The MBA Recruitment Rat Race

Well, business schools around the country are reaching out to people like you – and they're using some surprisingly creative methods to do it.

Women and Children First

Most business schools today see a very low female population. Women tend to shy away from MBAs for a number of reasons, including challenges with having children and a general lack of female corporate leaders as role models. So business schools are working to change that. Application kits and school catalogs now prominently feature women in photographs. Notre Dame mails a letter to prospective female students from the coach of its number-one ranked women's basketball team. The University of Chicago's new publication "Why Women Choose Chicago" profiles female MBA graduates, and features police statistics that demonstrate the area's safety.

Harvard and Stanford now send out "early career" brochures to students still in college. And Wake Forest's outreach programs start even earlier – they target high school graduates and Girl Scout troops. Some recruitment strategies even include TV commercials and freeway billboards.

Flexibility is Key

The other challenge facing MBA programs is the misconception that it takes too much time to complete a degree. So schools are turning to more flexible course offerings as a recruitment strategy. Schools like Wake Forest offer Saturday programs to accommodate those working full-time. Most programs offer distance learning MBAs and online degrees. Those who might need a more accommodating schedule find distance learning MBAs appealing; those programs are actually seeing an increase in enrollments.

So take a look around – you might just be the target of an MBA program recruitment plan!

Sources:
Triad MBA programs wrestle for students in a crowded market - by Matt Evans, MSNBC.com Aug. 14, 2005
B-Schools Seek Boost - by Ron Alsop, The Wall Street Journal Online
Saturday Date - by Richard Craver, Winston-Salem Journal Apr. 17, 2005