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Pericles ABLE Project povides a free question and answer service for anyone interested in learning more about Western MBA programs, the GMAT and TOEFL exams, or advanced legal study in North America and Europe. Please feel free to submit a question for our staff, and we will post the answers to selected questions here, and will send you personal notification that we have received and responded to your question. (For your privacy we will not make public your name or email address.) Click on a question to find the answer. You may also submit your own replies to the answers. (This is a moderated Bulletin Board--only selected questions and replies are posted):

  1. LBS wait listed me and sent me a letter, could you explain what it means and my chances for getting in this year?
  2. What is TOEFL code 0550, and GMAT code 0340?
  3. If I study for the grammar section of the GMAT, do I have to study grammar for the TOEFL too?
  4. Is it possible to take notes during the Listening section of the TOEFL?
  5. How much time is allowed for the essay section of the TOEFL exam?
  6. How to translate the number of answered questions to approximate score. Say, I respond 80% of verbal and 70% of math - what is the approximate score then?
  7. Say, I got score report on GMAT. Does my final score (on the scale 200-800) include the points gained by the writing of Essays? If yes, would you please tell me how many points the Essays, marked 3 each, for example, contribute to final score?
  8. I know that INSEAD demands proof of knowledge in a second language (besides English). My mother tongue is Hebrew but I have some knowledge in Spanish. Should I try and get a proof of knowledge in Spanish, could that help in getting into the program? If yes, how do I technically get proof of knowledge in Spanish?
  9. The differences between the three biggest online application companies: MultiApp; Embark; and GradAdbvantage
  10. Are there any quick tips that you can give that will help me on the critical reasoning and essay section of the GMAT?
  11. Any ideas of a JD program(s) with a specialization in International Human Rights/Human Rights. I have been successful in finding Columbia? If you can provide any advice in that area, I'd be very grateful.
  12. Having a Diploma in Law from a UK school, is it possible to qualify in the US or Canada?
  13. Do all good b-schools require the age under 30 for admission?
  14. I have a GMAT score of 700. But due to personal and professional reasons I can only opt for part-time MBA. I live in VA. The schools that are possible for me are GMU, Keller school of management and Marymount university. As I understand all the 3 schools do not figure in the rankings. I would like to know how good Keller and Marymount are in terms of quality of education and job prospects after graduation.

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GMAT, TOEFL & MBA QUESTIONS

Question 1
Subject: GMAT
From: Ivan S.
Date: 5/19/01

LBS wait listed me and sent me a letter, could you explain to what it means and my chances for getting in this year?

Answer
Subject: GMAT
From: Marian Dent, Dean
Date: 5/20/00

Letter from LBS: Dear Future London Business School MBA!

I am pleased to inform you that the MBA Admissions Committee has decided to make you an offer of a place on the Waiting List for the MBA Programme beginning in September 2001 (MBA2003).

Application numbers so far this year have been exceptionally high and we have had to make some difficult decisions given the size and desired balance of our class. The fact that the MBA Admissions Committee has decided to offer you a Waiting List place reflects the high quality of your application.

The Waiting List will be reviewed continuously and then finally on Friday 27 July 2001. If you are removed from the Waiting List, you will be notified by the Admissions Committee.

If you are removed from the waiting list and offered a place in the MBA2003 class, you will need to: Read, sign and return the terms and conditions that will be sent with your Welcome Pack. Pay a non-refundable reservation fee of stlg1000 or US$1500 and pay a non-refundable First Term Fee of stlg5667/US$8500 by Friday 22 June 2001 (or within 10 working days of being notified).

If you are not removed from the Waiting List this year you are guaranteed a place in the class beginning in September 2002 (MBA2004).

When you receive your Offer pack over the next 3 weeks, this will include the application form and documents required for the new HSBC / London Business School loan scheme.

Loan applications will only be forwarded to HSBC once a candidate has paid the London Business School commitment fee after being removed from the Waiting List.

Yours sincerely
MBA Marketing & Admissions Team

What does this mean for you?

B-schools are a little bit different in their wait list procedures, and the smartest thing to do is to call the school and ask.  Some have a large wait list, and at others the list is quite small. Frankly, though, I am encouraged by the fact that LBS said that if you are not accepted for this year you are guaranteed a place in the next year's class. I don't think they would make that offer to a large number of people. Thus, I imagine that their wait list is fairly small and your chances are fairly good. Also, the letter has the tone of a warning--ie be aware that you will have to have money ready soon and a loan application ready soon, and at the latest by July 22. It would be strange for them to send out a letter in that tone if they suspected that many people on the waiting list would not be accepted. So in short, although I would check with LBS, it looks as though your chances are pretty good.

