Admission Decision Factors in an
MBA Program: Beyond the
Quantitative
EDWARD F. FRENCH, MBA, DA
INTERIM ASSOCIATE DEAN/COLLEGE OF GRADUATE AND PROFESSIONAL STUDIES
FRANKLIN PIERCE UNIVERSITY
Factors Used in Admissions Decisions?

What Factors are Important?

What is your objective in reviewing these factors?

How do you know when to make an exception?
Factors Influencing Favorable
Admission Decisions

Quantitative

GMAT Scores

Undergraduate CGPA

UG Business major CGPA

What else?
Factors Influencing Favorable
Admission Decisions

Qualitative

Admission essays/writing samples

Letters of Reference

Admission Interviews

What else?
NEASC and IACBE Guidance

“Students admitted to graduate degree programs are demonstrably
qualified for advanced academic study” (NEASC, 2011, p.9).

Principle 7.2 of the IACBE Self-Study manual requires that the institution
“should have standards in place that will help to ensure that [graduate]
students have a reasonable chance to succeed in the program” (IACBE,
2011, p.74).
Research Question & Outcome Goal


Research Questions

How is the ability to succeed in a graduate program demonstrated?

Are there factors that are associated with success for students who were
academically unsuccessful as undergraduate students?
Outcome Goal

An admissions model which improves the admissions process in ways that
ensures applicants who meet the accreditors’ guidance are admitted
notwithstanding a poor undergraduate performance.
Institution Profile

Small regional liberal arts university

Traditional undergraduate college

Adult learner graduate and undergraduate college
Population Profile

All matriculated students for the academic years 2010-11 and 2011-12 with
an undergraduate CGPA of less than 2.8.

30 of 157 students (19%) admitted met this criteria
Exception Student Profile
Undergraduate CGPA
Age at Admission Decision
Years since UG Degree Conferral
Mean
Median
Minimum
Maximum
Standard
Deviation
2.49
2.51
2.08
2.79
.21
32.7
31.5
22
57
9.8
9.1
7.5
0
27
8.8
Successful vs Unsuccessful Exception
Students

Successful Exception Students

Completed at least 12 credits (4 courses)

Most recent CGPA is 3.0 or better
Descriptive Statistics – Exception
Admitted Students
Undergraduate GPA
Successful
Unsuccessful
Mean
2.47
2.53
Median
2.50
2.55
Standard Deviation
0.23
0.16
Minimum
2.08
2.26
Maximum
2.79
2.75
Successful
Unsuccessful
34.3
28.2
Median
34
24
Standard Deviation
8.6
11.9
Minimum
22
22
Maximum
48
57
Age at Admission Decision
Mean
Descriptive Statistics – Exception
Admitted Students
Years since UG Degree Conferral
Successful
Unsuccessful
Mean
10.9
4.1
Median
10
2
Standard Deviation
8.7
7.4
Minimum
0
0
Maximum
27
22
Descriptive Statistics – Successful
Students By UG CGPA Quartile
Age – Mean
Age Median
Years since
UG degree
conferralmean
Years since
UG degree
conferralmedian
UG CGPA
Mean
UG CGPA
Median
Quartile 1 = UG CGPA < 2.2
39.8
41
17.0
18
2.13
2.13
Quartile 2 = UG CGPA 2.2 to 2.399
41.6
40
16.7
18
2.29
2.28
Quartile 3 = UG CGPA 2.4 to 2.599
33.5
33
8.7
9
2.48
2.50
Quartile 4 = UG CGPA 2.6 to 2.799
29.5
27
7.6
5
2.70
2.71
Successful
As age increases, undergrad CGPA decreases
Undergraduate Major For “Exception”
Students
Undergraduate Major
Successful
Unsuccessful
# Business Degrees
7
5
# of non-business degrees
15
3
% Business Degrees
31.8%
62.5%
% of non-business degrees
68.2%
37.5%
Almost 70% of successful exception students did not have
an undergraduate business degree
Reasons Used for Accepting Exception
Students
Reasons For Exceptions
Professional Success Noted
Length of time since UG degree
conferral
Spoke to Applicant
Other UG course work
Other Graduate course work
Strong References
UG CGPA close to benchmark
Maturity/Thoughtfulness
Well written essays
Findings

UG CGPA is similar for successful and unsuccessful exception students

Successful exception students are more likely to be:

Older (10 years based on median)

Further away from UG degree conferral (8 years based on median)
Findings


For successful exception students:

UG CGPA has less utility for older students further removed from UG degree
conferral

A non-business major is more associated with success
Admission decisions for successful exception students had more support
(at least 2 versus 1 reason supporting the exception).
Limitations

Subjectivity and reviewer bias

Other factors, not considered, may be important

Have the exception students completed the degree?
Conclusion/Next Steps

There are reasons beyond quantitative benchmarks to accept students
who are not academically successful in their undergraduate studies into
the MBA program.

Develop a formal model of admissions criteria, including both quantitative
and qualitative measures.


Include a feedback loop whereby the success of exception students is
reviewed periodically and if necessary, admission criteria are modified.
Develop formal definitions for exception reasons to ensure objectivity and
reduce subjectivity between reviewers
Questions????