Dee Leopold said, “Don’t overcrunch the numbers” but did she really think we could let such a prime opportunity pass us by?
Here’s the data from her post – from the HBS Admissions Blog:
Let the number-crunching commence!
Lessee what we got… OK:
| Percent of applicants with GMAT scores: | 87% |
| Percent of applicants with GRE scores: | 12% |
| Percent of matriculating students with GMAT scores: | 90% |
| Percent of matriculating students with GRE scores: | 9% |
| Percent of applicants submitting GMAT scores who are matriculating*: | 10% |
| Percent of applicants submitting GRE scores who are matriculating*: | 7% |
If we lump the ones who applied with both scores in with the GRE-only group, then it brings that category of candidate almost up to parity with the GMAT-only people. Those who applied with both almost definitely had a higher GRE score (or else, why bother including it?). In this year’s app, that GRE category is probably where such people would end up, since HBS is no longer allowing you to submit scores from both of the tests on your app. So if you do the data that way – that GRE+GMAT people are really GRE people – then the numbers don’t look quite so extreme. We don’t know for certain which test those 10 admits who’d submitted both scores would have used, if they’d been forced to choose as they are being this year, so rightly or wrongly, we’re just ignoring them in the calculations made in this summary view.
*Another important point to note: They actually accepted more applicants than are reflected in the “matriculating students” number; we’re guessing that there’s no difference in percent breakdowns around choice of test among that very tiny slice of candidates, but we do need to caution you that the “students” number omits a handful of people who were in fact accepted and simply decided not to go. You’d probably need to get access to the Stanford GSB “matriculating students” data to find out about them. 😉
While we appreciate that this is not being presented by HBS as causal – it’s not like they turn away more people with GRE scores BECAUSE OF the GRE – we still cannot overlook the patterns.
As a reminder: In most cases, the GMAT is preferred as part of an MBA application strategy.
One side note too: Last time Dee reported on data, there were 940 people matriculating in the HBS Class of 2016. Now it’s down to 935. They call this “summer melt.” Can you imagine, getting accepted to go to Harvard, and saying a gleeful “yes” to them and paying your deposit, and then something coming up that prevented you from going? Hopefully in all five of these cases, it was some unbelievable job offer that they just couldn’t turn down.
Many other schools will go to the waitlist in such cases and admit a grateful BSer. HBS just allows the class to slim down. Happens every year, and it’s never huge numbers, but always fascinating to speculate about.
‘Cuz speculation on such matters is infinitely more pleasing than reading essays. Which is what we’re supposed to be doing right now.
EDITED TO ADD: Thank you, HBS, for this insight, and sharing these data!! More transparency is ALWAYS appreciated.
Tell us what you think.