Now, the tough part comes if other B-schools have accepted you outright and want an answer and a deposit before July 22. Frankly, if you really think that you want LBS over another place to which you have already been accepted and need to pay a fee earlier, I would call or write to the other school, explain the situation, and ask for an extension of time. If you explain to the other school that you have narrowed down your choice to them and LBS, and that you promise to notify them promptly if you hear from LBS, chances are that they will be understanding. In anycase, the worst that can happen is that they will reply "NO" to the extension.  There is nothing to be lost, and potentially a large sum of money to be saved.

Finally, is it such a bad thing if you are forced to wait until 2002 to start B-school? This letter clearly says that you are guaranteed a place in the next class, and it even is addressed to "Dear Future LBS MBA." That's pretty encouraging.  So if you really want LBS, and if you haven't yet given up your job here and are reasonably paid, maybe it makes sense to wait. It will give you a chance to read up on your first year subjects, and save some more money to pay for your program. And surely, after a hectic year of taking exams and preparing applications, it might be nice to continue here for a year, knowing that your place in the next year's class is assured.


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Question 2
Subject: GMAT
From: N. N.
Date: 6/23/00

What is TOEFL code 0550, and GMAT code 0340?

Answer
Subject: GMAT
From: Marian Dent, Dean
Date: 6/26/00

The codes you are looking at are GMAT and TOEFL institution codes. The Educational Testing Service assigns a four digit code to each university that uses its exam results. When you take the GMAT or TOEFL you will be asked to specify to which universities you want to send your scores. Giving the code for that university is how your specify. Specifically GMAT code 0340 is University of Wales and TOEFL code 0550 is Universite Libre de Bruxelles.

Just a bit of extra information: A flaw of the exam is that you must specify the school to which you want your scores sent before you find out how well you did. We frequently hear GMAT and TOEFL students say that they do not want to specify any business schools to which to send their scores in case their scores are lower than they expect. Thus they do not fill in any university codes.  This is NOT a smart strategy. While you are taking the GMAT you can send your scores to 5 universities without extra charge, and taking the TOEFL you can send to 4 without charge; but after the exams you are charged for every school to which you want your scores sent. And even if you send your scores later, the universities will receive every GMAT exam score you have received for the last five years, and every TOEFL within the last two years. So avoiding specifying a university DOES NOT help you hide a poor score from that university. You should specify universities and have ETS send your scores automatically, and as a result save money. If later you find out that your score is higher or lower than you planned, you can pay to have your scores sent to those extra universities whose score range is closest to your own score.

Marian Dent
Dean.


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Question 3
Subject: GMAT
From: Ksenia
Date: 4/28/00

If I study the for the grammar section of the GMAT, do I have to study grammar for the TOEFL too?

Answer
Subject: GMAT
From: Pericles Staff
Date: 4/28/00

Yes. The TOEFL test can test any of 200 or more grammatical points. This is because the TOEFL test was designed for all non-English speaking people and different people make different mistakes. On the other hand the GMAT tests the grammatical points that native speakers tend to make, this comes to around 37-40 grammatical points. This means that a person must study more grammatical points for the TOEFL than for the GMAT. One must remember that the TOEFL and the GMAT were created for different reasons and therefore the tests, though in some respects are similar, have some drastic differences and one must study for both. Studying for the GMAT and not for the TOEFL may do more harm than good when it comes time to take the TOEFL.


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Question 4
Subject: TOEFL
From: Alexandr
Date: 4/25/00

Is it possible to take notes during the Listening section of the TOEFL?

Answer
Subject: TOEFL
From: Pericles Staff
Date: 4/26/00

No. The only section of the exam on which you will be allowed to use pen and paper for notes is the Essay Writing section. For the time being you still have the option of typing the essay on a computer or writing it by hand, but whichever way you choose you will be allowed to write and take notes on paper.

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Question 5
Subject: TOEFL
From: Svetlana
Date: 4/27/00

How much time is allowed for the essay section of the TOEFL exam?

Answer
Subject: TOEFL
From: Pericles Staff
Date: 4/28/00

You are given 30 minutes to write the TOEFL essay. When the computer-based TOEFL exam was introduced in the Spring of 1999 a separate writing test that had previously been known as the Test of Written English (TWE) was made part of the TOEFL. Now the TWE does not exist as a separate exam, and all students who take the TOEFL must write an essay.


