GAHZLY

At one point in time, the Graduate Management Admissions Test (GMAT) was the de facto exam that students took to get into business school. But in 2006, the creators of the GMAT, the Graduate Management Admissions Council (GMAC), decided to sever ties with the Educational Testing Service (ETS), who up until that point had administered the exam. This move, which ended the non-compete clause that the GMAC held over the ETS, allowed the ETS to challenge the stranglehold that the GMAC had on business school testing. Since 2006, the ETS has been campaigning schools to accept the GRE as an alternative to the GMAT. According to a press release by the ETS, “About 450 MBA programs worldwide now accept the GRE test, including 45 percent of the U.S. News & World Report’s top 100 U.S. programs and seven of the top 10 global MBA programs according to The Financial Times.” These schools include some of the top-ranked business schools in the world, such as Harvard, Stanford, Whar...

MBA application essays are notoriously difficult: In a brief space, you must give an overview of yourself that will recommend you favorably to each member of the admissions board, providing an insightful view of what you have to offer. But you won’t be alone in the attempt: The best MBA schools receive thousands of admissions each year-in addition to yours. How, then, can you stand out amid a crowd of applicants? Your written essay is the key to differentiating yourself from your peers in compelling ways. Make your essay informative, but don’t merely dump information. Instead, take the time to paint a clear picture of yourself and why you’re seeking to further your academic career by seeking an MBA: • Reveal your reason for embarking on this avenue of study. It’s okay to be informal as you do so: Share the life experiences that have brought you to where you are today. • The show, don’t just tell about, your level of motivation in seeking to earn a...