Are there any specific characteristics that you seek in applications to
help identify the “best fit” candidates?
We try not to use the word “fit” because we really do want a diverse class.
We want people who are as different as possible, who will all learn from
each other. Obviously we need people who can handle the academic course
load, which is quite challenging. Beyond that, we are looking for
demonstrated leadership and success. We want people who are high-achieving
in everything they pursue.
How helpful do applicants generally find a campus visit?
I think it’s crucial. We have a welcome weekend in April, and that is a
great opportunity to come here and meet our current first-year students and
see what they are like. We get our faculty involved, and usually have a
sample lecture. We also have social events. The clubs are very involved.
Applicants who come tend to matriculate because they see that there is a
very special community.
Do you have any special instructions or advice for applicants who want to
visit the campus?
They can sign up through our web site, at www.mba.yale.edu, or they can call
our main office. We have lots of campus visitors who are applicants or
prospective applicants from September through April. The best time to come
is when our classes are in session. Our web site tells exactly when that is.
They can sign up to visit a class. We also have an information session every
day where current students give a tour of the school, followed by lunch with
current students. You really get a much better sense of the place than by
visiting the Web site. Many people combine the campus visit with the
interview on the same day.
Many schools remind applicants that the GMAT is only one of many criteria
that are measured to evaluate their potential success in the MBA program. What is
the lowest GMAT you’ve considered adequate? What were some of the factors
that offset the low score?
I would rather not get into the lowest GMAT that we would consider, because
we consider every application received. We read every application, no matter
what the GMAT score is. That said, eighty per cent of the incoming class has scores
between 640 and 740, so that will give people a good idea of the range.
If someone is not happy with their GMAT score, my suggestion
is to buy a good review book and just focus on the quantitative section. It
is hard to change your verbal score, and the quantitative score tends to be
a good predictor of your ability to get through the first year of the
program. The quantitative section is really just high school math, so often
it is just a matter of review.
What would be your advice be to applicants who have taken the GMAT
multiple times with little improvement?
Certainly, continuing to re-take the GMAT is probably not going to change a
thing. There are other things you can do to demonstrate your quantitative
ability. Taking classes can be useful. We look at all the transcripts very
carefully, and if we see that someone has successfully taken statistics or
microeconomics, then that is a good indicator. If someone has not yet taken
statistics or microeconomics and they are not pleased with their GMAT
score, then this would be a good time to take the course at night. This will
demonstrate to the admissions committee that they are really serious about
getting an MBA.
Is there an ideal length of work experience? For example, how many years
would you consider too much for your full-time program?
There really isn’t an ideal length of work experience. This myth, that
admissions committees only want to see applicants with four or five years
work experience, is simply not true. If you look at the average amount of
work experience, yes, it is four or five years. But that is the average, and
that is only what our applicant pool looks like -- it's not that we are selecting
on that.
We will sometimes be at an MBA fair and someone will tell us
that they are only two years out of college but they really feel they are
ready and want to apply for the MBA program. We are trying to get the word
out that if you think you are ready now, then apply now. Everybody’s career
is different. Everybody’s aspirations are different. For plenty of people it
makes sense to apply one, two, or three years out of college. It is also a
question of the quality of work experience, your accomplishments, whether
you can get a strong recommendation, and what you can contribute to the
classroom.
But we especially worry about women who, maybe two years out of college, want to
apply to an MBA program but think they need to wait -- and then, by waiting,
their life changes. You look at some of those same women several years
later, when it is supposedly time to apply -- now their lives have become
more complicated, and they may or may not ever get that MBA. That is
something that I feel very strongly about. It is better to apply sooner than
it is to
never apply.
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