Clear Admit’s MBA LiveWire has been ablaze with submissions over the past two weeks, prompting us to perform a little data analysis. Though we’ve been hearing from people who’ve applied to a range of schools, the greatest concentration of reports have involved Harvard Business School (HBS) and the University of Chicago Booth’s School of Business, each of which has been busy both issuing invitations to interview and “releasing” candidates from consideration.
So what did we find when we charted the results? Let’s take a look at HBS first.
For those who were invited to interview, reported GPAs ranged from 3.0 to 3.8, with an average of 3.6. The GMAT score range was from 560 to 760, with an average score of 735. Notably, the ranges and averages were much the same for those who got a ding. (The GPA range was 3.09 to 4.4, with an average of 3.56, and the GMAT score range was 630 to 780, with an average of 735.) Roughly one-third of those who reported their HBS fates via LiveWire shared that they had been invited to interview.
So what conclusions can be drawn from this data? Basically, the story is that everyone has great stats, so it is more than simply a stellar GPA or GMAT score that gets someone an interview invitation.
Of course, we should note that our sample size is relatively small and likely subject to some response bias, which is to say that applicants who scored well on the GMAT or had strong GPAs may be more inclined to share their numbers publically (albeit anonymously).
A look at data for Chicago Booth reveals similar patterns. Here, reported GPAs for applicants who have received an invitation to interview ranged from 2.8 to 3.99, with an average of 3.5. GMAT scores, meanwhile, fell between 620 and 770, with an average score of 734. For those who got dinged, GPAs ranged from 2.95 to 3.8, averaging 3.48, and GMAT scores ranged from 710 to 760, with an average of 725.
With Chicago Booth data, as with the data regarding HBS applicants, the sample size was small and selection bias may also be at play. Interestingly, though, with Chicago Booth, reports of interview invitations made to LiveWire far outnumbered reports of rejections, with almost 80 percent of respondents sharing that they are now prepping for an interview. This likely has to do with the fact that Chicago Booth historically has interviewed between 40 and 50 percent of applicants, compared to the 25 percent that HBS generally opts to meet in person.
Here’s hoping the interview goes well for all who received an invitation. Don’t forget Clear Admit’s Interviews Guides for HBS and Chicago Booth, which can help you prepare. Thanks for sharing your results via Clear Admit’s LiveWire. Keep ‘em coming!
