Strict UK visa rules to affect Indian students

However, deserving candidates need not fear losing out on quality education in renowned institutes.

If the UK government's review of its visa norms was not enough to send Indian students looking at other destinations, the shutting down of institutes may bring the numbers further down. Besides, the US is getting more serious about attracting international students.

Till 2010, student visa allocation for the UK declined by six per cent. In April, UK did away with the Tier I Post Study Work (PSW) visa. The UK Border Agency confirmed that changes in the student visa rules will result in fewer visa applications. “The UK government is committedto minimising abuse of the student immigration system, while ensuring support for the brightest and best students to continue to study at UK’s highest quality education institutions. Closure of the PSW was triggered by an increase in abuse in the private education sector in the UK. It was found that there was increasing abuse in the private further education sector (by some, but not all colleges), so the reforms were targeted at those institutions where change was considered to be most necessary,” said Sam Murray, regional communications manager, UK Border Agency, South Asia.

Since May 2010, the UK Border Agency has revoked the licenses of 97 Tier 4 UK education providers. A further 36 currently have their licenses suspended, said a UK Border Agency Spokesperson in India.

“The recent shut down of Training and Advanced Studies in Management and Communications (TASMAC)'s London campus last week is due to tighter visa restrictions implemented by the United Kingdom Border Agency (UKBA),” said Sameer Dua, joint managing director, TASMAC group.

On March 22, 2011, the UK Home Secretary, Theresa May, announced sweeping changes to Tier 4 student route for migration. She said from April 2012 all institutions wanting to sponsor foreign students would have to be classfied as a Highly Trusted Sponsor by the UK Border Agency and would need to be inspected by an approved educational oversight body.

The UK government wants the brightest and best international students to come to the UK to study in its high quality education institutions. These changes to accreditation and inspection requirements protect legitimate students and ensure that only those education providers with a proven track record in immigration compliance will be licensed to bring international students to the UK.

“In the event that a student is already in the UK and his or her sponsor surrenders its license or has its licence withdrawn, the student will usually have 60 days to find an alternative education provider in the UK. If the student has less than six months left his or her leave will not be reduced,” the spokesperson added.

UK Border Agency in an email said it was important for international students to receive the standard of education that they deserve and have paid for. This is why the UK government, in its first stage of reforms to the student visa system, has increased accreditation requirements for sponsors and extended robust inspection arrangements to private sector providers.

“The tightening of visa requirements by Australia and the UK is making them less attractive destinations for students as they see lower prospects for future jobs and immigration. Also, budget cuts in the US public institutions are prompting them to recruit international students more actively as an additional source of revenue,” said Rahul Choudaha, director of development and innovation at World Education Services in New York.

International student enrollment in higher education in Australia and the UK grew by 81 per cent and 47 per cent respectively between 2002 and 2009, as compared to 18 per cent in the US. In absolute terms, Australia, the UK and US each added nearly 100,000 students over the same period.

“This translates into comparatively slow growth for the US, given that the size of the American higher education system is 17 times that of Australia and eight times that of the UK,” explains Choudaha.

According to Choudaha, some of the early reports for autumn 2011 show a significant increase in international student enrollment at US universities. For example, at the University of Iowa first-time freshmen international student enrolment reached record levels of 484 this year, compared to 388 last year. Likewise, at Arkansas State University international student enrollment for autumn 2011 passed 1,000 students for the first time. Last year 780 international students enrolled.

According to the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) number of internationally mobile students grew by 1.6 million between 2000 and 2009. Choudaha says this trend will continue to be driven by the increasing ability of prospective students in countries like China and India to afford foreign higher education.

Sibal pitches for American varsities to open shop in India

As the first ever high-level Indo-US education summit gets underway, India on Wednesday pitched for famed American universities to "reach out" to the country, with the visiting minister Kapil Sibal saying that tie-ups would yield high economic returns. Making a strong case for US institutions of higher education to partner with those in India, the minister for human resource development said it is time that the US institutes of higher learning realise that the "way to move forward in education is to come to India, to collaborate and set up institutions and reach out to people."

He, however, added that India too has to "reach out" and create an environment for US universities to set up base in the country.

"You have a higher education structure which is the envy of the world, it has been at the front of all knowledge creation. US has the best academics all over the world. It is time for you to reach out, collaborate with us because in that process you will participate in not just helping us solve our problems but helping us solve the problems of the world," he said at an event on India-US education opportunities organised by the Centre for Strategic and International Studies here.

