In the Jack Welch Management Institute’s MBA program, we don’t just gauge graduate student ability with one test. Rather, we assess who is going to be successful by looking at many indicators—including professional work history, undergraduate grade point average, and a commitment to being a great leader.

In the academic community, some argue that without measures such as the Graduate Management Admission Test (GMAT), university admissions standards are watered down. However, there has been a shift in what great institutions consider important skills and abilities to measure during the application process. As an example, less than half of the top 25 MBA programs in the United States currently require the GMAT.

GMAT Waivers

JWMI follows suit with other great universities such as UCLA’s Anderson School of Management and Northwestern University’s Kellogg School of Management in identifying factors other than the GMAT to measure ability and offering waivers for these tests.

Rather than using questions about triangle inequality, negative square roots, irrational numbers and what the word “contumacious” means to solely measure an incoming student’s ability, our admissions team rigorously reviews applicants’ work experience and accomplishments, academic track record, and leadership potential. Since our students come to JWMI with, on average, 14 years of professional experience, they bring rich ideas and lessons of their own to the classroom. In this way, students are teaching each other as much as the faculty member is driving learning. This creates a dynamic exchange and interesting dialogue—things that could never be measured by a standardized test.

Because of this, JWMI is proud to automatically waive the GMAT and GRE requirement if students are able to demonstrate a minimum of 5 years of professional or business experience.

So, to those critics who denounce admissions standards that are absent the GMAT, I challenge you to review the content of the GMAT and list three reasons why the questions in that exam measure ability any better than proven business experience, strong academic success and the drive to earn a graduate degree.

If we look at that list of top MBA programs next year, my bet is that more than two-thirds of the finest institutions will waive GMAT admission requirements if other factors of excellence can be proven. We are glad to be out in front on this topic.