Manhattan Review Blog - Test Prep, Admissions Consulting and Career Training

In face of the increased competition from GRE, administered by the ETS, and the changes in admissions processes preferred by business school worldwide, Graduate Management Admissions Council (GMAC) has decided to add a new section, Integrated Reasoning, to its challenging Graduate Management Admission Test (GMAT).  This new section of the exam is designed to test advanced reasoning skills and is separately scored from the total 800 score of verbal and quantitative sections. It is to launch in the 10th edition of the GMAT on June 4, 2012, less than two years away from now.

In spring 2010, GMAC piloted the new section with current MBA students and plans to pilot it again with thousands of students this fall.

GMAC states: “The new section will replace one of the two writing sections currently on the exam.  It will be scored separately and have a new audio component for some questions.  The test’s current verbal and math sections will remain unchanged.”  The new changes in the exam are the following:

• Test takers will need to interpret charts, graphs, and spreadsheets, and answer interactive questions that will test their analytical skills.
• Test takers will be asked to analyze information, draw out conclusions and determine relationships between data points.
• Test takers will wear headphones while taking this portion of the test.  The use of headphones is a new feature that will help schools assess students’ auditory learning style.
• Rather than just multiple-choice questions, test takers will drag-and-drop data points, as well, as write mini-essays.

GMAC has released a sample question similar to questions that will appear on the new test. Students are asked to look at a table that sorts like a spreadsheet and detail the number of passengers and airline movements at 21 airports around the world. They are then presented with a list of statements about the information in the table and asked to determine which of the statements are true based on the data in the spreadsheet. Other exercises include using the same table to evaluate the reason for or likelihood of certain outcomes, or to use the table to determine where other airports rank.  Some other possible questions may be to determine a country’s plans for a road.  This would include looking at maps and government data.

Below is a sample question with the data tables and charts test takers will see in the new version of the GMAT. To view the data table and graph click on the link below!

Sample Question Data Table/Graph

1. Of the models with Gasoline Engine Type, the model with the greatest ratio of City MPG to Highway MPG is also the model with the greatest difference between Highway MPG and City MPG.


2. The minimum City MPG for a Toyota make is less than the maximum City MPG for a Volkswagen make.


3. A model chosen at random from those models with a Highway MPG greater than 30 miles per gallon has a 50% chance of being a Toyota.


4. The median carbon footprint for all models is greater than the mode carbon footprint for all models.


5. The standard deviation of the Highway MPG values for all BMW models is lower than the standard deviation of the Highway MPG values for all Toyota models.

Integrated Reasoning Answers: Statements 1 and 4 are FALSE; Statements 2, 3, and 5 are TRUE.

Why the new changes?  These changes are due to the evolving trends seen in business school classrooms.  This is a way to distinguish between those students who will adapt well in the classroom rather than just score a high score on the GMAT, making it easier for business schools to select who to be admitted. This new change is welcomed with great enthusiasm by business schools. GMAC created the section after b-school faculty members expressed a preference for proof that students could read, synthesize and reason well from a set of data within a limited amount of time without relevant in-depth knowledge and any memorization.

The addition of 30-minute Integrated Reasoning in replacement of one of the Analytical Writing Assessment sections is the biggest change to GMAT since it became a computer-adaptive test in the late 1990s. Other recent year changes occurred in 2006 after the switch over of the test administration from the ETS to Pearson. However those changes are more in rules and format, less in content.

Some students may fear that with this new section added to the GMAT, their score may not be as high than with the old exam.  Fear not.  GMAC is planning outreach and educational programs for business school faculty and students.  These programs will include information sessions and details on the new tests.

