International Admissions Overview

Each year, the Marriott School MBA program receives more than three hundred applications and selects between 120-160 students. Students applying to the program are becoming increasingly competitive with each passing year, and the seats in our MBA class are filling earlier each year as well.

An overview to preparing for and applying to an MBA program is provided below. We recommend that you follow the steps given to prepare yourself to be a competitive applicant.

1. Secure good grades during your undergraduate education. Our entering MBA students had an average GPA of about a 3.5.
   
2. Start studying for the GMAT your junior or senior year of college. Try to take the GMAT before you graduate, if you are adequately prepared. Students take the GMAT before graduating tend to do better on the test than those who wait and take the test a few years after. GMAT scores are good for five years.
   
3. Graduate with a four-year degree from an accredited university. If you graduated from an institution outside of the United States, you will need to have course-by-course evaluation of your transcripts. In order to do this, you will need to use one of the following credentialing agencies prescribed by BYU:
   
• International Education Research Foundation (IERF)
• World Education Service (WES)

The credentialing process can take several weeks. Make sure you submit your transcripts to one of these agencies at least two to three months before our final deadline. We do not have a preference on which agency you use. Each has a different cost and a different grading scale. You will want to find out which agency best fits your needs.
Please see their respective web sites for more details or contact a BYU international specialist for more information at intl@byu.edu.

4. Obtain quality management and leadership experience. Start thinking about what you would like to do after you obtain your MBA, and make sure you are acquiring the right kind of work experience to meet your goals.
   
5. Save funds to help pay for your cost of education.
   
6. If you are an international student or permanent resident and did not graduate from an institution located in a country where English is the primary language (i.e. U.S., Australia, England), you will need to take and pass all sections of the TOEFL . If you graduated from a university in a country where English is not the first language, you will need to take the TOEFL or IELTS. Click here for more information on the TOEFL test and testing center locations and here to learn more about IELTS. You will need to pass each section of these tests and not just the test overall. The minimum scores are as follows:
   TOEFL minimum scores for MBA program:
• 94-IBT (internet-based test). Minimum score of 22 in speaking and minimum score of 21 in listening, reading, and writing
• 240-CBT (computer-based test)
• 590-PBT (paper-based test)
IELTS minimum scores for MBA program:
• 7.0 overall band score
• 6.0 band score in each module
7. Start researching MBA programs and select schools based on solid criteria.
   
8. Express your interest in the programs you are considering so you are on their mailing list. This will help make you aware of their recruiting events or other useful resources.
   
9. When possible, take part in campus visit programs, recruiting events, chats with students and administrators, and find out what type internet resources are available (online information sessions, chats, blogs, podcasts, videos)
10. Select a few schools of your choice and find out more about their application criteria , admissions process , and deadlines.
    
11. Apply early when you are ready to apply, and have adequate work and leadership experience and a competitive GMAT score. Applying early with a lower GMAT does not benefit you. It is better to take the time you need to prepare and apply later in the process with a stronger, competitive score. The later you apply, the more competitive the applicant pool becomes.
    
12. After starting the application process, send all of your official transcripts to the schools where you are applying. If you graduated from the BYU Provo campus and have not obtained a significant amount of post undergraduate education, you do not need to submit any transcripts.
    
13. Check to see if a program’s application is online or if it is on paper. All application materials need to be turned in for you to have a complete application. BYU’s MBA application is online. If you are an international student, make sure to submit any additional items.
    
14. Graduate Studies requires you to complete the financial certification form and, if necessary, the contract of support. Proper documentation, such as bank statements, tax forms, etc., must accompany these forms to verify any finances declared. If you have additional questions about these forms, please email gradstudies@byu.edu.
    
15. Submit evidence of current visa or immigration status for self and/or dependents. You may present the original documents or submit certified copies of these documents to Graduate Studies. If you have questions about this requirement, please email gradstudies@byu.edu.
    
16. Make sure to submit your application materials before our final deadline of 1 March. We recommend taking your GMAT and TOEFL before January to allow you to retake the tests if your first set of scores does not meet our criteria.
    
17. Check into financial aid available at the school to see what type of scholarships and (loans) are available.
    
18. If you are applying for our Cardon International Sponsorship (CIS), you will need to submit a CIS application separate from your MBA admissions application.
    
19. After applying, check your online status to make sure you have turned in all of the required documents.
    
20. Once admitted to a program, pay your admissions deposit if you plan to attend that program. If classes are filling and you are not certain which program you will attend, you may need to pay a deposit at multiple schools. Just being admitted to a program does not guarantee you a spot in that program. You must pay your deposit to secure a seat.
    
21. Check with each school to find out if there are additional requirements you need to fulfill before starting school. You can check our admitted students’ checklist for additional details about the BYU MBA program requirements for admitted students.
    
22. You must attend the International Orientation which will be held August 2, 2011 through August 11, 2011.
23. Please read and sign the International Student Orientation Policy and Contract and the Admissions - US Work Issues letter and then return the signed copy to the MBA office at W-437 TNRB.

If you have additional questions about the application process, please visit our frequently asked questions.