The day long education summit on October 13, to be co-chaired by Sibal and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, will see participation by over 300 higher education leaders, government and private sector representatives.

Sibal pointed out that investing in the Indian education sector makes good economic sense for the US as the return on investment in India is much higher as compared to any other country.

"Your model that kids should fly across the Atlantic to go to Harvard, Stanford or Yale is not a good economic model because your investment per dollar gives you a very small return. The same investment in India in collaboration with an Indian institution will give you much higher return," Sibal said.

While only 100,000 Indian students are currently studying in the US, Sibal said India has over 200 million students who need quality education.

"So instead of having 200,000 people come to the US, you can actually with the same money empower a million kids in India. There is need to change the mindset of people in the education sector."

To address the education needs of the young in India, the country would need another 1000 universities and 55,000 colleges in the next 10 years when the number of children going to college increases from the current 16 million to 45 million.

"India cannot build 1000 universities on its own. So we will perforce have to create an environment in which private sector investment, FDI and public-private partnership will be channelled into the education sector."

The mindset of the Americans that students should come to the US to study is the "wrong way of going about it" because the global economy and solutions are not going in that direction.

Capital flow will not be directed to developed economies, which have reached saturation point, Sibal said, adding that capital will flow to countries with opportunities.

"There are opportunities galore in India in every part of its economy, be it infrastructure or education" and billions of dollars of investment is projected to be made in these sectors.

Source: The Hindustan Times

University of Wales degree and visa scam exposed by BBC

Irvin Harris has resigned as registrar of Rayat College London but denies any wrongdoing.

A scam exposed by BBC Wales in which overseas students are helped to cheat their way to University of Wales-validated degrees and visas is being investigated by the UK Border Agency.

Students are sold diplomas exempting them from work for MBAs, which then entitles them to apply for a UK visa.

Two staff at Rayat London College have been suspended and the registrar has resigned.

The University of Wales would not comment on the scam allegations.

Earlier this week it said it is to stop validating other institutions' degrees.

UK Immigration Minister Damian Green said: "It's fraud - it's clearly trying to create and exploit a loophole in the immigration system.

"Obviously we're aware of the investigations that you've been undergoing (at BBC Wales).

"If people are committing scams then they should be worried - we're after them."

Continue reading the main story

“Start Quote

You are not really bothered about what you are going to write but these things will in future prove very costly so at least remember the subjects”

Surya MedicherlaLecturer, addressing students at Lampton College, London

Meanwhile the Welsh Liberal Democrats have expressed their "frustration and disappointment" that a request for an urgent question in the Senedd, calling on the education minister to make a statement on the matter, has been refused.

Aled Roberts, shadow education minister, said: "The issue of overseas students who are cheating their way into University of Wales accredited colleges to obtain visas is a matter that warrants urgent discussion."

Exam exemptions

Special two-year work permits for all overseas graduates in the UK are being phased out in April and foreign students are being tempted by offers to fraudulently obtain degrees before the deadline.

Undercover footage suggests students at the Rayat London College are being offered the chance to enrol on express MBA courses using fraudulent diplomas to ensure exemptions from much of the work.

BBC Wales' Week In Week Out programme has obtained evidence of plans to offer students advanced sight of an official University of Wales exam paper.

Covert filming shows one lecturer, Surya Medicherla, giving students tips on how to cheat in exams and how to deceive the UK Border Agency (UKBA).

In the footage, he warned the students not to be complacent about the agency.

"In some corners of your heart you are so happy because you are not studying anything but you are getting your PGD (postgraduate diploma)," he said.

"You are not really bothered about what you are going to write but these things will in future prove very costly so at least remember the subjects.

Mr Medicherla told BBC Wales it was never his intention to show students how to cheat."Just please be careful, just getting the PSW (post study work visa) does not mean that we have fooled the UKBA - no, they are quite intelligent - they are more intelligent than what we are."

The registrar of Rayat London College, Irvin Harris, is also co-director of the exam qualifications awarding company Professional Qualifications Management (PQM) Limited.

The programme has evidence that his scam would include an offer to hold examinations in which students can cheat in order to complete a 15-month qualification in under a week.

