Average GMAT Score of 656 Makes Newest MBA Class at Owen School
The Most Academically Credentialed Ever
September 10, 2008
Media Contact: Scott Addison
Public Relations | Gabbe Group
(212) 220-4444 | scott.addison@gabbe.com
With orientation behind them and classes well underway, the incoming class at the Vanderbilt Owen Graduate School of Management represent the most academically credentialed group of students in its history. With an average GMAT score of 656, the first-year MBA class also represents the school’s most selective admission rate (36 percent) of the past decade.
Owen’s signature MBA program received a total of 986 applications, a 30 percent jump over last year and the largest one-year increase since 1998. The 176 new MBA students have an average undergraduate GPA of 3.3 and nearly five years of work experience. The class is comprised of just over 20 percent international students (representing 21 different nations), 25 percent women and 13 percent U.S. minorities, as well as ten former military personnel who have joined Owen’s ranks in pursuit of its world-class MBA.
“All of us at Owen are extremely proud to welcome such an exceptional group of gifted and motivated individuals to our diverse range of academic programs,” said Jim Bradford, dean of the Owen School. “The rising demand for our unique brand of management education demonstrates clearly how students desire a cutting-edge, relevant educational experience to prepare them for the increasingly global and ever-changing business environment.”
Health care, finance and accounting programs continue dramatic growth
Owen’s wide range of specialty programs in fields such as health care, finance and accounting are also in high demand. 22 students within the incoming MBA class have already declared an intention to pursue Owen’s market-leading Health Care MBA, launched in 2005 in collaboration with the Vanderbilt University Medical Center and leading health care industry executives.
In addition, the school’s highly competitive Master of Science in Finance (MS-Finance) received more than 400 applications, resulting in 28 new students with an average GMAT score of 694. This flexible and modular nine-month program draws upon Owen’s world-renowned finance faculty, complements the finance concentration in the MBA program, and is designed to equip students with finely tuned skills in areas such as financial analysis, investment strategies, portfolio management, financial modeling, firm valuation, econometric forecasting, risk management, asset allocation, fixed income markets and derivatives.
The Master of Accountancy (MAcc) program – now in its second year – enrolled more students than expected, netting 24 new students with an average GMAT score of 672 and 3.59 GPA. This intensive one-year program is designed for students from diverse disciplines who seek a career path with one of the top global accounting firms, including preparation for licensing as a certified public accountant (CPA).
Finally, Owen’s newest specialty degree program – Master of Management in Health Care – welcomed its first class of 25 students. This one-year program is designed for clinical professionals, physicians and other health care professionals to gain the confidence, expertise and skills needed as they rise into management positions within their organizations.
World-class executive education in demand
Owen's Executive MBA (EMBA) program welcomed 47 new students with an average GMAT score of 615, a 15-point rise from last year. The Vanderbilt EMBA is one of the premier MBA programs offered on weekends for seasoned executives, and the full 60-credit curriculum is one of the more quantitatively rigorous programs available.
Owen also offers a wide range of open-enrollment and custom corporate education programs through its Executive Development Institute, including specialized seminars in health care, leadership, marketing, finance and innovation. Last year alone, nearly 900 individuals from across the globe participated in one or more of these programs, and the Executive Development Institute has served more than 500 organizations in the past few years.
Vanderbilt Owen Graduate School of Management is ranked as a top institution by BusinessWeek, the Wall Street Journal, U.S. News & World Report, Financial Times and Forbes. For more information about Owen, visit www.owen.vanderbilt.edu.