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Question 6
Subject: GMAT
From: Anatoliy
Date: 8/20/00

How to translate the number of answered questions to approximate score. Say, I respond 80% of verbal and 70% of math - what is approximate score then?

Answer
Subject: GMAT
From: Marian Dent
Date: 8/22/00

I am afraid that the estimate you are asking for is impossible to give. The new GMAT is a CAT or Computer Adaptive Test, which means that it is not the number of questions you get right that determines your score, but the difficulty of the questions you get right. The test starts with a medium difficulty question and then, if you get that right, gives you a slightly harder question, and so on and so on, until it determines at what approximate difficulty level you start missing questions. Thus, if you get 70-80 percent correct, but miss the first few questions and don't start getting consistent right answers until they get much easier, your score will be considerably lower than if you get the first ones right and only start missing questions when they get very hard. Also, there is a penalty for not moving fast enough to finish the exam. If you got 70% because you failed to complete several questions at the end of the section, your score will be lower than if you had answered all the questions on the exam but still only gotten 70% right.


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Question 7
Subject: GMAT
From: Anonymous
Date: 12/12/00

Say, I got score report on GMAT. Does my final score (on the scale 200-800) include the points gained by writing of Essays? If yes, would you please tell me how many points the Essays, marked 3 each, for example, contribute to final score?

Answer
Subject: GMAT
From: Daniel Repko
Date: 12/20/00

No, the GMAT 200-800 score does not include your essays. Your essay score is sent to the schools separately, and the B-schools see the same 1-6 score that you see. Some schools take it very seriously--especially when they are looking at applications from foreign students--and others don't seem to care much about it. Generally, a score of 4 or above is considered a passing score for the essay portion of the exam.


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Question 8
Subject: GMAT
From: Gilad
Date: 12/01/01

I know that INSEAD demands proof of knowledge in a second language (besides English). My mother tongue is Hebrew but I have some knowledge in Spanish. Should I try and get a proof of knowledge in Spanish, could that help in getting into the program? If yes, how do I technically get proof of knowledge in Spanish?

Answer
Subject: TOEFL
From: Sergei Shabalin
Date: 14/01/01

The 3rd language requirement is very stretchable - basically, even if you don't speak anything but your mother tongue and English, they'll have you take courses and pass what is called "INSEAD level 3" some 6 months into the program. As for your Spanish, the most painless way of proving your knowledge (in my experience) is to take the exam at INSEAD which is administered one or two days before the program's start. You have to demonstrate level 3 (with level 5 being max), which means scoring 60 per cent. The exam itself is some simplified TOEFL-like multiple choice stuff plus an essay, relatively straightforward and with plenty of time to do it.


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Question 9
Subject: Applications
From: Mike L.
Date: 9/13/01

What are the positives and negatives of the various software applications used in filling our b-school applications?
Do you recommend one over another? multi-app, embark, gradadvantage.

Answer
Subject: Applications
From: Marian Dent
Date: 12/20/01

First, Multi-app is fundamentally different than Embark and GradAdvantage, so let's compare Multi-App to the other two. Multi-app is a CD based or downloadable program that allows you to fill out an application form once, and then paste the information into applications of many different business schools, print it out, and mail it to the schools just like you would if you were mailing the school's paper based form. Embark and GradAdvantage are actual on-line application systems where you apply to the schools via the internet.

There are some advantages to the lower-tech Multi-App for our students who are applying from Russia. The first of these is that not all of our students have absolutely reliable internet connections. If your email isn't absolutely reliable, it might not be a good idea to rely on an online application system, and thus might be better to use Multi-App.

In addition, you have to think about encoding problems. Sometimes computer systems in US universities do not clearly read the emails from computers that use Russian fonts as their defaults. This summer, when we sent emails to Chicago Institute of Technology, for example, the recipients in Chicago were unable to decipher them. Although we were familiar with how to change the encoding for their computers to read Russian, the academic secretaries at their end did not know how to do it. Thus, some important emails were discarded as junk mail. Again, Multi-App would have been preferable in that case.

Multi-App's final, potential advantage, for Russian students, and indeed for all non-native speakers of English, is the ability to print out your application and have a native-speaking friend check it for spelling errors etc. The online systems allow you to save and print as well, but somehow it seems more comforting to have your Multi-App work saved privately on your own computer, than to have your on-line work saved on a server somewhere far away.