Mr Harris denies any allegations of wrongdoing, saying that he never encouraged anyone to cheat and was not responsible for the conduct of Mr Medicherla.

Police alerted

This week he resigned from his post with Rayat London College.

A spokesperson for the college said a lecturer and admissions officer had also been suspended.

It said it wished to disassociate itself from any alleged wrongdoing and had referred the matter to the police.

PQM Limited said it was a bona fide organisation with strict policies for examination and marking and denied any involvement in the matters under investigation.

Immigration lawyer Harjap Bhangal said those caught attempting to deceive the UKBA were likely to face prosecution.

"There's currently students serving prison sentences for trying to defraud the UKBA," he said.

"The consequences are jail and the risk of exposure.

"On top of that you may be deported and your passport taken - you might never see your passport again.

"If proceedings are taken in your home country you might not be allowed to leave and your dream of coming to the UK will be gone as you are restricted to living in your village."

The episode is likely to cause further embarrassment for the University of Wales, after an earlier BBC investigation revealed a college offering its courses in Malaysia was run by a pop star with two bogus degrees.

On Monday, the University of Wales announced that it would stop validating degrees from other institutions.

Vice-chancellor Medwin Hughes said the decision was in response to changes in higher education in Wales.

The university, whose chancellor is Prince Charles, was the second largest degree awarding body in the UK with 70,000 students at 130 partner colleges around the world.

Following a highly critical report by the higher education watchdog, the QAA, the University of Wales said each of its partnerships would be reviewed.

However, it last inspected Rayat London College in July, shortly before the BBC investigation began, and validated its courses for a further five years.

The University of Wales says it has referred the allegations being made in the programme to South Wales Police, the Metropolitan Police and the UKBA.

It said it would be inappropriate for it to comment further.

Prof Sir Deian Hopkin, former vice-chancellor of London South Bank University, said the developments were worrying.

"If someone comes along and says a British degree can be bought and sold ... that's not good news."

Source: BBC News

Overseas student numbers rise in the UK

The number of overseas students coming to the UK has risen dramatically in the past five years.

Numbers increased by 32% in the five years to 2010, data from the Higher Education Statistics Agency (Hesa) show.

There was an 6% increase in number of home students in the UK over the same time.

Last year, there were just over 400,000 overseas students studying at universities in the UK.

                                                          

At undergraduate level, the five years to 2010 saw a 5% rise in home students from the UK attending UK universities and a 27% increase in overseas students.

At postgraduate level, UK student numbers rose by nearly 9%, while those of overseas students increased by 37%.

Universities compete to attract students from overseas, who can bring valuable financial contributions as well as added status to an institution.

Students from other European Union countries have to pay whatever fees are charged to local students in England, Wales and Northern Ireland.

In Scotland, where Scottish students do not pay fees, EU students from outside of the UK do not pay fees, while students from other parts of the UK do.

Students from outside of the EU are charged a range of fees - with no upper limit.

'Closed for business'

University academics say the research shows the importance of foreign students to the UK.

The coalition government, in its drive to reduce immigration, is tightening controls on student visas.

Sally Hunt, the general secretary of the University and College Union said: "This report highlights the importance of foreign students to UK universities and the economy.

"Our universities are consistently enriched by the students and academics that come to this country to study, carry out research and share their knowledge.

"Politicians must be very careful not to restrict academic access or make ill-judged comments that give the impression UK universities are closed for business."

Source: BBC News

Rankings now in own league

THE DIGITAL babble broke out immediately. As soon as the Times Higher Education rankings of the world's top 200 universities were made public last week, the winners started tweeting.

"Congratulations!" Melbourne University messaged its 8594 followers, "The University of Melbourne is again Australia's highest-ranked university."


Monash University told its 7742 followers that it had, "Great news! The Times Higher Education rankings are out and we've jumped 61 places."


Australian universities also took to spruiking their world league table successes on their websites. Even the Australian National University, which has a no-comment policy on university rankings, mentions some of its wins on its website.

How things have changed. There was a time when institutions treated the results with a degree of disdain. But not any longer.

So why are universities now paying so much attention to the rankings? Part of the reason lies in the fact that the methodologies behind the rankings have improved and there is now more transparency in how the "big three" rankings systems calculate their tables.

The Times, the Quacquarelli Symonds World University Rankings, and the Academic Ranking of World Universities (ARWU), compiled by Shanghai Jiao Tong University, are the surveys that universities watch.