To get a better sense on the new integrated reasoning section click on the title below:

 Next Generation GMAT Question Demonstration

We at Manhattan Review wholeheartedly support such a constructive change on the GMAT and are prepared to incorporate the teaching of the new section into our curriculum. We strongly feel that without changing the existing verbal and math questions and one of the writing sections, the new Integrated Reasoning section will make the test much improved and effective while minimizing implementation costs. A win-win solution for all parties involved! However, this new section does seem to put more emphasis on extensive data analysis, which might be a challenge for students who are not used to seeing a large amount of data in a spreadsheet format. 

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Many high school seniors try to ease the uncertainty of applying to schools by applying early admission.  What is early admission, you might be wondering?  Early admission binds both the student and the college into admittance months earlier than the regular admission deadline is due.  Even in this touch-and-go economy, early admittance seems to be increasing, not decreasing.  Here is a list of several schools which have published their early admittance increases, thanks to The New York Times.

Duke: 31% increase

Northwestern: 11% increase

Cornell: 4% increase

Dartmouth: 3% increase

Occidental: 40% increase (Note: Occidental has a very small program, not totaling over 157 applicants this year.)

The Times goes onto say that Wesleyan, Emory, Pomona and Grinnell were colleges that saw no increase or decrease, but were about even with their early admittance percentages compared to last year.

Some colleges have a non-binding early admittance program, like Stanford, where you have the choice of whether you want to attend the school or not when applying early.  Stanford saw its early admittance rate go up by about 4% this year.  Yale, on the other hand, with a program very similar to Stanford’s, saw its applications drop 5%, along with Amherst, Swarthmore and Hamilton.

Is it good to know your statistics of early admittance before applying to schools?  The Times brings up this important question, ultimately saying “yes” – that even though the reality can be somewhat grim in terms of the freshmen seats being given away to early admittance applicants, it’s still important to be aware of your changes of getting in.  For example, Cornell offered binding acceptances to 1,167 applicants, which totals to about 40% of its freshmen class.  This is a good percentage to know when waiting for those acceptance or rejection letters to come in.

However, early admittance students should be careful when applying to schools with binding programs.  Counselors often discourage early admittance because it decreases your chances of obtaining stellar financial aid in the bargaining process.  Should you decide to apply early with binding or non-binding agreements to colleges and universities, make sure the agreement is the right one for you.

For any college admissions help, consult with our experts at Manhattan Review.

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Do you ever wonder which is more important to high school seniors: the ACT or SAT?  It appears they are both equally important as some admissions offices even consider both tests to be cut-off points for a certain percentage of students.

According to the New York Times, there was a report published through the National Association of College Admission Counseling, where researchers asked 250 colleges whether they used either the SAT or ACT as a cut-off for admission.  Of those who participated in the report and accepted the SAT, 1 in 5 said they used certain scores as a “threshold” for admission.  Those who claimed to use the ACT for admission purposes used 1 in 4 said they used a similar cut-off, too.

There is good news, though, for students not in the top percentile of both tests.  According to the study, three-quarters of the colleges report using scores “holistically.”  What does that mean?  Typically, that means the tests are just one factor out of many in how a candidate is evaluated.  After-school activities, recommendations, GPA and their curriculums are taken into consideration, as well.  Also, according to the study, “strength of curriculum” and “grades in college prep courses” appear to matter most when reviewing a candidate.

The colleges and universities that said they use SAT and ACT grades as cut-offs chose not to disclose their names.  However, the New York Times claims that using SAT and ACT grades as cut-off points might be at odds with the highly venerated “Principles of Good Practice,” which states they “cannot use test scores as the sole criterion for admission.”

In essence, what’s the difference between the SAT and ACT?  Here are some quick facts about both tests that might give light to any confusion.

SAT: Originally, the SAT was designed to democratize admissions and has been around for more than 80 years.  In 1999, the SAT was more popular amongst test-takers by about 10%, but now both the SAT and ACT are even.

ACT: The ACT was created more recently than the SAT and was initially aimed at measuring classroom achievement rather than internal ability.  For a number of years the test was only popular in the Midwest and states in the surrounding area, but has branched out nationwide as of late.

