (lets again say..) 91 hrs per week, during 30 days (of non stop work, from 7am till 8pm) with only 2 weeks of holidays before retaking his 30 day duty (concretely talking: no time to study).... or to show that, although he got a low GMAT score he still managed to significantly reduce costs or that he pulled great numbers during his professional experience...
How can all this be compared to a 180 minute test?
For an exam you can repeat it and get the attacking test tricks while in real life, this kind of achievements dont give you a second nor third chance. Once an error has been made you must cope with it or when success is present you can´t obtain it again by just practising...Thats capacity! Perhaps I might have a more humanized vision of the process which is not compatible with the massive MBA admission processes that cant be human because they need numbers. I cant imagine an Adcom interviewing 700 applicants, its not feasable nor practical: numbers turn to be arguments.
This dilema is still present for me, because the person previously described is me
As a matter of fact, the GMAT is of a great importance although many schools claim it to be just a "part" of the whole package. We should not forget it is also a marketing tool for many schools that seek to keep their "exlusive" MBA touch. Can you imagine Harvard, MIT, Yale or Stanford showing in their brochures an average GMAT of 610 or less? NO WAY!!!
Nevertheless I cant minimize the effort and capacity of people getting high scores (I believe a good GMAT score is the result of effort rather than capacity) Moreover I cant be blind to deny the difficulties MBA schools can have while getting to know each candidate as I pretend. Lets not forget the GMAT is also lucrative business.
What I have learnt throughout this years is that the only way to gain things is hard working and practising and that when certain rules are established you must accept them just the way business get you to cope with extreme situations! I did not mean to show my complaint about the actual system, its just that I find it somewhat unfair.
I would like to thank everyone here for giving their impressions and sharing their views. This is human knowledge: diversity of thoughts.
Best 4 u all,
LUK