Universities have also come to realise that a good showing in the league tables can improve their standing with students, academics and philanthropists — basically anyone who has a stake in higher education.

Monash University vice-chancellor Ed Byrne says the university takes the rankings seriously, particularly in the area of research. "They tell us, I think, a lot about our international standing, a lot about our research outputs, where they're relatively quantitative," he says. But "they tell us less about our teaching performance, where local scales and local guides such as the various Australian university guides probably give more information".

Monash has been rising in the world league tables over the past few years. In the Times league table this year, Monash is Australia's fifth-ranked university, up two places from last year. It has also been winning a substantial number of national competitive research grants.

Professor Byrne says these results reflect the university's strategy of investing in outstanding research talent.

"The best period Monash University has ever had has been the last four or five years, except the next five years will be even better, because the university is improving itself more rapidly, I think, than any other institution in this modern world," he says.

And in the highly competitive international student market, a good result in world rankings can help universities snare students. The rankings, however, are less important for domestic students, who can rely on local networks for information.

Professor Byrne says when international students are choosing a university they will look at a range of factors, including visa conditions and exchange rates. But they also read information about rankings.

"The international students tend to stream into a family of universities related to their academic performance," he says, "in the same way that domestic students do."

Sue Elliott, deputy vice-chancellor of global engagement at Melbourne University, says market research shows rankings are a major factor when international students are considering which institution they should attend.

"Consequently, there is often an increase in inquiries following rankings successes, as well as a spike in social media engagement on the issue," she says.

Professor Elliott says this interest has carried through to enrolments, particularly at graduate level.

Despite a national downturn in international student numbers, Melbourne's commencing international enrolments are marginally higher than in 2010. In the Times table, Melbourne University is the 37th ranked institution in the world, one place down from last year, but still Australia's top-ranked university.

Glenn Withers, chief executive of Universities Australia, isn't surprised that universities are trumpeting good rankings results. He says as federal funding for universities has declined over the years, institutions have had to look for new revenue sources, such as full fees from international students.

"A key tool of marketing and recruitment is to tell the world how you're doing in the rankings," Dr Withers says.

Even universities not ranked among Australia's best take the league tables seriously. In an email to staff last month, RMIT vice-chancellor Margaret Gardner echoed the views of some academics who were asking if the university "should give any attention to rankings".

"We should pay attention — even if we are aware of their particular shortcomings," she answered. "The first reason for doing so relates to understanding how these rankings present our university to the world.

"As students become more globally mobile, they seek information sources to guide their decisions. Rankings form a reputational surrogate to assist students in their decisions."

Stephen Holmes is a managing partner of the Knowledge Partnership, a marketing and communication consultancy that works with Australian and overseas universities.

He says there is no doubt that rankings feed into a university's reputation. Dr Holmes is speaking at five conferences in Asia on the topic of university reputation between now and March.

"If you're talking to potential students in Singapore and Malaysia, at least half the reason they would consider a Western university is based on rankings," says Dr Holmes, who has just opened an office in Singapore. "They're very status-driven and prestige-driven."

He says prospective students want more than the "clever slogans" and "motherhood statements" in university marketing brochures. They want evidence that a university performs well.

Asian universities, which have been improving in the rankings, are also starting to compete with the rest of the world for international students. Dr Holmes says Malaysia now hosts about 75,000 international students, but wants 250,000 by 2020.

Rankings are also important in telling universities about how their competitors are performing, he says. And this is not just about attracting students. Research by his company indicates universities with consistent rank rises have an enhanced ability to attract international academics.

The research also shows that universities that move up the league tables attract interest from other leading institutions that are seeking research collaborations and other university partnerships.

Professor Gardner agrees. Her email says that rankings are often used as a "rough guide" to get an idea of a university's research performance, and "in turn can affect interest in research collaboration".

It is particularly important for a university to gain recognition as a research university by being included in the ARWU top 500, says Simon Marginson, a professor in higher education at Melbourne University. He is also an advisory board member for the ARWU and a member of the Times Higher Education editorial board.

The ARWU rankings are based on a university's research performance. In Victoria, Melbourne, Monash, La Trobe and Swinburne universities made it into this year's ARWU top 500.

Last week, Melbourne and Monash universities weren't the only institutions to tweet their good news. Queensland University also told its followers that it had advanced in the rankings. International universities sent out congratulatory messages, too.

