>>13840896Because the initial acceptance filter is a useless filter. GRE scores, undergrad grades, etc actually have very little correlation with how well a student performs at the graduate level believe it or not.
There's a much stronger correlation with recommendations and relevant work (including internships and research) experience.
Anyway, without the physical building, GT (and many online masters programs which are aimed at professionals) don't have to put up autistic barriers for people who are removed from academia and just looking to get back in or further their career. The ones that don't make it, will just drop out after a semester or two. The people in these programs don't NEED to be there they already have professional jobs in the field (or adjacent to the field) typically.
You also have to realize these programs hold two goals.
1) is the typical goal of furthering the education of people
2) is building a network of already established professionals that they can pull on for funding or who might recommend them for contracts
You see, the online graduate programs are just a different breed. You're working with already built up individuals typically, meaning they sometimes have a lot of leverage or a lot more potential leverage than your average undergrad->grad student.
Ask yourself who would you rather teach, as a professor who also likes to be funded. Perfect undergrad with great gre scores, but no industry experience, or established industry worker with a shit of industry connections, but shitty undergrad grades or no GRE? I think the answer is pretty straightforward