Multi-App's main disadvantage is that the program is not free. You can get various demo versions that let you fill out your application on computer, but until you register with Multi-App and pay them, you will not be able to print and mail your application. Be careful though--although Embark and GradAdvantage do not charge, they may not work out as free as they seem. Many B-schools charge an extra fee for using the on-line application. Although this fee may only be $10, if you are planning to apply to several schools this can quickly become more expensive than the Multi-App fee.

Another disadvantage of Multi-App is that the program, on rare occasions, has an outdated application. This is especially true if you are using an old Multi-App CD. You need to update it with information found on Multi-App's web site. In any case, however, you should pull up the school's on-line application and compare it with the Multi-App version to make sure that the questions are the same. A year ago the Multi-App version of Stanford's application essays was completely different than Stanford's own version.

Now for a comparison of the two main on-line systems, Embark and GradAdvantage:

You should first check the web sites of the particular schools to which you want to apply, or at least check the web sites of the two services. Although many schools are now accepting applications from both services, some only want you to use one particular one. Embark seems to have many more schools that use its service than does GradAdvantage. Particularly, Embark has several European MBA programs among its customers, while GradAdvantage does not yet seem to work with European schools. Students also report that they find Embark easier to use, and, in Russia, their website seems easier to access. Students report frequent socket-error messages when trying to apply through GradAdvantage. This can be a serious problem as the sites get busier with deadlines nearing.

On the other hand GradAdvantage has one very strong benefit over Embark: GradAdvantage was invented in partnership with ETS, the same people who administer the GMAT and TOEFL exam. GradAdvantage thus may have quicker access to your GMAT and TOEFL scores, and will send them to the schools along with your application. If you are in a hurry to beat a deadline, therefore, GradAdvantage may indeed have advantage.

Whichever system you use--Multi-App, fully on-line systems, or good old fashioned paper and typewriter--don't put yourself up against a tight deadline. Students in the US average 2 days to complete a B-school application, and that is with English as a native language. Be sure you leave yourself plenty of time for correcting and review, and plan to send your application considerably before the deadline--just in case


Question 10
Subject: Last minute tips
From: Shan
Date: 1/14/02

I will be sitting for my GMAT on last week of January 2002. I have bought many books and can follow most of the lessons. The only lesson that I am very very weak is critical reasoning and writing argument essays. Even though I have books from Kaplan, Princeton and Barrons, I am still not convinced of my critical reasoning ability. Do you have any formulas or easy ways of tackling these solutions eg. finding assumptions, fallacies, weakiening and strengthening arguments etc. and tips for effective argument essays. Please refer me to some of your high scorter if they can help me. I will not forget this help. I need to have a GMAT of more than 700 as one company is willing to sponser if I get this score.

Answer
Subject: GMAT
From: Marian Dent
Date: 1/15/02

Dear Shan,

1) The most importan and first thing I tell students in my classes to do is focus on the conclusion of the argument. Once you find that, you can determine the structure of the argument and understand much better what the author is trying to say. This will help you to avoid being distracted by answers that do not follow the logic of the author's argument. When seeking the conclusion remember that it will bever be found between dashes or after words indicating that the information to follow is an example. It will never be found after clue words that indicate a premise, and finally, the only time it will be found in the middle of the argument is when the argument has a form like "People often say C. But in fact they are wrong because Y is true." Then the conclusion will be Y or the opposite of X.

2.) When reading your answer choices, pay attention to modifiers. A common critical reasoning error is to choose an answer choice where a modifier--especially a superlative adjective like "first" or "only" or "best"--is not completely supported by the argument. Be suspicious of such answer choices.

3.) When asked to find the assumption, remember that it can never be something that is stated in the paragraph. By definition, an assumption is something unmentioned that must be true in order for hte conclusion to be true. So if you are stuck for an answer you can think, "if the opposite of X answer choice is true, could the author's conclusion possibly be true." If it could , then that isn't the assumption.

4.) When answering questions that ask you to spot fallacies--such as those that want you to stregthen or weaken a question, look at the mthod of logic the argument uses, and pick answer choices that experts in logic consider the best ways to strengthen or weaken that type of argument. You will find this information in the prep books or in logic books. (While the GMAT says that you don't have to be formally trained in logic to pass the critical reasoning section, remember that the peoplewho wrote the questions were formally trained in logic, and thus will probably write an answer that their formal training tells them is correct.)