But what is interesting is how the messages generated interest among academics and students. Some retweeted the university messages, while "Melistomato" asked, "Do lists like this help anyone?"

People do like their league tables.

Source: The Age

Australia Sets Out Plan to Liberalize Visas for Foreign Students

The government of Australia has announced plans for a sweeping liberalization of the country’s visa program for international students after a major decline in university enrollment from overseas.

The new rules will include streamlined visa processing, less burdensome financial guarantees and the introduction of a post-study work visa.

“Our international education sector is world-class, and the reforms announced today will help entrench Australia as a preferred destination for international students,” Senator Christopher Evans, the minister for tertiary education, skills, jobs and workplace relations, said in a statement in Canberra on Sept. 22.

Australia’s competitiveness in the international education marketplace has been threatened by tough visa requirements, the strong Australian dollar, the global financial crisis, increased international competition and perceptions of an unsafe atmosphere after attacks on Indian students in Victoria two years ago.

Educators have said that those combined factors have driven down international student numbers. An Immigration and Citizenship Department report said in August that international student visa applications fell almost 20 percent in the last fiscal year.

According to Simon Marginson, a professor of higher education at Melbourne University, applications from India are down most sharply, falling by almost 63 percent. Australia’s markets in Southeast Asia are also affected, with Vietnam dropping more than 30 percent and China not far behind. Another government-commissioned report predicted a 23 percent drop in university commencements by the end of 2011.

In December 2010, because of growing concern among Australian universities and vocational schools, the government appointed Michael Knight, a former state government minister, to review the student visa program. With his recommendations, the government will begin the new student visa system by mid-2012.

In the statement, Mr. Evans said, “The university and vocational education sector have been concerned for some time that the visa system was making them uncompetitive.”

Education is Australia’s third-largest export industry, after iron ore and coal, and Australia’s universities and other postsecondary institutions have become heavily dependent on international students for enrollment and revenue.

The Group of Eight, a coalition of leading Australian universities, welcomed the government’s announcement. Professor Paul Greenfield, the coalition’s chairman and vice chancellor of the University of Queensland, said, “In addition to bolstering an important export industry, these changes will improve the supply of high quality skills to the Australian labor market.”

The government’s changes will reduce the visa program’s proof of finance requirements, which require applicants to show access to funds of more than 100,000 Australian dollars, or about $97,000. In some cases, that amount will be lowered to 64,000 dollars, and there will also be a reduction in the period of time the funds must be held.

To streamline processing, the government will treat international students wishing to study at bachelor level or higher as low-risk applicants, regardless of their country of origin. Student visa applicants from countries including India and China previously underwent a longer and more rigorous visa assessment process based on statistical analysis of their higher level of immigration risk.

A post-study work visa will also be available for graduates depending on the level of study completed: two years for bachelor-degree students and as long as four years for doctoral students.

“Students are increasingly looking to augment their studies with graduate work experience, and this further post-study work visa option will offer university students a more complete study experience in Australia,” Mr. Evans said in the statement.

The government does not propose changing the visa program for international students seeking vocational education. Mr. Marginson, the Melbourne University professor, said in an e-mail that the strict student visa program was intended to stop student visas from being used to circumvent immigration controls in the vocational sector. He said the visa system had had the unwanted side effect of decreasing international student numbers in Australian universities.

In a speech at the University of Canberra last year, Mr. Evans said: “The integrity of our education system and our migration system relies on each one being able to stand alone. The migration tail can’t be allowed to wag the education dog or vice versa. That’s a sure way to dilute quality for both.”

The government’s announcement demonstrates the difficulty of juggling a higher education sector heavily dependent on international student revenue and the desire to regulate migration.

“It’s between trying to find a balance for the economic benefits and a balance of protecting the integrity of the migration controls,” Mr. Evans said in the statement.

“If you let everybody in that wants to come, you get more economic benefit and more fees coming into the sector, but you blow your migration controls. If you have enormously stringent migration controls, then you never let anybody in and you don't get any of the benefits. It's about trying to find the balance. I think we've done that.”

The effect of the government’s changes will not be known immediately. Mr. Marginson said the changes “do all that can reasonably be done.” He predicted that the decline in international student numbers would stop once education agents and the global market understood the changes.

