FAQ

 

Prospective Students

Frequently Asked Questions


APPLICATION QUESTIONS

This FAQ section addresses common questions about most of our programs. For specific information on your program, or comprehensive instructions on completing your application, please see our list of programs and contact the listed program manager or follow the "How to Apply" link under the your chosen program.

How do I apply?
For all application questions, please see How To Apply for your program of interest.
 
What are the benefits of applying in the early application rounds?
Weatherhead admits full-time students in batches. Students who apply just before or on the application deadline may be placed on waiting lists until places in the class or scholarship funding becomes available.
 
What are the application deadlines? What materials are required?
Please see our Application Instructions for your program of interest.
 
Can I have an interview with an Admissions Committee member?
Interviews are conducted on an invitation-only basis after an initial review of applications. Please see the Application Instructions for your program of interest.
 
If I am invited for an admissions interview, do I have to come to Cleveland?
If an interview is requested, it may be conducted in person or via telephone. In person interviews take place either in Cleveland or at off-campus recruiting events, such as the World MBA Tour or a campus visit. Please visit Connecting with Admissions for information on upcoming off-campus events, and the Application Instructions for further details.
 
When will I find out if I am admitted?
Decision letters are mailed within the deadlines specified on our Admissions Calendar for MBA (2 Year and Accelerated) and MS Finance, MSM Supply Chain and MSM Operations Research programs. All letters are sent via first-class US mail. You will also receive an email notification of your admission status.
 
Do you have deferred admission for college seniors?
No applicants are offered deferred admission.
 
Do you allow admitted students to postpone starting at Weatherhead for a year?
We do not offer deferral of admission for the full-time MBA. Candidates admitted to the evening, part-time program may defer their enrollment for one academic semester. Candidates admitted to one of the specialty masters programs may be allowed to defer on a case-by-case basis.
 
How can I check the status of my application?
For 2-Year MBA, Accelerated MBA, MS Finance, MSM Supply Chain and MSM Operations, please visit Connecting with Admissions. For all other programs, please contact the program directly.
 
Can I schedule a campus visit? How can I learn more?
For 2-Year MBA, Accelerated MBA, MS Finance, MSM Supply Chain and MSM Operations, please visit Connect for information on all the various options available for meeting with admissions staff, visiting campus, and learning about our programs. For all other programs, please contact the program directly.
 
How do I reapply?
Weatherhead retains documentation for one year for candidates who do not complete their applications or who do not accept the offer of admission. Candidates who wish to reapply would need to submit a new application form, application processing fee, updated resume, and a written request for scholarship consideration (full-time applicants only), if applicable. Reapplication materials are not accepted prior to December 1 of the year in which you withdrew your application or declined the offer of admission.

APPLICANT ELIGIBILITY AND BACKGROUND

Am I eligible to apply?
Students frequently send us a summary of their background, asking whether they are eligible to apply for our program. Please see the questions below, which address specific requirements, to determine if you are eligible to apply. There are not minimum required test scores to apply to any program; we will evaluate every completed application.
 
What is the average profile of students? Can you tell me my chances of admission given my background?
Please visit the program of your choice to learn about the requirements and typical backgrounds of students. While we are happy to provide advisement for prospective students who are researching our programs, we will not make formal or informal admissions decisions without a completed application. We take all of an applicant’s information into account when making admissions decisions.
 
Do you weigh some parts of the application more strongly than others?
Each candidate is evaluated for his or her strengths, weaknesses, and potential for unique contribution to the Weatherhead student body. Each student receives a separate evaluation from multiple members of the admissions committee. Each part of the application is important; in addition to GPA, test scores, and work experience, we place a high importance on the quality of an applicant’s personal essays and admissions interview. Thus, superior academic qualifications (i.e. grades, test scores) are necessary, but not necessarily sufficient criteria for admission.
 
Can I apply if I have little significant work experience?

