EssaySnark

  • about
  • contact
  • help
  • sign up
  • login
CLICK FOR MORE!
  • Essay Questions
    • Harvard
    • Stanford
    • Wharton
    • Chicago Booth
    • Kellogg
    • MIT Sloan
    • Tuck
    • NYU Stern
    • Columbia
    • Yale SOM
    • Berkeley Haas
    • UVA Darden
    • Duke Fuqua
    • Michigan Ross
    • UCLA Anderson
    • Cornell
  • Strategy Guides
    • MBA Career Goals in Entrepreneurship
    • School-Specific MBA Application Guides
      • Harvard 2020 MBA Strategy Guide
      • Stanford 2020 MBA Strategy Guide
      • Wharton 2020 MBA Strategy Guide
      • Kellogg 2020 MBA Strategy Guide
      • MIT Sloan 2020 MBA Strategy Guide
      • Columbia 2020 MBA Strategy Guide
      • Chicago Booth 2020 MBA Strategy Guide
      • *MORE SCHOOL-SPECIFIC GUIDES HERE*
  • MBA Consulting
    • Free essay reviews
    • What stage are you in?
    • Military MBA
    • BIPOC Program
    • Testimonials & Reviews
    • Guest Posts
  • My SnarkCenter
    • My Strategy Guides
    • My Favorite Posts
    • Discounts & Offers

($) How the schools are adapting to coronavirus and what it means for you: Standardized testing and Round 3 apps

March 23, 2020 by EssaySnark Leave a Comment

The schools are changing the things that they can. You’ve likely heard that a lot of schools are allowing Round 3 apps to be submitted without a GMAT or GRE score, with the caveat that a valid test score must come in later on — for example, by July 1st in the case of Columbia. Other schools have similar policies. This is because a lot of testing centers have been closed to help prevent the spread of covid-19.

We’re getting hints that online options are being developed for standardized testing, but it’s unclear when they will be available, or how they will be administered in a secure fashion that prevents cheating. Some options we’ve heard about are to have a virtual proctor, where you take the test on video camera and someone is literally watching you the whole time. Creepy, and not water-tight in terms of literally guaranteeing the integrity of the exam. Having someone watching you is likely to increase the anxiety levels, too, though doing the test in your own home would also probably result in higher scores for many people because of the familiarity of the surroundings. We’ve long been convinced that that’s a contributing factor to lower performance on the actual test in the test center, compared to practice tests you do on your own.

It’s hard to say how soon any such online option will be made available, if ever, and what other accommodations might be feasible during this acute time of lockdown around coronavirus.

EssaySnark’s advice on testing:

If you haven’t taken the GMAT, GRE, or EA yet, DO NOT TAKE IT RIGHT NOW.

Even if your testing center is not closed, it is too risky to go through with your test.

As a society, we are trying to control the spread. A test center, even if they say that the employees have cleaned it, is way too public of a place. Even if you went in there in a hazmat suit (which obviously you would not) you would still be sitting there, answering test questions, with an underlying worry about the virus in the background of your brain.

Pro Tip: If you’re not currently worrying about the virus, then you should be. (Conversely, if the virus is all you’re thinking about, then that’s also not healthy. What we want is to strike a balance between taking it seriously and letting it control us. The former is critical; the latter is not helpful.)

If you’re thinking about a Round 3 application, then in addition to what we said on Round 3 last week, let’s talk about this option of submitting an app when you have time to take the GMAT or GRE later.

First, if you go that route without ever having taken the GMAT or GRE: The rest of your profile — especially your undergraduate transcripts — will need to be solid to make this feasible. And, it puts a lot of pressure on yourself in the midst of many unknowns. The schools have set this arbitrary date of June or July or whenever that they’re saying you’ll need to have your final test score available. If you’ve never ever tested before, then you’ll likely want to plan to take it not just once, but twice — that is, if you’re trying for the top schools like Wharton or Stanford or Kellogg. And that means that your first attempt would need to happen by like the end of May. And here we are, at the end of March, with everything shut down. Can your test occur on that timeframe? Yes, maybe — but who really knows? You can plan for this, however there’s a lot of variables that simply cannot be forecast.

What if you have a GMAT or GRE score in hand, but you know it’s not competitive? A BSer asked us about this situation just recently. So the plan is, you want to submit an app now, but tell the adcom to please wait on the final verdict and not consider your current score, because you will be retesting within this window they are granting you.

It’s kinda the same situation as above, with the hypothetical BSer who’s never tested before and is considering a Round 3 app with no score. Here, you HAVE tested before… And you know your score is lackluster or not that solid… And you have been planning on retesting at some point, but hadn’t actually been planning to do so right before all of this coronavirus stuff happened. But now suddenly you’re thinking of throwing your hat in the ring for Round 3, maybe because everything is so up in the air right now that it’s caused you to panic a little about all the goals you had intended for yourself. Or you’ve just decided to strike when the metaphorical iron is hot, since you’re hearing some pundits like EssaySnark prognosticate that there will be a loosening of standards in Round 3 at many schools.

