Kellogg Waives GMAT Requirement for Round 3
Among the many logistical questions social distancing has created is one especially relevant to MBA applicants: how to take the GMAT?
GMAC, the creators of the standardized test, put forward a solution by offering the GMAT virtually. So far, the response from test takers has been less than fully enthusiastic, with some expressing frustrations over issues such as not being allowed to use scratch paper.
As a result, Northwestern University’s Kellogg School of Management has put forward an alternative solution: maybe just don’t take the GMAT at all.
Kellogg has announced that, given current circumstances, they will waive the requirement for Round 3 applicants to submit GMAT or GRE scores.
The school had previously changed Round 3 to a rolling admissions basis and pushed forward the final deadline to June 1 although it still encourages applicants to “submit your application as soon as possible.”
With the latest adjustment to its admissions process, Kellogg says it is responding to the fact that online standardized testing options “do not accommodate everyone.” That said, the school emphasizes that “our admissions standards and other criteria have not changed.”
Of course, waiving standardized testing requirements for Round 3 applicants raises a further challenge: making things fair for Round 1 and 2 applicants who were required to submit scores.
To this end, Kellogg says it is offering all waitlisted and rejected applicants from earlier admissions rounds the option to appeal their admissions decisions before April 30.
Despite the new standardized test waiver, the school is still accepting GMAT and GRE scores from applicants who wish to include those scores with their applications.
Therefore, applicants are free from the requirement of having to submit scores from the “virtual” GMAT or GRE, but the school clarifies that “you can certainly still send in a test score if you believe it will strengthen your application.”
The sudden changes that the current public health crisis has brought have created new and unexpected factors for MBA applicants to consider, whether in their career plans or their approach to the application process. At Kellogg, one of those considerations is now whether it makes sense to submit test scores.
We’re happy to help you evaluate your application strategy in light of the current situation and give you feedback on how best to communicate your unique personal brand. If that sounds helpful, contact us to ask for a free MBA application assessment!