Looking to take the SAT or ACT in the near future?  Contact Manhattan Review to find yourself a tutor right away!

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Manhattan Review offers a variety of TOEFL preparation choices including online live recording library, in-person private tutoring, online tutoring, online courses and classroom courses. It has over 5 years of experience in preparing students for TOEFL around the world and has consistently received student compliments with their score increase. Meanwhile, Manhattan Review has hosted a number of advanced business English programs and communication training for leading institutions including Columbia Business School.

When applying to universities, schools will almost always ask for international students to supply a TOEFL score.  Your TOEFL score is proof you are sufficient in English to the point where you can function properly in an academic environment, listen and comprehend all necessary material, as well as work in the realm of business as an English speaker.  Many universities provide a TOEFL minimum score on their website; if not, it is advisable for all international students to inquire to the admissions office what their minimum score might be.

ETS has generously released some universities’ minimum TOEFL scores on their website, which are seen through the following Undergraduate examples:

• Boston University – College of General Studies, School of Management

-       READING: 25

-       LISTENING: 21

-       SPEAKING: 23

-       WRITING: 22

• Columbia International University

-       TOTAL SCORE: 80

• Oregon State University

-       TOTAL SCORE: 80, with a minimum of 16 for each section

• Syracuse University

-       TOTAL SCORE: 80

• University Of Toronto

-       TOTAL SCORE: 100, with a 22 minimum on the WRITING section

You might be surprised to see schools require specific minimums on certain sections.  Often times, the speaking and writing sections will have these minimums, as colleges and universities consider both speaking and writing critical to success in their programs.  How do you begin to tackle your TOEFL preparation, knowing you might need specific scores on all four sections?

Here is some TOEFL prep advice so you don’t feel too overwhelmed.

1)   Know the grading system.  As you study, keep in mind what the raters are looking for in terms of a good essay and speaking response.  What makes an independent essay get the high score of a 5?  What can I do in order to make my integrated speaking responses gain the high score of a 4?  The better you know how they grade you, the better you will do on test day.

2)   Learn the point system.  In addition to knowing the rating system of speaking and writing responses, get to know what questions are worth their particular number of points.  For example, in the reading or listening section, if you are answering a categorizing question where you are asked to place particular words or phrases into a category – how would they grade your answer if you got three out of four categorizations wrong?  These are important things to know so you have no surprises on test day.

3)   Study the TOEFL on a section-by-section basis.  Occasionally, when you have the time, it’s a great idea to practice all four skills (reading, listening, speaking & writing) all in the same day; however, it’s in your best interest to focus on each of the skills one at a time.  For example, take two days in a row and just work on your speaking.  Warm up with independent speaking tasks and then move on to the more challenging integrated tasks.

Remember, progress on the TOEFL takes time, so be patient with yourself.

Overall, the first step in your admissions process is to find out your TOEFL score requirement, then plan your studies accordingly.

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If you ever wonder whether you fit the typical profile of an EMBA applicant or want to know more about the latest trends of EMBA programs, take a look at these important facts!

• The U.S.-based EMBA Council lists about 250 EMBA programs from 180 leading institutions around the world on its web site.
• Because of rapid globalization, most EMBA classes comprise students from a wide range of industry sectors and countries.
• An EMBA program can cost up to $100,000.  Customized courses start at a few hundred dollars. An increasing number of executive education organizations offer online courses.
• Customized executive education programs are on the rise.  Duke University’s corporate education division reports growth of 25 percent a year for custom-made courses.
• A typical EMBA student is likely to be in his/her early 30s and will have six to ten years of working experience.
• Employees taking Executive Master’s of Business Administration Programs in the U.S., Europe & Asia have average salaries of $130,000 to $200,000.
• Executives enrolled in the highest-ranking EMBA programs in the U.S. have salaries of $180,000 to $200,000.  Europe is slightly lower at $130,000 to $160,000.

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