We have no problem with opportunists, and we can certainly appreciate how the current events in the world may have caused people to question many things in their lives. These elements may add up to the idea of, yeah, now might be a really good time for trying for the MBA dream.

But the part where we hesitate is this:

Given that you have already tried testing, and came up a little short, and had had intentions for some time to retake the GMAT or GRE in order to buff up your profile and increase your chances… We’re just sort of worried that the idea of having more time to test into the summer is going to be motivation enough for you to do the studying necessary to literally increase the score.

Maybe we’re just being too skeptical, and that’s not fair. It’s possible that you’re feeling now motivated to put all of this anxious energy into a project, and prepping for the GMAT is a viable one for sure, that would keep your brain occupied and prevent it from thinking all these stressful thoughts and going obsessively to social media to read about more people with symptoms who cannot get tested.

And, the same worry as noted above still applies: How will you actually take the test? If the GMAC / Pearson / ETS folks come up with a test-from-home option, then sure. But if you have to go to a test center, then it’s simply not possible to truly disinfect a public place like that. Maybe you’ll wear gloves, but you can’t exactly spray a bleach solution on the keyboard and mouse can you? And would you not touch your face for the entire duration of the test? It’s just like, well, dunno, how would it work?

The virus is still going to be in all of our communities in May, June, and July. It’s highly unlikely that a vaccine will be ready in 2020.

So any application strategy that you’re deciding on right now that includes a requirement for taking the GMAT, GRE, or EA in the next four months is a tricky one.

Does your current test score put you in range for schools that you’d consider going to? Then yes, try for those schools. If you’re an international applicant, then the odds of getting accepted are likely going to be higher right now — though there are real issues with visas. The State Department has put a hold on processing all international applications for now, and it’s not clear when that hold will be lifted. There is likely going to be a big dropoff in applications from international candidates, so your chances are certainly better right now. Or, at least, they’re better of you getting waitlisted. That’s actually the most likely scenario if you apply without a test score: If they like you, they’ll waitlist you, and then when you get your test taken care of, they’ll re-evaluate if they can accept you. Or perhaps some schools might issue a conditional admit: They’ll accept you provided you get the test taken care of within their timeframe for the summer.

If this plan is to try for Round 3 at a school like UCLA or Darden, then go for it. If you’re thinking Columbia or Wharton, we’re not so sure how it’ll turn out.

If you want more concrete advice on your specific profile and plans, the best way to go is the Comprehensive Profile Review, which lets us roll up the sleeves and dig into the details that you personally would be presenting. Or, if we’ve done a Profile Review for you before, you can try the Late Season Targets Review and we’ll give you some ideas on how things might go — understanding that we’re also working with imperfect information in a fast-changing landscape.

The tl;dr is, if you’re feeling inspired to try right now, then go for it! Everything is incredibly fluid, and who knows, it just might work out! Which is never what we get to say during Round 3. But this year is, uh, you might say a little bit different.

Stay safe, BSers!

 
 

Coronavirus and the MBA

  • Coronavirus and Round 2 decisions
  • Coronavirus and scholarship opportunities
  • When will business schools reopen for on-campus instruction?
  • Coronavirus and You: What if you’re graduating this Spring 2020?

 
 

Filed Under: coronavirus, GMAT/GRE, Round 3

« Previous: Just assume that everyone you meet has it. And your #1 task is to not get it.
Next: ($) How the schools are adapting to coronavirus and what it means for you: MBA Round 2 decisions »

So who the heck is EssaySnark, anyway?!

We're the snarky experts in MBA admissions!

Sometimes amused and often appalled by what candidates write in their MBA applications to top bschools, EssaySnark created this little blahg to share common mistakes. Learn from them and avoid making admissions directors laugh (or want to hurl) when they read your essays. If you are hoping to have your essay reviewed anonymously on the blahg for free, submit it for consideration.

Want EssaySnark's personal assistance with your MBA applications? Start with our menu of consulting services and please read the Help FAQ to learn how we operate. Still have questions after doing all that? Email Team EssaySnark at gethelpnow at essaysnark dot com.

Good luck on your apps, Brave Supplicant!

Tell us what you think. Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Sign up for the 'Snark via email

Enter your address to get weekday blahg posts by email.

