Biz schools accepting GRE scores rise: Study

The announcement appeared on the blog “Morse Code,” written by Robert Morse,Director of Data Research for the magazine. US News & World Report also published a companion article,“GRE is Fast Becoming a GMAT Alternative for B-School Applicants,” the day Morse announced the change on his blog.

“We believe the GRE offers real advantages to MBA programs and prospective business school students,” says ETS President and CEO Kurt M. Landgraf. “The dramatic increase in MBA programs accepting GRE,and the recent decision from one of the most respected and influential publications to collect GRE data as part of its MBA ranking survey,validates the GRE test as a meaningful option for MBA admission.”

The “Morse Code” blog states that a “growing number of MBA programs are now accepting the Graduate Record Examinations or GRE test for admissions. This new trend gives prospective MBA students more testing options …” The posting continues: “One key reason why MBA programs are adding the GRE as a testing option is it enables them to broaden their applicant pool and get more potential students to consider going to B- school.”

“About 50 percent of our students come from non-business undergraduate programs,such as science,law and engineering,” says Blake Bedsole,Director of Admissions and Student Services at Manderson Graduate School of Business,University of Alabama. “We’ve found that these students prefer to take the GRE test so that they can apply to other graduate and professional programs. In fact,25 percent of last year’s class opted to take the GRE instead of the GMAT. Accepting GRE scores allows us to be much more flexible in our recruitment efforts,and that’s a good thing for our program and the students.”

Currently,338 MBA programs accept GRE for admission,including 33 of the U.S. News & World Report top 100,according to Educational Testing Service (ETS). Since December 31 of last year,more than 50 MBA programs have signed on to accept GRE scores,and this number has been rapidly building on top of the 69 percent increase recorded in 2009.