Graduate Schools

Article provided by The Princeton Review

The Princeton Review's ranking of the "Toughest Business Schools to Get Into" is based on an Admissions Selectivity Rating, which measures the competitiveness of admission to 237 different business schools. Several factors determine this rating, including average GMAT scores and undergraduate GPA of entering students, the percent of applicants accepted, and the percent of applicants who are accepted and ultimately enroll. No student survey data is used in this calculation. Learn more about The Princeton Review rating system for business schools.

1. Harvard University (Boston, Massachusetts)
Competition for coveted spots in the entering class of Harvard Business School (HBS) is intense. A mere 12 percent of the 8,500 annual applicants are accepted, and among this select group, the average GMAT score is 708 and undergraduate GPA 3.6. There's not a lot of wiggle room there. HBS has three application rounds, and admissions are need-blind. Applicants must submit a complete HBS application portfolio, including personal essays, academic transcripts, and three letters of recommendation, in addition to GMAT and, if applicable, TOEFL or IELTS scores. And HBS likes candidates to have completed introductory courses in quantitative subjects.

Students who considered Harvard also considered: Babson College, Dartmouth College, and University of Michigan.

2. Stanford University (Stanford, California)
Admissions are highly competitive at Stanford's Graduate School of Business. The admissions office sets no minimum standards for work experience, GMAT score, or GPA, but nonetheless, only exceptional candidates--about 10 percent of the 4,700-person applicant pool--are offered admission. This group boasts average GMAT scores of 711 and undergraduate GPAs of 3.5. Admissions are need-blind, and the school seeks students who "contribute to a diverse community." Applicants must provide GMAT and, if applicable, TOEFL scores, undergraduate and graduate transcripts, letters of reference, two essays, and a résumé.

Students who considered Stanford also considered: Georgetown University, Ohio State University, and Yale University.

3. University of Pennsylvania (Philadelphia, Pennsylvania)
Sixteen percent of the 7,215-person applicant pool are offered admission to this highly selective MBA program. Accepted students have an average GMAT score of 714 and an average undergraduate GPA of 3.5. Admissions at Penn's Wharton School are need-blind, and there are three rounds of applications. With a student-to-faculty ratio of 5:1 and impressive post-graduation starting salaries (not to mention the perks of living in Philadelphia), it's easy to understand why admissions at this top-notch b-school are so very competitive.

Students who considered the Wharton School at Penn also considered: Emory University, Rice University, and University of Virginia.

4. Massachusetts Institute of Technology (Cambridge, Massachusetts)
Admissions at MIT's Sloan School of Management are extremely competitive; the school's Web site points out that nearly all applicants "have noteworthy academic records" (those accepted have an average undergraduate GPA of 3.5), "competitive GMAT scores" (the average GMAT score is 710), and "an average of five-plus years of professional experience." The nature of the program favors candidates with strong quantitative and analytical skills, as well as those with well-demonstrated leadership potential and a clear vision of their career goals. There are two rounds of applications, and admissions are need-blind. Completed applications include two letters of recommendation, post-secondary transcripts, a résumé, four personal essays, supplemental information, and GMAT scores. Once admitted, students say they appreciate the fact that their classmates are "very diverse and extremely impressive with respect to what they did before business school."

Students who considered MIT-Sloan also considered: Boston College, Northwestern University, and University of Chicago.

5. Columbia University (New York, New York)
A plethora of aspiring MBAs hope to earn their degrees at this topnotch Ivy League school in New York. Graduates are virtually guaranteed impressive starting salaries, and Columbia Business School also maintains one of the highest enrollments of women and underrepresented minorities among top b-schools. In selecting applicants for admission, the school reports that "efforts are made to admit students who add different perspectives to the learning experience." The average GMAT score of admitted students is 709, and the average undergraduate GPA is 3.4. A mere 15 percent of the 4,900 students who apply are offered admission (which is need-blind), and of that select group, 71 percent ultimately enroll.

Students who considered Columbia also considered: Cornell University, New York University, and University of California-Los Angeles.