A version of this article appeared in print on October 3, 2011, in The International Herald Tribune with the headline: Australia Sets Out Plan to Liberalize Visas for Foreign Students.

Victoria Premier blames Oz Govt. for “strangling” international student market

Victoria Premier Ted Baillieu has accused the Australian government of “effectively strangling” the international student market, and has announced that he will join forces with his New South Wales counterpart Barry O’Farrell to push for wider changes to the nation’s visa restrictions.

Baillieu has described Canberra’s recently announced fast-track student visa program that gives foreign students, including those from India and China, the right to two years of post-study work – provided they graduate with a university degree, as a “knee-jerk reaction” that will threaten his state’s 5.8 billion dollar international education industry.

Baillieu and O’Farrell share concerns that the reforms focus too much on universities and not enough on the vocational education sector, where falling enrolments are the most severe, The Age reports.

The Liberal premiers are expected to use the next Council of Australian Governments meeting to challenge Prime Minister Julia Gillard to further ease visa restrictions, with Victoria arguing the changes should be based on the type of qualification students get, not just that it comes from a university.

“The Victorian government is concerned that the Commonwealth have effectively strangled the international education market with a knee-jerk reaction that is threatening a 5.8 billion dollar industry in Victoria,” Baillieu’s spokeswoman told The Sunday Age.

“Victoria is developing a number of initiatives to grow our international student market, particularly from key countries such as China and India. However, the Commonwealth’s actions have been inadequate and are threatening this important economic sector,” the spokeswoman added.

Under the Commonwealth’s changes, adopted from the Knight review into student visas, foreign students who undertake a university bachelor degree will have access to a streamlined visa system and the right to two years’ work after graduating, without a restriction on the type of job.

They also will no longer have to prove they have more than 75,000 dollars in their bank account, bringing Australia’s system into line with other countries such as the US, where students simply declare they have the means to support themselves.

However, vocational training colleges will have to wait on a second review, due next year, before they see major changes to processing arrangements for their own international students.

Figures from the Immigration Department show offshore grants (visa approvals) for the vocational education and training sector fell by 44.6 per cent between June 2009-10 and June 2010-11 – including a 64 per cent decline from China, and a 90.1 per cent fall from India. University offshore grants fell by 18.3 per cent over the same period.

While universities have welcomed the changes adopted from the Knight review, others in the sector have called for a level playing field to avoid irreparable reputational damage. (ANI)

GRE acceptable for MBA admissions; may get an edge over GMAT in future

The business schools in the United States are accepting Graduate Record Examinations test scores as a replacement for the conventional Graduate Management Admission Test submission in the application process, a spokesman of Kampus Landing- Global Education Specialists stated.

Until now, GMAT was the most acceptable test for admissions in USA business schools MBA programs.

Tejal Laul, Director of Kampus Landing says, “GRE will make more sense for students who are undecided whether to go for MS or MBA.” Though, she advises that students who are sure that they want to pursue MBA degree should opt for GMAT only. GMAT will continue to have more acceptability than GRE for MBA admissions for the next few years.

In June 2012, the GMAT exam will gain a new section designed to measure the test taker’s ability to evaluate information from multiple sources. Incorporating advances in technology and measurement, the next generation GMAT will include a new 30-minute Integrated Reasoning section that will ask the test taker to interpret data presented graphically, analyze different types of information, and evaluate outcomes. Tejal advises students to take GMAT before the new one is implemented. The GMAT Verbal, Quantitative and Total Scores will not change. Test takers will receive a separate score for the essay, as they do now, and for the new Integrated Reasoning section. The overall length of the GMAT exam (three and a half hours) will not change. When the Integrated Reasoning section is added, the Analytical Writing assessment will be streamlined to include only one 30-minute essay prompt instead of two.

The Top US Business Schools that are accepting GRE Scores for MBA/EMBA Admission:

Harvard Business School - It offers an innovative new program for college juniors called HBS 2+2: two years of work, then two years of immersion in the Harvard Business School MBA Program. The 2+2 Program accepts either the GMAT or the GRE as part of the application process.

Yale School of Management - Applicants must have a four-year bachelor’s degree from an accredited U.S. institution or the international equivalent and must have taken either the GMAT or the GRE.

MIT Sloan - It will accept the GRE in lieu of the GMAT. The verbal sections of the GMAT or GRE will be used to evaluate applicants' English language ability.

