I just got an email from BusinessWeek containing a link to the following article about the GSB’s plan to start accepting the GRE in place of the GMAT from applicants: Link to Article
I understand the Admissions Office’s rationale for doing this, but I’m not really sure how it’ll play out once it gets implemented. As you guys know, i’m a big fan of diversity and opening the school up to applicants who might be shut out by the cost of the GMAT…my main concern is that it seems the GMAT and GRE test different things and it seems that this might lead to “apples and oranges” comparisons between applicants’ profiles. Eh, I’m not sweatin’ it too much though because Derrick Bolton and his staff don’t make mistakes, so I know that there’s a “method to the madness” in this move. You’ve gotta love the way that Stanford GSB is always stepping up and doing big things.
I understand the Admissions Office’s rationale for doing this, but I’m not really sure how it’ll play out once it gets implemented. As you guys know, i’m a big fan of diversity and opening the school up to applicants who might be shut out by the cost of the GMAT…my main concern is that it seems the GMAT and GRE test different things and it seems that this might lead to “apples and oranges” comparisons between applicants’ profiles. Eh, I’m not sweatin’ it too much though because Derrick Bolton and his staff don’t make mistakes, so I know that there’s a “method to the madness” in this move. You’ve gotta love the way that Stanford GSB is always stepping up and doing big things.
Don’t both tests just test reasoning ability. Does the GMAT really test business school reasoning and GRE grad school reasoning? I think they are similar enough for Stanford to accept both. Especially with the GRE changing formats in fall 2007, it will look even more like the GMAT. Trust me, I’ve seen it and the two tests will look even more similar.
I’m gonna have to say I don’t understand the whole rationale behind this GRE thing. 99% of applicants apply to more than one school, so it doesn’t make a difference. In fact, any applicant that takes the GRE will end up spending more to take the GMAT require for other schools. If Stanford was truly sincere about reducing the cost for applicants, why not take the difference between the GRE and GMAT costs, and make that reduction on the application fee instead?
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