UPCOMING MBA APP DEADLINES

  • INSEAD Round 4
    in 1 month, 0 weeks, 2 days, 0 hours
  • INSEAD Jan '22 intake Rd 1
    in 1 month, 1 week, 5 days, 0 hours
  • INSEAD Jan '22 Intake Rd 2
    in 2 months, 4 weeks, 2 days, 0 hours
  • (expected) HBS Class of 2024 app requirements released
    in 3 months, 1 week, 6 days, 1 hour
  • (expected) Columbia J-Term/ED app to open
    in 4 months, 1 week, 4 days, 1 hour
   
From a BSer January 2020:
"love the guide books!"


CLASS OF 2023 MBA APPLICATION STRATEGY GUIDES

     
    The 2020 Berkeley-Haas MBA Application Guide - updated for the Class of 2023 application!
SnarkStrategies Guide for Berkeley Haas - refreshed and updated, with brainstorming exercises and structured maps to help you focus your stories!
   
    The 2020-2021 NYU Stern MBA Application Guide that covers the main essay, the EQ Endorsement and Pick Six!
SnarkStrategies Guide for NYU - discusses your requirements for the Class of 2023 essays!
   
    The 2020-2021 Columbia MBA Application Guide
SnarkStrategies Guide for Columbia Business School for 2020-2021 applications
   
    The 2020 Harvard MBA Application Guide - completely overhauled and updated for the coronavirus era!
SnarkStrategies Guide for Harvard Business School!
   
    The 2020-2021 Duke Essay Guide - covers the 25 Random Things essay and all the rest too!
SnarkStrategies Guide for Duke Fuqua - up to date for the current season!
   
    The 2020-2021 MIT Essay Guide covers the org chart, the contacts for two references, and additional tips for the cover letter and 'introduce yourself' video -- and everything else you need to know!
SnarkStrategies Guide for MIT Sloan MBA - totally revised for the Class of 2023!
   
    The 2020-2021 Tuck Essay Guide has been refreshed with latest insights and advice for your essays about "investing generously" and "why Tuck"!
SnarkStrategies Guide for the Dartmouth Tuck MBA - completely overhauled for 2020, to help you demonstrate how you are nice, aware, etc stuff!
   
    The Yale SOM MBA Application Guide for Class of 2023 candidates!
SnarkStrategies Guide for Yale SOM - updated for 2020-2021
   
    The 2020-2021 Chicago Booth MBA Application Guide - ready to go to support your Class of 2023 essay strategy!
SnarkStrategies Guide for Chicago Booth for this year's MBA app!
   
    The 2020 Wharton MBA Application Guide - even more advice on how to get to a win with those essays!
SnarkStrategies Guide for The Wharton School - with new tips for 2020!
   
    The 2020 Kellogg Essay Guide - with a full methodology to identify your 'lasting impact' and your 'values' -- plus tips on 2020 world events and applicability to your essays!
SnarkStrategies Guide for Kellogg MBA - updated and revised for the new realities of 2020!    
      The 2020 Stanford MBA Application Guide - for "what matters most" in your MBA application!
SnarkStrategies Guide for Stanford GSB for the Class of 2023
   
    The 2020-2021 UCLA Anderson MBA Application Guide - updated for Class of 2023 on "impact"!
SnarkStrategies Guide for 
UCLA
   
   

Brave Supplicants' latest reviews on The 'Snark


Apr 10, 2020
by George on EssaySnark
Great Starting Point

I thought getting over the GRE/GMAT hurdle was fairly straightforward--disciplined study then test execution... Read more

Apr 10, 2020
by George on Single Shot Express MBA Essay Review
Worth Every Penny

I used the Single Shot Express to decimate essay #1 at my first-choice school. Paired with the school... Read more

Feb 9, 2020
by KA on Waitlist Assist
Committed

You continue to blow me away with your commitment to us BSers! Thanks again for everything. It's been... Read more






Not sure where to begin with EssaySnark?
Our Snark Selector
will tell you!



What were we snarking about at this time in past years?

  • 2020: Becoming your future self
  • 2019: What's going on with Fuqua?
  • 2019: ($) What we've seen with a few "bad MBA interview" situations
  • 2018: Good luck today if you're hoping for Harvard!
  • 2018: Just a reminder...
  • 2017: Just in case you are growing impatient....
  • 2017: What matters most is integrity.
  • 2016: Preparing for bschool (and interviews, and sorta life in general)
  • 2014: Now that your apps are in: Who had the best essay questions?
  • 2013: And the award for Worst MBA Essays goes to...
My Tweets

See the Top U.S. Business Schools on a Map!


EssaySnark is currently available! We're accepting new clients! Standard turnarounds apply. If you're in a hurry, Speedy Review is available!

EssaySnark® is a registered trademark. All content copyright © 2010–2021 Snarkolicious Press · Privacy Policy

Where should you start with EssaySnark?

Which EssaySnark service is right for you? Answer a few questions to find out!

This field must be set to Everyone - then in the Settings -> HTML -> After Fields screen there's JavaScript to hide it.
Sending