MBA: Work experience is one of the most critical factors in the admissions decision, and the recommended minimum work experience at the time of enrollment is two years for MBA candidates. We recommend that you postpone your application if you have little or no full-time work experience. Exceptions are rare and are made on a case-by-case basis.

MS Finance, MSM-OR, MSM-SC: Work experience is not required for these programs. We encourage both individuals with work experience and those who plan to pursue a graduate program directly following the completion of their undergraduate degree.

Do you have an undergraduate major requirement? Should I take business courses prior to applying?

There is no specific undergraduate major requirement for enrollment in any of our degree programs. We do offer optional Statistics, Accounting and Finance prep workshops prior to the beginning of the program for full-time candidates. These workshops are held in the two weeks prior to Orientation in the fall semester. The workshops are designed to prepare students without formal business coursework for the heavy quantitative core curriculum taken in our programs.

For Evening and Saturday part-time students, a statistics preparation workshop is taken during the semester in which you enroll in our Statistics and Decision Modeling core course.

Specific programs may have different requirements based on the curriculum. Please visit the website for the specific program of interest to you for more information.

What undergraduate college/university should I attend?

Weatherhead considers all candidates who have graduated from a four-year college. If a candidate graduated from a three-year program (such as a Bachelor of Commerce – B.Com.), the candidate is considered eligible for admission only if one of the following criteria is met:

  1. The candidate has completed a minimum of one additional year of post-graduate coursework at or offered by an accredited college or university (such as a post-graduate diploma, the first year of the M.Com., a completed M.Com., etc).
  2. The candidate has a minimum of five years post-B.Com. full-time work experience.

What job should I pursue prior to applying to Weatherhead?
Weatherhead considers all candidates who have had positions in organizations where they have interacted with other professionals or managers, and where they have been given increasing management and supervisory responsibilities.
 
Can I apply if I already have an MBA?
We do not accept applications for the MBA degree programs from candidates who have already completed an MBA in the US. These candidates may apply to another Weatherhead degree program, such as our masters programs or doctorate programs.
 
Can I apply if I already have another graduate-level business degree?

MBA: If a candidate has completed a graduate business degree other than an MBA (Master of Commerce, Chartered Accountancy diploma, etc.) AND the program was two years in length, it is recommended that they apply to Weatherhead’s Accelerated 11 month MBA program (if pursuing a full-time MBA).

If a candidate has completed a graduate business degree other than an MBA in a program shorter than two years, the typical transcript evaluation will be applied to determine whether the student must take the 2-year program of whether they are eligible for the Accelerated program.

MS-Finance, MSM-Operations Research, MSM Supply Chain: Students who have already completed a graduate-level business degree may apply for these programs. However, we suggest you connect with an Admission Advisor to determine if the program is the right fit for your career goals and background.

Do you accept transfers? How would I apply? Can I get credits transferred from my previous school to yours?

Students who have completed graduate business coursework at another AACSB accredited university/college should submit the completed application, including submission of graduate transcripts. The Admissions Committee will evaluate the credit to determine if: 1) the candidate can qualify for an accelerated version of the program; 2) and/or transfer the graduate credit to Weatherhead.

In general, a student can transfer up to six hours of appropriate graduate business coursework. We rarely accept transfers of more than six credit hours. Students currently enrolled in our programs must seek pre-approval for any coursework to be transferred from other AACSB accredited colleges/universities during their course of study at Weatherhead.

TYPES OF PROGRAMS

Do you have any executive MBA or part-time options?
Weatherhead offers a 2-year full-time MBA program, an 11-month Accelerated MBA program, an Executive MBA program, and Evening and Saturday part-time MBA programs.
 
Can I receive a list of the courses you offer?
Please refer to the searchabe schedule of classes for course lists and descriptions.
 
Can I take courses at Weatherhead without being an admitted student?
Only students who have completed the admission process (either degree or non degree seeking) may take courses at the Weatherhead School of Management.
 