5.) Finally, and most importantly, don't over analyze questions. Whereas many Americans taking the GMAT critical reasoning make mistakes because they get careless, most Russians make mistakes by overanalyzing the answer choices. If an answer looks as though itis obviously correct, don't think that it can't be right because it is too easy. It usually is right.

About your question for answering the analysis of an argument essay, the key is good organizations. First, always disagree with the argument presented. The argument is always too short to include ever detail. Next, spend a few minutes brainstorming for ways to criticize the argument. Here people tend to get bogged down in their own training. Those who majored in economics tend to get stuck only thinking of economic arguments, for example. So if you can't think of different ideas, try to think of different professions--what would a mathmetician think about this argument? What would a doctor think? A military professional? An artist? etc...

Next pick the htree best criticisms you come up with and decide in which order you want to write about them. Then write an intro paragraph that briefly mentions your three criticisms in order. Then write one paragraph about each of your criticisms. Then write a brief paragraph to conclude. Be sure to use topic sentences at the beginning of each paragraph, and to use standard written English.

Keep your sentences and your arguments simple. Don't mention good points of the argument you are criticizing, as you simply won't have time to do that in half an hour whil still writing your side of the argument well.

Using a template will help you speed up your writing. You can find sample templates in the prep books you are using. Change them slightly before ysing them, so that it isn't 100% obvious that you were using a template.

The final hint I can give you Shan, is not to get too stressed out. Sponsorship for a 700 is a heady stress inducer.


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LAW QUESTIONS

Question 11
Subject: Law
From: Matthew
Date: 7/28/00

Any ideas of a JD program(s) with a specialization in International Human Rights/Human Rights. I have been successful in finding Columbia? If you can provide any advice in that area, I'd be very grateful.

Answer
Subject: Law
From: Marian Dent
Date: 8/30/00

JD programs don't really specialize in specific areas of law. To specialize, American lawyers generally take a one year LL.M. program after finishing their JDs. So the best course is just to pick a law school that has courses, professors, location and atmosphere that you like generally, not to worry about specialization at this stage. You can find a fairly extensive listing of law schools in the law school rankings section of this web site, as well as some articles on LL.M. programs in the articles section.


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Question 12
Subject: Law
From: Mozzhoukov
Date: 9/05/01

Having a Diploma in Law from a UK school, is it possible to qualify in the US or Canada?

Answer
Subject: Law
From: Marian Dent
Date: 9/05/01

With a federal system, the laws for bar admission in the United States vary from state to state. However, there are a few states that will accept a qualification from a common law country where the educational system is substantially equivalent to that obtained in the United States. They all have additional requirements, though, such as practicing for some time in the common law country, or taking one year of study at an American law school. And of course you will have to pass the bar exam (qualification exam) in the U.S.


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Question 13
Subject: Admission requirements
From: Sergei
Date: 7/03/03

Do all good b-schools require the age under 30 for admission ?

Answer
Subject: Law
From: Marian Dent
Date: 7/03/03

Dear Sergei,

Don't worry, all good business schools certainly DO NOT require applicants to be under 30! It's true that the average age of applicants is generally about 28, but there are plenty of older applicants who get in and do just fine. Think about it--if the average age is 26-30, yet everyone knows there are lots of 25 year olds and even some 24 year olds in B-schools, then it stands to reason that there must also be quite a few over 30's.

There are, however, some things that you should think about if you are a 30-something applicant to a B-school:

1) Look for a school whose admissions criteria give advantages to older students. By this we mean that you should look less at the "numbers" schools, and look more at those that stress the work and life experience of their applicants. Euopean schools are good prospects for this. Schools like London Business School and IMD, for example, stress a candidate's experience over his or her college grades. Two years ago, an LBS admissions officer told our students "don't even apply with less than four years of full time work experience, and preferably wait until you have at least five or six." With the average college grad entering the full time job market at age 23, that kind of criterion just cries out for older applicants. Contrarily, schools that are associated with top undergraduate institutions tend to stress the academics and thus subconsiously favor younger applicants--for example Harvard and Yale tend to have younger than average entering classes.

2) Look for a school that makes older students feel comfortable. For example, are the social activities centered around clubbing, or does the school have activities for married students and families? Even if you aren't a family man yourself, a B-school that stresses child-care facilities usually means there are older students in attendance. Another tip off is the location: the big "glamour" cities tend to attract the younger students, whereas older students tend to be less concerned with spending a couple of years in a fun city and more concerned with things like access to nature, small classes and advanced course content.

