The Tepper School of Business at Carnegie Mellon University is a leading business school located at the center of the 157 acre sprawling campus in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The Tepper MBA has a STEM designation and is known for its academic rigor.
Leading the AI revolution, Tepper’s differentiation is a curriculum focusing on leveraging technology and making use of analytics-driven problem-solving approach to seek innovative business solutions. Tepper’s initiative ‘The Intelligent Future’ seeks to prepare students to lead the AI-powered future.
Rather than the case study method, Tepper relies on ‘management science’ – a decision-making method using analytics. This allows it to integrate business education with computer modeling, organizational behavior and economic theory.
Here’s all you need to know about the Tepper School of Business, including some fascinating insights of how the admission officers take admission decisions.
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CMU Tepper in a nutshell
Tepper MBA Class profile
The two-year full-time MBA program starts in August with a class size of 171. The most recent batch had an average GMAT of 705, average GRE of 324, average GPA OF 3.26 and an average age of 29 years, 5.8 years being the average work experience.
Students came in from 24 countries; 36% were women while 53% were international citizens. 42% were from undergraduate engineering background while 24% were from business/commerce background.
Tepper MBA employment report
Of the two-year MBA class of 2023, 94% received job offers within three months of graduation with 92% accepting the offers, which was better than many top b-schools. The average starting salary was $156,291, while the average total compensation was $192,175.
The mean base salary was highest for IT/IS function at $173,000 followed by consulting at $170,805. Consulting maintained its position as the top industry choice, attracting 42% of graduates followed by technology at 29% while the financial services industry accounted for 14% of placements.
Tepper MBA rankings
The MBA program has been ranked as follows:
- #16 in 2024 U. S. News Best Business School rankings
- #18 in the Bloomberg Best B-Schools 2023 rankings
- #16 in the Poets & Quants 2023-2024 rankings
- #33 in Financial Times 2024 Business School rankings
Tepper MBA admissions process
The MBA application prerequisites and requirements include a good academic record, a competitive GMAT/GMAT Focus/GRE score. (EA score is accepted from candidates with extensive quantitative academic coursework or work experience in a STEM-related field), TOEFL/IELTS scores (if applicable).
The MBA essay and the video essay are both key components and can be used to demonstrate the mutual fit with the program’s culture and values as well as elaborate on how the MBA program can support your career aspirations.
The application fee is $200. One professional recommendation (LOR) needs to be submitted using the GMAC Common Letter of Recommendation (LOR). Shortlisted candidates would receive MBA interview invite.
Tepper’s acceptance rate is 28.5% which means that you have a fairly good chance of being admitted if you’re able to put in a competitive application.
The Tepper MBA application deadline for Round 1 is Oct. 2, 2023, for Round 2, it is Jan. 8, 2024, for the Round 3, it is March 4, 2024 while for Round 4, it is May 6, 2024. International students can apply only in the first 3 rounds.
The tuition for the two-year MBA program is around $151,424.
How MBA admission officers take decisions
- What happens after you hit the ‘Submit’ button on the MBA application form?
- What is the step-by-step process followed by admission officers before a decision is taken?
We thought it would be helpful for MBA applicants to get answers to these questions. So we reached out to an insider at CMU Tepper, to learn more. The evaluation process may vary across business schools, but the essence remains the same.
How MBA applications are reviewed
Tony Gomez, M.Ed., Senior Associate Director, Masters Admissions, CMU Tepper
Providing clarity on the application decision process can be immensely beneficial for applicants. At the Tepper School of Business, we strive to be as transparent about our process as possible to potential applicants. Here’s an in-depth description of how application decisions are typically made.
Initial Screening
First, once applications are submitted, they undergo an initial screening process with our application processors on our operations team to ensure that all required materials are included and meet basic eligibility criteria. If there is a component missing, the candidate will be notified and will be given an opportunity to submit the missing document(s).
Application Review
Qualified applications are then reviewed by admissions officers or trained external readers. External readers tend to be individuals who have already earned an MBA or have previous experience as admissions officers. These reviewers assess various aspects of the application, including academic records, test scores, essays, letters of recommendation, and any additional materials provided.
The Tepper School is proud to implement a holistic lens during our review process, which means that we consider the applicant as a whole rather than just focusing on specific criteria like undergraduate record or test scores. This approach allows for a more comprehensive assessment of each applicant’s strengths, experiences, and potential contributions to the Tepper School community.
Interview Invites
After an initial read of the application, interview invitations are sent to those with the most competitive profiles. These interviews allow admissions officers to get a sense of how the candidate will contribute to the classroom environment, represent themselves in front of corporate recruiters, and to determine if the candidate possesses relevant transferable skills to further professional development.
Evaluation Factors
While objective criteria such as GPA and test scores play a significant role in the decision-making process, subjective factors like essays and letters of recommendation are also considered. Admissions officers aim to evaluate not only what an applicant has achieved but also their character, motivations, and unique qualities.
Diversity, Equity & Inclusion (DE&I)
Admissions officers take into account the context in which an applicant’s achievements were attained. Factors such as socioeconomic background, school resources, personal challenges, and access to opportunities are considered to provide a more equitable evaluation process.
Final Decision
Final decisions about each candidate are made by the admissions committee composed of admissions officers, school administrators, and career counselors. These committees discuss and deliberate on each applicant to ensure a fair and thorough evaluation process. Admissions decisions are also influenced by the institution’s priorities and goals. Factors such as diversity, academic excellence, talent in specific areas, and institutional needs may shape the final decisions.
Waitlist
Some applicants may be placed on the waitlist if the admissions committee is undecided or if space limitations exist. Additionally, the Tepper School allows waitlisted candidates to submit updates their applications for later consideration.
Communicating the Results
Once decisions are made, applicants are notified of their admission status through a phone call from our admissions officers. Admitted students are often provided with additional information regarding enrollment procedures, financial aid, and other relevant details.
By shedding light on these aspects of the application decision process, applicants can gain a better understanding of how their applications are evaluated and the factors that contribute to admissions decisions. This transparency can help dispel myths and misconceptions while promoting confidence in the fairness and objectivity of the admissions process.
MBA Crystal Ball has helped several applicants beat the odds and get into CMU Tepper. Here are a couple of examples:
– How a Tepper employee got into the Tepper Flex MBA
– How Sayoni Chakrabarti got into CMU Tepper and an ivy league MBA
Reach out if you’re looking for help with your MBA applications: info@mbacrystalball.com
Also read:
– CMU Tepper admission officer shares tips on how to impress the admissions committee
– CMU Tepper professors gaze into the crystal ball and reveal emerging business trends
– How to impress MBA Admissions Officers