New York University Stern School of Business - It accepts GRE for Full-Time and Part-Time MBA Programs.

University of Virginia, Darden School of Business - Darden accepts the GRE in place of the GMAT for MBA admissions. It offers Full-time MBA, MBA for Executives, Executive Education.

University of Evansville Executive MBA Program - GMAT or GRE scores may be required at the discretion of the Admissions Committee.

The list of the business schools accepting GRE for MBA admissions is expected to grow gradually in the next two years.

Carlson now accepts GRE scores for MBA program

Previously, applicants’ only option was to take the GMAT.

Starting Tuesday, the Carlson School of Management will allow prospective students to submit GRE test scores for their MBA program.

The change follows a national trend of business schools trying to make the application process simpler and more accessible for prospective students.

Previously, students applying to Carlson School’s MBA programs could only submit GMAT scores — a standardized test that has been the yardstick for business school admissions for decades. But an increasing number of students pursuing dual master degrees and an emerging national trend pushed the school to provide the second option.

“We have a fair number of students with dual degrees. We really like to have these students; they bring some rich diversity to our program,” said Art Hill, professor and associate dean of MBA programs at Carlson School.

Both tests measure similar skills and subjects, and are made up of a writing section, a quantitative section and a verbal section. Students are tested on algebra, geometry, basic arithmetic and data interpretation as well.

The standard fee to take the GMAT is $250, whereas the GRE cost $160.

 With the change, admissions officers can take a student’s GRE scores and use a formula to predict their projected GMAT score.

“We’re trying to make it easier for people to apply to our program, but we’re not lowering our standards,” Hill said. “Our standards are extremely high. We’re at the 90th percentile for the GMAT, and our GRE levels will be the same.”

The percentage of schools that have made the switch has increased nationally in just the past three years, said Andrew Mitchell, assistant director of pre-business programs at Kaplan Test Prep center.

In 2009, only 24 percent of business schools accepted the GRE. In 2010, that number rose again to 39 percent, and topped off at 52 percent this year. Kaplan, which provides courses and materials to students studying for either test, conducts the survey of admissions officials at more than 265 business schools nationally, Mitchell said.

But relatively few applicants are submitting GRE scores so far. Mitchell said it was likely that few students knew about the option, or believed that submitting a GMAT score was a “statement of seriousness” in seeking a graduate business degree. While many of the top business schools in the nation do accept the GRE, several, like the University of Chicago’s Booth program still require a GMAT score.

The Carlson School will accept GRE scores for both the full-time and part-time MBA programs, but students still need to submit a GMAT score to receive scholarships for the full-time program, Hill said.

Abou Amara, president of the University’s Graduate and Professional Student Assembly, welcomes the change, especially as an aid to students seeking a dual degree.

“It’s becoming very common for students to pursue dual-degree programs,” Amara said. “It feeds into what’s going on already with a lot of students considering multiple graduate or professional degrees.”

Amara also said allowing a GRE score for admissions may diversify the prospective student population for Carlson School, meaning students will be able to draw on diverse backgrounds to solve problems both in classes and their future careers.

“Whatever sector you’re in, you’re going to need people who can critically think, who can think in an interdisciplinary fashion,” Amara said. “The skills that are needed transcend any one test, and there are multiple ways to measure that.”

A competitive curve

A major revision to the GRE test launched Aug. 1, with new scores not expected until November. Test administrators scrapped many vocabulary-based questions, focusing instead on reading comprehension — similar to the GMAT’s setup. The GRE changes were likely motivated to appeal to the business school market, Mitchell said.

“The dust is still settling when it comes to the new GRE,” he said.

The GMAT also plans a revision by cutting an essay and adding a section on “integrated reasoning.” Students will be expected to use multiple graphics or sources to answer a question in the section, such as a spreadsheet, graphs, charts and other data sources.

“The test changes are arguably designed as a counterstrike to make the GMAT even more targeted toward business school than it currently is,” Mitchell said.

Just after the new GRE was released, the GMAT administrators sped up the release of their revision to the summer of 2012.

Whether the revision of the GMAT will stop business schools from adopting the GRE in the future is still unknown, Mitchell said.

“It’s likely the trend will continue, but the changes to the two tests do complicate the issue a bit,” he said.

Hill said the revision shouldn’t affect Carlson School’s decision to accept the GRE.

Source: mndaily . com