In April, Dean Kim B. Clark announced that Harvard Business School will add the Graduate Management Admissions Test (GMAT) to the portfolio of criteria used to evaluate a candidate's application to the MBA Program, effective for admittance in September 1997 and beyond. In the following interview, Professor Steven C. Wheelwright, chair of the MBA Program, provides some background on the School's decision.

It's been eleven years since HBS dropped the GMAT requirement. What developments have led to this policy change?

There are a number of very well-considered reasons behind this decision, relating to the test itself, the kinds of students who are now applying to the MBA Program, and the type of applicant we're looking for.

There have been significant improvements in the structure of the GMAT. One recent addition is a writing assessment, which, given the importance of writing and analytical skills in our MBA Program, will provide the School with valuable information about a candidate's capabilities. The GMAT is also now more widely available around the world than in the past, and it is easier for applicants to register for it. In addition, beginning in October 1997, the exam will be offered on a computer platform, so anyone wishing to take it can make an appointment by phone and not be limited to four Saturdays a year, as in the past. Furthermore, the Graduate Management Admissions Council (GMAC), with whom we have been working for several months, is committed to collaborating with us in the future to continuously improve the test.

You mentioned changes in the kinds of students applying to HBS. Did you have in mind the increase in international applicants?

Yes, that's one area of change. Our applicant pool has become so diverse, and includes so many extraordinary people from all over the world, that we want to be able to give all applicants an opportunity to provide one standard piece of data that indicates verbal, quantitative, analytical, and writing skills. The GMAT is especially helpful in determining written proficiency in English, and in some cases where a student needs more work in this area, we will require completion of a college-level course prior to enrollment in the MBA Program.

How much weight will the GMAT have in the admissions decision? Will there be a cut-off score?

GMAT scores will be only one piece of an applicant's portfolio, which also includes components such as undergraduate transcripts, essays, letters of recommendation, and, in many cases, the results of personal interviews with HBS admissions staff. There has never been a specific "formula" for admission to the School; we try to construct a complete picture of each individual before making a decision.

What are some of the qualities you're looking for in that picture?

Well, leadership potential is certainly an important one.

Is leadership ability something that can be determined from a test like this?

Along with integrity and strong values, leadership is a quality we look for throughout the applicant's portfolio. However, one of our long-term goals in working with the GMAC is to determine what the predictors of leadership potential might be and to explore how traits closely tied to leadership - such as practical intelligence or creative intelligence - can best be identified, measured, and developed.

Do you think any potentially promising applicants will be deterred from applying to HBS because of the GMAT requirement?

We certainly hope not. An overwhelming majority of our applicants already take the GMAT anyway because they are simultaneously applying to other schools, and we hope that by communicating that the test is only one of several criteria, even those who worry about their test-taking ability will continue to apply.

There has been some talk of the timing of the GMAT decision vis-a-vis recently published MBA program rankings. Are the two related?

The timing is an unfortunate coincidence. Far from a response to any poll, the decision to include GMAT scores as one piece of an applicant's portfolio is based on systematic analysis of data gathered over the past ten years. It has to do with positive changes in the test, GMAC's willingness to make further changes and work toward ways of identifying leadership potential, enhanced test availability worldwide, accessibility by computer, and our own commitment to learn from and improve our admissions process.

Click here to read the related press release.