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MBA Applicant Voice: I Picked GRE Over GMAT And Landed Place On Top MBA Program In Canada

Project management pro, Taiwo Abraham, is relocating from Nigeria to pursue an MBA at Vancouver’s UBC Sauder School of Business

Tue May 3 2016

BusinessBecause
Taiwo Abraham is one of an increasing number of MBA applicants to take the GRE admissions test over the GMAT.

Business schools have historically preferred the GMAT over the GRE. Yet today, most view both tests equally. A 2015 Kaplan survey of admissions officers found that 90% of UK and US schools accept both the GMAT and the GRE.

Working as a project management consultant in Nigeria, Taiwo found the GRE test both more affordable and more easily accessible than the GMAT. He’s just secured a place at the UBC Sauder School of Business in Canada and is excited to relocate to Vancouver and begin his MBA experience later this year.

Currently, he’s setting up a company-wide project management function for the central bank of Nigeria. With an MBA, he hopes to take his career in project management to the international stage and develop his own globally-recognized project management methodology.

He’s funding his MBA with a combination of savings, sponsorships and a student loan from tuition crowd-funder, Prodigy Finance.

What are you looking to gain from an MBA?

An MBA is a career-defining decision and I’m very excited about it. The experience will broaden my horizons and provide me with more cutting-edge tools to drive my career plans.

Why did you take the GRE over the GMAT?

The exam was more affordable and available in the region I was living in at the time. I feel both the GMAT and GRE fairly represent one’s aptitude for similar skills, even though the verbal and quantitative scores may vary.

What are the most important factors to you when choosing a business school?

I wanted an MBA program where I could rehearse the life I will live in the corporate world, post-MBA. I also wanted a multicultural class, an alumni body with a global reach and a prestigious program that can open the doors of most universities for me to do future doctoral research.

Why did you decide on UBC’s Sauder School of Business?

UBC’s program combines features that are hard to find in one MBA program. The school is ranked among the world’s best generally, and in terms of return on investment.

UBC offers a paid internship opportunity for its students which predisposes them to early employment post-MBA, as well as a global immersion experience where students consult for organizations on real-time, real-life problems.

The program’s affordability, the school’s location, and the caliber and diversity of its students, offers another edge.

How have you found your experience with Prodigy Finance?

For international students like me, they rock!  The loan application process is completely online. They have an easy repayment plan and they only expect you to start repaying the loan six months after graduation.

If you can’t access any funding privileges in the country where you’re studying, they are your best bet.

What are your future career plans?

My ultimate goal will be championing the creation of a globally acceptable methodology in some fields of project management. I will also be committing to a PhD program in project management at, I hope, Harvard or Wharton.

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