3) In addition, many older B-school students apply to Executive MBA programs, which are generally part time programs specially designed for older, more experienced students. This people average 35-37 and generally have a background in top management. Even if you aren't planning to enter an Executive MBA program yourself, remember that the presence of an Executive MBA program in your school will mean lots of older students for you to make friends with and study with. This is especially true if your school allows the regular MBAs and the Executive group to take upper level classes together.

4) Finally, schools keep statistics on the average age of students. For example, in 2000 (the last time I looked at the age numbers) Cornell University, INSEAD, U.T Austin, and Ivey (Western Ontario) published an average age of 29, while IMD even published an average age of 30. You shouldn't be shy to ask the admissions officers about the average age of students, and the activities for and attitude towards the over 30's on campus.

So, in short, 30+ is not too old to apply to B-school. You just need to select the schools that are the best fit for you.


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Question 14
Subject: Job prospects after graduation
From: Kavita
Date: 6/23/04

Hi, I have a GMAT score of 700. But due to personal and professional reasons I can only opt for part-time MBA. I live in VA. The schools that are possible for me are GMU, Keller school of management and Marymount university. As I understand all the 3 schools do not figure in the rankings. I would like to know how good Keller and Marymount are in terms of quality of education and job prospects after graduation.

Answer
Subject: Creating Your Own B-School Rankings
From: Marian Dent
Date: 6/29/04

Dear Kavita, 

That's an interesting question for our "Ask the Experts" column actually, because coming from Russia most of our students are looking for only top schools and rely heavily on rankings.  So what can you do if you are looking at schools that don't make the rankings?

First of all, you really can't compare so called "commuter-computer campuses" like DeVry/Keller School of Management with university based programs like George Mason University (GMU) and Marymount.  Think about it.  Below the ranked schools, the quality of the education is largely in the quality of the professors and in the quality of the facilities.  Keller has some 32 "campuses" around the U.S.   When you are spreading yourself so thin, how good can access to facilities and top professors be at any one location?  For example, you might really want a particular course or specialization, but in your location it is only offered via video conference and you don't really get a chance to chat with the professor after class.  Or you might want to do some quick research in a particular area of management, only to find that the books for that are at another campus and have to be specially ordered for you.   In addition, at a "commuter-computer campus" you do not have a solid university name and alumni network to back up the degree.  Both George Mason and Marymount have been around a long time, and their networks are strong in the D.C. area.  Can Keller offer that?  Perhaps I'm a bit of an academic snob, but I would choose a university based school over another any time.

Comparing GMU and Marymount is much easier, as they are both traditional, university-backed MBAs.  When you don't have the rankings to rely on, you should establish your own ranking system, looking at the same type of factors that Business Week or Financial Times examines when looking at the better known programs. 

For example, what is a B-school's student/teacher ratio and percentage of full time versus part time faculty members?  Frankly, it's been a couple of years since I have examined either of these particular institutions, but if I recall correctly, Marymount has about half-and-half full and part time faculty, and their student/teacher ratio is somewhere around 20/1. GMU fairs a lot better with about 3/4 of its faculty full time, and a ratio of about 10/1.

Another factor to examine is the average GMAT score.  GMU was 620 the last time I looked.  Contrarily, Marymount was in the mid-500s and a TOEFL of only 237. GMU is clearly a lot more competitive.  Average work experience, average age, and average salary before entry are also factors you might want to look at to determine who your fellow students will be.

Look at what specializations and the range of courses the schools offer. Afterall, even if you know precisely what you want to do when you finish, you still might change your might or might want to spread your wings a bit and explore some courses in areas outside your speciality.  It's nice to know what options are available.  GMU has specializations in Financial Management, Entrepreneurship, Marketing & Business Info Systems.  The course range is actually pretty extensive given the size of the school, but they seem pretty regimented in the courses you can take within your speciality.  Marymount offers only a general management degree.  Unfortunately I don't know very much about their course ranges.

Of course, you also want to compare other criteria, such as post graduation employment statistics, services offered by the placement department, cost and availability of financial aid, quality of the B-school library, physical plant and study facilities, teaching methods, and size of the classes.  The trick to comparing the less well known B-schools is to look at the professional ranking services, and read all that often ignored information on the criteria that go into their decision making.  Working from that as a background, create your own ranking system, prioritizing your needs and preferences.  Then don't be afraid to challenge the admissions office with tough questions to get at the comparative information you want.

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