According to Kaplan Test Prep’s 2014 business school admissions officers survey, the vast majority of MBA programs across the United States aren’t following the lead of top schools like Yale, Stanford and Wharton in cutting the number of admissions essays they require applicants to submit.
Just 13% of the 204 business schools that participated in Kaplan’s survey say they had cut the number of admissions essays for this cycle, compared to 2013; and just 3% of schools say they plan to cut the required number of essays for the next application cycle.
“While it’s true that some of the most competitive business schools have cut the number of admissions essays or reduced the word count, our survey finds that the overwhelming number of MBA programs continue to see value in applicants submitting more information about themselves,” said Brian Carlidge, executive director of pre-business and pre-graduate programs, Kaplan Test Prep.
“From what we’ve seen, the business schools that have cut their number of admissions essays are doing so to streamline the process, believing they can get what they need from applicants through fewer, more focused essays. While it may sound counterintuitive, some applicants may find fewer essays and lower word counts difficult as it forces them to be more succinct. We encourage all aspiring MBAs to put effort into their essays, no matter the number or word count, as this piece of the application gives them the opportunity to show admissions officers why they’d be a good fit for the school in a way that their GMAT® score, undergraduate GPA and work experience cannot.”
Carlidge points out that while relatively few business schools have cut back on their number of admissions essays, this is an important trend to watch.
Several years ago only a handful of schools allowed applicants to submit a score from the GRE instead of the GMAT, but now it’s something almost all schools allow. (Image courtesy Stemmings.com)