The following questions and answers are frequently asked by prospective students. Many of the answers can be found by reviewing the website; however, please review the following inquiries:
Many applicants have advanced degrees. Fisher’s flexible curriculum with over 100 electives to choose from within the business school and numerous throughout the university, allows you to build on your existing knowledge and choose more advanced courses, rather than repeating what you have already mastered.
While our average work experience is between 4 and 5 years, the admission committee looks for quality of work experience, not quantity. Applicants should highlight skills developed, contributions they have made to organizations, and leadership roles.
Students find that having work experience as a frame of reference enhances classroom learning. Equally important, recruiters view pre-MBA work experience as an asset, which maximizes your career opportunities after school. Having said this, we also do have participants that join the MBA program without prior work experience.
We will review your application with unofficial copies of your transcript. These copies may be scanned, faxed, or mailed. Final official hardcopies of the transcript(s) will be required if you are admitted and choose to enroll at Ohio State. Learn more...
Please send a notarized copy of your graduation certificate along with your application. You will be required to bring us the original certificate upon acceptance into the program.
We understand the concerns about using a current employer. College professors, clients, and other supervisors can be used as references if you are uncomfortable with requesting one from your current employer. Your reference should know you and your work well enough to tell us about your abilities and address the areas indicated on the reference form. Learn more...
Your status can be checked online through our application system. You will see a checklist, indicating the items we are still missing from your application. This includes scores (TOEFL, GMAT), letters of recommendation, transcripts, or application fee. Learn more...
Please do not contact us to check the status of your application. As soon as your application status changes, you will be notified by our admissions office. Visit appstatus.osu.edu to learn if a decision has been made on your completed application
We are in the process of confirming that we have all the required information to evaluate your application. Typically, it takes us a few weeks to compile all the data. If we need any additional information that you may not have sent to us, we will notify you. If you sent us information several weeks ago and the online checklist still indicates this item as missing, please let us know by contacting gpo_processing@fisher.osu.edu.
Fisher College does not accept transfer credits from other institutions. We also do not waive any of the total number of courses required. However, our flexible curriculum and latest research know-how of our faculty will ensure that you are not likely to find yourself forced to repeat content you have already mastered.
Every application is considered on its own merit and within the context of the entire applicant pool. While we cannot guarantee nor predict your acceptance, we can say that there are a number of applicants who are admitted from the waitlist each year. The percentage of applicants admitted from the waitlist varies from year to year.
We do not encourage applicants to come to campus to state their cases for admission. However, if you would like to schedule a campus visit to learn more about Fisher and The Ohio State University, we will gladly assist you.
Although not required, the MBA Admissions Committee will be happy to consider any additional information that you would like to submit. Any material you send should add insight into your qualifications for the Fisher MBA program beyond what was presented in your original application.
If you have completed a graduate and/or professional degree from a U.S. based institution, you may request a waiver of the GMAT exam through the online application. The decision to grant the GMAT waiver is made at the discretion of the Admissions Committee. Should the committee decide that a GMAT score is needed to fully evaluate your candidacy for the MBA program, you will be informed.
There is no minimum score requirement; 80% of our students score at or above 620 on the GMAT. Please keep in mind that your GMAT score is only one of a number of factors we review in determining admission. If your scores are below our average, we still encourage you to apply. You may, however, want to consider retaking the GMAT to improve your score.
PearsonVue and GMAC state that academic institutions will receive the scores within 10 business days after the test is given. At times it may take longer, so allow plenty of time.
If you are uncertain as to whether we will receive your official scores by the deadline, you can fax your unofficial score report to our office at +1 (614) 292-9006 or send it via postal service to our office:
The Ohio State University Fisher College of Business MBA Admissions Office 2108 Neil Avenue Gerlach Hall 100 Columbus, Ohio 43210, USA
Applicants whose native language is not English must pass the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) with a score of 600 or higher on the written test or 100 on the internet based test (IBT) or a minimum score of 7.0 on the IELTS. You must also take the writing test included in the examination unless the writing test is not offered at your site.
The TOEFL will be waived if you have earned a degree from a U.S. university. Applicants who are citizens of, or who have received a bachelor's degree or higher in, one of the following countries are exempt from the TOEFL requirement: Anguilla, Antigua, Australia, Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, Bermuda, British Virgin Islands, Caicos Islands, Canada (except Quebec), Cayman Islands, Dominica, England, Grenada, Guyana, Ireland, Jamaica, Liberia, Montserrat, New Zealand, Scotland, St. Kitts and Nevis, St. Lucia, St. Vincent, Trinidad and Tobago, Turks, United States, and Wales.