Graduate Management Admission Council

Graduate Management Admission Council. The organization was founded in 1953 by University of Washington, University of Michigan, Carnegie Mellon University, and University of California, Los Angeles to create a standardized test for MBA programs. The council is composed of over 200 leading business schools, including Harvard Business School, Stanford Graduate School of Business, and University of Pennsylvania Wharton School. The council's mission is to provide high-quality, research-based products and services to business schools and management education programs, such as the Graduate Management Admission Test (GMAT), which is used by MIT Sloan School of Management, University of Chicago Booth School of Business, and Northwestern University Kellogg School of Management.

History

The council was established in 1953 by a group of deans from top business schools, including University of Southern California Marshall School of Business, New York University Stern School of Business, and University of Texas at Austin McCombs School of Business. The first GMAT exam was administered in 1954 to over 2,000 test-takers at University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, University of Wisconsin-Madison, and Georgia Institute of Technology Scheller College of Business. Over the years, the council has expanded its membership to include business schools from around the world, such as London Business School, INSEAD, and University of Oxford Saïd Business School. The council has also introduced new products and services, such as the Executive Assessment and NMAT by GMAC, used by Indian Institute of Management, Xavier Labour Relations Institute, and Symbiosis International University.

Governance and structure

The council is governed by a board of directors composed of deans and faculty members from leading business schools, including University of California, Berkeley Haas School of Business, Dartmouth College Tuck School of Business, and University of Virginia Darden School of Business. The council is headquartered in Reston, Virginia, and has offices in London, Hong Kong, and Mumbai. The council's staff includes experts in psychometrics, research, and marketing, who work with business schools and test preparation companies, such as Kaplan, Inc., Manhattan Prep, and Magoosh. The council also partners with organizations such as Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB), European Foundation for Management Development (EFMD), and Association of MBAs (AMBA).

Products and services

The council offers a range of products and services to business schools and test-takers, including the GMAT exam, which is used by University of Cambridge Judge Business School, University of Edinburgh Business School, and National University of Singapore Business School. The council also offers test preparation materials, such as GMAT Prep software, and research reports on management education trends, which are used by University of Melbourne Business School, University of Queensland Business School, and Monash University Faculty of Business and Economics. Additionally, the council provides recruitment and admissions services to business schools, including University of Toronto Rotman School of Management, University of British Columbia Sauder School of Business, and McGill University Desautels Faculty of Management.

Role in business education

The council plays a critical role in business education by providing a standardized measure of candidate qualifications, used by IESE Business School, ESADE Business School, and Imperial College Business School. The GMAT exam is used by over 2,300 business schools worldwide, including University of Sydney Business School, University of Auckland Business School, and Nanyang Technological University, Singapore. The council's products and services also help business schools to recruit and admit top talent, and to develop curricula and programs that meet the needs of employers, such as Google, Microsoft, and Amazon. The council's research reports and trends analysis also inform policy and practice in management education, used by World Economic Forum, Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, and United Nations.

Criticism and controversies

The council has faced criticism and controversy over the years, particularly with regards to the validity and reliability of the GMAT exam, which has been debated by experts at Harvard University, Stanford University, and Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Some critics have argued that the exam is biased towards candidates from certain backgrounds, such as University of California, Los Angeles and New York University. Others have raised concerns about the commercialization of management education, and the role of test preparation companies, such as Kaplan, Inc. and Manhattan Prep, in the admissions process. The council has responded to these criticisms by introducing new security measures and test formats, and by providing more support and resources to test-takers, including University of Michigan, University of Texas at Austin, and Georgia Institute of Technology.

Category:Business education