According to https://blog.coursera.org/applying-to-a-university-degree-program-during-covid-19-just-got-easier/

It is now easier to apply for the very popular iMBA of illinois, their new Master in Management, and many other degrees offered in coursera.

No GMAT/GRE, no deposit, no application fees are only some of the things offered, depending on the degree.
Read the link for details for each degree (and the dates for which these apply)

That makes a lot of sense, especially for the MiM. They wan it to be highly selective and have the candidates who can make the most impact, so it's smart to take this barrier away. 

I completely agree that this is a list of good schools.

That's great. This has been in place for a while now, but it's worth re iterating: For those with a sub-par academic background, they will also look at your performance in the iMBA specializations if you have completed those.

I always suggest if an applicant is concerned about their profile, they should get the specializations out of the way and try to do as well as they can. This can go a long way towards the admission process. 

Not sure what you mean by getting the iMBA specializations out of the way. Completing just the Coursera courses/specializations has little to no bearing on the admissions process. However, if you complete the for-credit courses within the iMBA as a non-degree student (which also means you have to complete the Coursera portion), then yes, those grades in the for-credit courses will be considered as part of the admissions process. 
In the past, completing all the Coursera courses before admissions has an advantage because Coursera had the subscription mode turned on ($60 or so per month). If you completed all the Coursera courses as soon as possible, it would lower the overall tuition of the iMBA program by about $1200 or so, meaning it is cheaper than even $22,000. 

However, if you complete the for-credit courses within the iMBA as a non-degree student (which also means you have to complete the Coursera portion), then yes, those grades in the for-credit courses will be considered as part of the admissions process.