Can I get my MBA in Finance, Marketing, Operations, etc. or some other specialty?
The MBA is a general management degree. However, there are a number of concentrations available within the degree program. We also offer several specialty masters programs for those who are interested in a specific area.
 
Do you offer any kind of joint degree program with other graduate schools?
Learn more about Weatherhead's joint degree options.

STANDARDIZED TESTS

Do you require the GMAT?
The GMAT is required for the MBA and the MAcc degrees. The GRE or GMAT is acceptable for the MSM-OR, MSM-SC, or MS-Finance degrees. For other programs, please check Apply for the Appliction Instructions specific to your program.
What are the codes for sending you my scores?
Our ETS school code is 1105. Our department code is 02.
Which GMAT/GRE score must I report on my application? Can my official GMAT scores after the deadline for which I applied?
Report the GMAT/GRE score you wish to have the committee review. The official score report sent to us by Educational Testing Services (ETS) will list all the scores taken within the last five years.

Scores received after the application deadline may affect your eligibility for a seat in the class based on space availability.
If I took the GMAT in the past, how long will those scores be considered valid?
We will accept GMAT scores for exams taken within the last five years.
What is the average GMAT score?
Please see the Class Profiles for information specific to each program.
 
Do you require the TOEFL? What about IELTS or the TWE?

We require the TOEFL from all candidates who complete their undergraduate degree at an institution where English is not the medium of instruction. For an international applicant who studied at a university where the language of instruction was English, this must be communicated on the official transcripts for the TOEFL requirement to be waived. The IELTS may substitute the TOEFL, but we strongly prefer the TOEFL. The TWE is not accepted.

Our recommended minimum TOEFL scores are 100 on the IBT version, 250 on the CBT, and 600 on the written version. Our recommended minimum IELTS score is 7.0.

If I applied/had my GMAT/GRE/TOEFL scores sent to Weatherhead in the past and I want to reapply, do I have to have them sent to you again?
GMAT/GRE test scores remain valid for five years; TOEFL scores are valid for two years. We will retain all GMAT/GRE score reports sent to us for five years from the date of the exam. We will retain TOEFL scores for two years from the date of the exam.

LETTERS OF RECOMMENDATION AND TRANSCRIPTS

Who should write my letters of recommendation?
The most effective letters of recommendation are those completed by an individual who has had an opportunity to evaluate you in an organizational setting; a supervisor at work, or a colleague/director in a community service or extracurricular activity in which you participated. Please refer to the Apply for more information.
 
Must my recommenders write their recommendations directly on the form?
The completed recommendation form is required, though references may also supplement the information on the form with a separate letter. The same form is required, either through the online application or hard copy. Please refer to Apply for application instructions for each program.
 
If I am unable to obtain my original transcripts, what should I do? Do you ever waive them?
We will not accept any substitutes for the original transcript, unless the university is no longer in existence. In these cases, we will need a notarized statement to this effect.
 
Can transcripts be sent directly to the school? What constitutes an official transcript?
Please refer to Apply for application instructions for your program of interest.
 
Do you require a transcript from EVERY program/course I have ever attended? What about summer courses or programs abroad?
We require the transcripts from your degree granting institution. If you have received more than one degree prior to applying to our school and wish for that information to be included in your graduation profile, you must submit those transcripts. If you participated in a study abroad program and the coursework appears on the transcript from your degree granting institution, this is sufficient.

Note: If you are applying to the Accelerated MBA program, you must submit all transcripts that include business or related coursework so that the admissions committee can evaluate your eligibility to enroll in the accelerated program.

OTHER QUESTIONS

How much is tuition? What financial aid is available? How do I apply for scholarship?
Learn more about the costs and benefits of a Weatherhead education, and about the various scholarships and loans that are available to assist you with financing your education.
 
What Career Development resources are available?
All graduate students at Weatherhead are eligible to utilize Career Services.
 
I would like to talk with some alumni/ae of Weatherhead who live in my area. Whom may I call?
Please visit Alumni.