GMAC Advisor

Last month, in what Inside Higher Ed called a watershed moment, it was reported that in the United States, the number of full-time, online MBA students eclipsed that of those studying on campus during the 2020–21 academic year. The data, provided by the Association to Advance Collegiate Business Schools (AACSB), shows that 45,038 students were enrolled in online programs in the U.S. last year with 43,740 in person. In an interview for Forbes with John Byrne of Poets and Quants, Will Geoghegan, chair of the Kelley Direct Program at Indiana University's Kelley School of Business, identified four trends in graduate business education behind the phenomenon: better recognition of the online MBA, significant technology advancements, enhanced in-person experiences in online programs, and lower opportunity costs.

Topics: Research Insights, online mba, graduate business school, business school, MBA

Diversity is a popular buzzword in MBA recruiting. From achieving gender parity to building an international cohort, business school experts agree that a diverse class is a strong one. To achieve this diversity, B-school marketers not only need to appeal to international applicants, but also to candidates with academic backgrounds beyond business and economics.

Topics: Prospective Students, Research Insights, graduate business school candidate, graduate business school, candidate research

MBA students this year are facing a job market so hot that offers are already being made before they even set foot on campus, reported the Wall Street Journal earlier this month. With record-level openings created by the COVID-prompted “Great Resignation” in the United States, recruiters recognize the unmistakable talent in the incoming cohort of business schools and rush to secure the employment of these candidates, among whom women and underrepresented minority groups are especially the targets of intense recruitment competition as companies shift their focus to build more diverse and inclusive workforces.

Topics: GMAC Events, graduate business school candidate, graduate business school, business school, diversity, Women in Business, events

With more than 540,000 candidates worldwide, GradSelect is an essential tool for connecting your business school with prospective GME students. But how can you best engage potential candidates? How can you find those who will be the right fit? Ultimately, what can you do to get the most out of GradSelect for your school?

Topics: Recruitment & Marketing, Prospective Students, graduate business school candidate, graduate business school, business school, recruiting, webinar

Before going to business school, prospective students engage with all sorts of information sources to research and pick the best-suited program for themselves. Whether they are undergraduates hoping to go straight into business school, or experienced professionals seeking to expand their management skills, prospective students research extensively to assess the program decision factors that matter most to them.

Topics: Prospective Students, Research Insights, graduate business school candidate, graduate business school, candidate insights, candidate research

The debate on whether standardized testing should be included in the college admissions process made headlines again last month when the Massachusetts Institute of Technology bucked the trend, announcing its decision to reinstate the requirement for SAT or ACT scores as part of its admissions mandate, shifting away from the pandemic-induced test-optional policies. Given its reputation and prestige, this decision had serious ramifications and generated much discussion amongst students and schools, as indicated in a Washington Post article.

Topics: graduate business school candidate, graduate business school test, MBA admissions, admissions, standardized testing, GMAT exam, college admissions, business school admissions

In the latest GMAC Connect webinar, Demystifying Privacy in Your Marketing and Advertising Campaigns, we broke down common misconceptions about data compliance and outlined the steps business schools can take to protect themselves and their users.

Topics: Recruitment & Marketing, graduate business school candidate, graduate business school, recruiting, marketing, advertising, User Privacy, Data Privacy, User Data

More than ever, understanding GME industry trends is critical to staying ahead of the curve and positioning your programs for success in today’s dynamic and competitive landscape. While our recently published GMAC Prospective Students Survey – 2022 Summary Report is a fantastic resource for giving you insights into the market as a whole, you likely have questions not answered in the report that are more specific to the candidate populations you target for your programs.

Topics: Prospective Students, Research Insights, graduate business school candidate, graduate business school, Student Survey

Diversity of all forms adds to the richness of the business school classroom experience, exposing students to peers with perspectives and lived experiences that differ from their own. A facet of diversity that has been historically under-discussed within graduate management education (GME) is students with disabilities. For business school leaders, as well as admissions and recruitment professionals, gaining a deeper understanding of the experiences candidates with disabilities face in GME is essential to elevating your class diversity.

Topics: graduate business school candidate, diversity, GME, Disability Inclusion, Inclusion, MBA

How has COVID-19 changed the preferences of prospective students? That’s the question I’ve been hearing most often in my interactions with business school professionals, and that’s exactly the question we sought to answer in the GMAC Prospective Students Survey – 2022 Summary Report, published to GMAC.com last week.

Topics: Prospective Students, Part-time MBA, graduate business school candidate, graduate business school, business school, Full-time MBA, graduate management education, Student Survey, GME