Sorry, Sloan. You need to get it together.

While the name “EssaySnark” indicates our focus on snarking on essays, we have been known to be critical of the bschools from time to time as well. Today we need to call out MIT Sloan for some sloppiness and inconsistencies that make it unnecessarily difficult for BSers applying.

None of these are showstopper issues – it’s not like we think the admissions people should get fired or anything – this stuff is not going to affect app volumes and it’s not going to turn people away from the school. But these are avoidable things and they cause stress for the candidates. The adcom lacks consistency in its policies and procedures and does not do a good job of communicating to the applicant community. This happens at other schools but it happens A LOT – and for seemingly every issue – at MIT.

Here’s a sampling.
 

Example #1: Do you want transcripts from additional coursework, or not?

A) The MIT application says: “Include transcripts from all schools whose courses counted towards your degree(s).” It also says that on the Application Instructions within the online app, and on the main MIT instructions page.
B) From the MIT adcom in a chat session on 8/7/13:

We only want you to scan and upload transcripts from schools where an applicant got a degree (undergrad or grad). But you should report your calc and microecon grades. If taken separately. We really only want schools you received degrees from, so I would not advise sending atranscript of the Chinese certificate. Rather put it on your resume!

C) On GMATClub, someone says he asked the adcom what to do AND THEY TOLD HIM TO UPLOAD THE EXTRA TRANSCRIPTS ANYWAY, even though they don’t count towards a degree.

Which is it, Sloan? Do you want all of these transcripts uploaded on the Academic Records/Transcripts page of your application, or not?
 

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Example #2: Are microeconomics and calculus required?

A) In the chat session on 8/7/13, the MIT adcom said “no, micro and calculus are not required.”
B) In the chat session on 5/8/13, the MIT adcom said “The two prerequisites are to have taken microeconomics and intro calculus before matriculation.”
C) On the website FAQ, it says “accepted applicants may be required to take a course(s) in microeconomics, calculus, or financial accounting prior to starting MBA studies.”

Which is it, Sloan? Are these courses required, and if so, which ones and for whom?
 

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Example #3: If BSers took the test multiple times, which GMAT score should they report?

A) In the chat session on 7/10/13, the MIT adcom said “You would decide which score to post” and then later in the same chat in response to a question asking about different scores with different quant/verbal/AWA combinations, the adcom said “It is up to you which one to report.”
C) In the chat session on 5/8/13, the adcom said “We will look at your highest overall score.”
B) On the website FAQ, it says “If you have taken the GMAT more than once, you should use the highest of the cumulative scores.”
 
Which is it, Sloan? Should candidates enter the highest total score no matter what? What if, for example, they did better on the quant in one attempt, but the total score is not the highest of all their tests, yet they want to enter that one to show better quant proficiency?
 

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Example #4: Can you see, and do you evaluate, all the GMAT scores ever taken?

A) In a chat session on 7/10/13, the MIT adcom said “We look at all GMAT scores.”
B) On the website FAQ, it says “Do not worry about taking [the GMAT] multiple times, we only see the score you give us.”
 
Which is it, Sloan? Do you consider the entire GMAT test history? Or only the score entered into the application? Example #3 doesn’t matter if you’re looking at all the scores anyway.
 

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Example #5: When must the official GMAT score been received?

A) This is posted on their Chat Transcripts page:

Is it required to have the official GMAT score before the application deadline? Or is it enough to report the unofficial score given on test day and then send the official score after the application deadline?

Yes, it is required to have the official GMAT report mailed to us prior to the deadline.

Gah! We used this information in advising BSers and freaked some of them out about timing.

Thankfully, the FAQ states this, with a clarification – which we assume to be the REAL policy – but boy it would be nice if this school were consistent in their instructions: “We require that the official GMAT/GRE test scores are sent to us by the application deadline. We understand that sometimes it takes 1-2 weeks for the test centers to release the scores. Therefore, it is acceptable if we receive the scores shortly after the application deadline.”
 

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They had a similar disconnect in a chat when talking about how much pre-MBA work experience they want to see; one adcom person said the average is 5 years as calculated at time of application, which would be non-standard compared to other schools. EssaySnark asked for clarification in that chat and got confirmation that it’s work experience up to matriculation. The application currently says to calculate it up to “July 2014” so that syncs up.

But wow, these are a lot of inconsistencies.

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Administratively there is some room for improvement as well. We received a reminder about an online chat that was to happen the next day – except that the notice came the same day, advertising the chat as happening “tomorrow”:

Technically, it arrived before the chat, so if someone were paying attention they could’ve participated – but still, confusing.
 

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But the kicker was this:

That’s from their new admissions blog. That went up the day of their deadline, Sept. 24th. What’s wrong with that? Seems like a nice-enough post. Saying that they’re available, if you’re stuck.

The problem is they posted the wrong phone number, and didn’t catch it until the next day. For the record, MIT Sloan Admissions is at 617-258-5434.

Oops.
 
Fine, people make mistakes. But c’mon.
 

And hey, Sloan adcom, in case you’re reading this: We’ll admit to being a little miffed by the fact that you reached out to all of our peers on Twitter about your new blog and neglected to do so to us:

@stacyblackman – Hi Stacy- our Director of Admissions is starting a new blog- I wanted to share it with you…http://t.co/qZTeyh9Rnp

— MITSloanAdmissions (@MITSloanAdcom) September 17, 2013

@Accepted Hi Linda- our Director of Admissions started a new blog today- I wanted to share it with you http://t.co/qZTeyh9Rnp

— MITSloanAdmissions (@MITSloanAdcom) September 17, 2013

@ClearAdmit MIT Sloan's Director of Admissions started blogging- I wanted to share her first post with you http://t.co/qZTeyh9Rnp

— MITSloanAdmissions (@MITSloanAdcom) September 17, 2013

@mbaMission MIT Sloan's Director of Admissions has started blogging- I wanted to share her first blog post with you http://t.co/qZTeyh9Rnp

— MITSloanAdmissions (@MITSloanAdcom) September 17, 2013

Where’s the “Hi @EssaySnark” tweet?

Oh right. We never got one.

Sloan Admissions, we tweet stuff about you all the time. We participate in your chats. We are fans. (OK, maybe we did call you out in that one post a few weeks ago…) But you’re saying you don’t know us? Harumph.