Wanted: World Shapers

We are nearing the end of the admissions cycle for this fall. As I write, applicants are making their final decisions on where to spend the next two years of their lives.

I’m pleased to point out that the entering MBA class at Vanderbilt will have the highest entering “stats” in the history of our school…a combination of GMAT and GPA scores. Something to be proud of, indeed.

Certainly schools and publications capture and tout these stats as proof of their greatness. However, the dirty secret of secondary education is that none of these highly-touted scores—LSATs, MCATs, GMATs, GREs—can predict what kind of lawyer, doctor, business person, scientist or philosopher someone will be. These scores say nothing of integrity, leadership, perseverance, teamwork or communication abilities. They fail to capture the qualities that in the work world, employers highly value.

At Owen, we do consider GMATs and GPAs to ensure that students can handle the rigorous coursework required by our MBA program; but our admissions process looks far beyond numbers. We are focused on identifying and attracting to Vanderbilt individuals who have something special, that set of factors that— when combined with intelligence and hard work—yield extraordinary results. We call it the “X-Factor” and we look for it during interviews and in face-to-face meetings. Our graduates work hard, are team players and are accountable for their actions. They are truly “world shapers”—individuals who will transform their worlds and contribute to our community at the same time. These are the people that make this such a special place to belong. These are the people that employers desire.

We will sacrifice the stats for finding the right people. It’s the better way.