You thought it was fair game and your chances of getting into a top MBA program had nothing to do with your nationality? Not true, says John Byrne, former executive editor of BusinessWeek and founder of Poets & Quants. According to him the rejection rates for Indian candidates are ‘dramatically higher’ than any other nationality.
An Indian applicant is 3 to 5 times less likely to get an offer compared to domestic candidates from the US. In fact, European and Latin American candidates would also fare better than Indians. What makes the P&Q survey results extremely credible is the fact that the data has been supplied officially by B-schools to Bloomberg BusinessWeek.
Some schools that feature in the survey include prestigious names like MIT (Sloan), Fuqua (Duke University), Ross (Michigan), Purdue (Krannert), Olin (Washington University), Vanderbilt (Owen), University of Southern California’s Marshall and others.
Let’s take an example of a top-10 business school to understand the basic concept.
Assumptions:
– Class size = 250
– Number of applications received = 1000
– - – Domestic applications = 300
– - – International applications = 700
– - – Indian applications = 220
– - – China + other Asian countries = 200
– Selectivity = 25%
If you assume that this number is applicable you, that’s not true.
With no nationality-based discrimination, the domestic-to-international applications ratio (30:70 in our example) would be more or less reflect in the acceptance rate too. It doesn’t. In fact, it’s generally the exact opposite. On an average the domestic to international composition of an American MBA program is 70:30.
In our example above, the Selectivity figures for various nationalities would be as follows:
- Chinese applicants: 10%
- European applicants: 39%
- American applicants: 39%
- Latin American applicants: 26%
- Middle East applicants: 26%
- And the selectivity for Indians is a whopping [drumroll begins]…8% !
That means in an MBA class of 1000, there could be less than 20 Indians!
Of course, these are hypothetical numbers to convey the idea of what P&Q was trying to say. Factors like yield (accepted to offered ratio) aren’t being discussed. The actual percentages will vary for each school.
The million (or considering MBA tuition costs, maybe it’s a 100,000-150,000) dollar question – why is it happening?
B-schools and recruiters cited several reasons ranging from the need to maintain class diversity to language issues. But the main point relevant for Indian candidates was the dependency on gaining work permit visas after graduation. Admission officers are trying to put themselves in the shoes of recruiters and filtering out potentially high-maintenance candidates who’d have a tough time getting MBA jobs after graduation. Nip the problem in the bud.
So what is it that you can do to address that concern. Plenty.
- For starters, stop assuming that your GMAT score and the laurels you’ve won at work are the only criteria you should be bothered about. Get the whole story sorted out before you apply.
- You’ll find many application strategy and execution related articles on this blog. Spend some time digging through the earlier posts. Almost all of them have been written from an Indian applicants perspective.
- Stay up to date on the latest developments by subscribing to this blog (enter your email ID in the box at the top right).
For you as an Indian candidate, remember that the competition (much like charity) begins at home. You will first compete with your beloved (and not to mention extremely competitive) countrymen. Then if you survive, the competition gets bigger and tougher as other nationalities come into the fray. So right from choosing the right schools to getting the post-MBA and why MBA rationale, invest time in getting the application strategy as bullet-proof as possible.
According to P&Q estimates about 1 in 3 applicants applying to the top bschools engages MBA admissions consultants (read a related post here –> MBA Admissions Consultants: How the best business schools view them). That increases their odds further.
Indians have traditionally shied away from hiring MBA consultants. Instead they go over-board and spend time + money on the GMAT, while the main application doesn’t get the attention it deserves. Over-focussing on the GMAT is a penny-wise-pound-foolish approach. If you can afford it, consider hiring a good MBA consultant in India to help you identify your strengths/weaknesses and build a solid application that’s worthy of going into the international battlefield.
If getting professional support is not an option, a do-it-yourself approach can work well too, provided you approach it in a structured manner with the right knowledge of bschools, the application process and your competition. Reach out to colleagues or friends who know how the bschool admissions process works. There’s a ton of useful (and free) information on the MBA Crystal Ball site. Also, check out Poets & Quants, GMAT Club, Beat The GMAT, Pagalguy and others that focus on international MBA programs.
Each year, MBA Crystal Ball consultants help a select few applicants significantly change the odds in their favour compared to the industry average. Several have got MBA scholarships too. If you’d like a dose of optimism, read the MBA Crystal Ball reviews page. If our boutique approach looks appealing to you, send us a note [info at mbacrystalball dot com] with your background and aspirations. We’ll see what we can do for you. If we can’t help, we’ll be upfront about it.
If surveys and statistics are anything to go by, it’s going to be a tough ride out there. But don’t get intimidated by the competition and stats. Start early, prepare well and give it your best shot. The sweet fruits of labour will be there to enjoy for the rest of your professional life.
Source: Poets & Quants
Hi Sameer,
Firstly I appreciate as you are doing a great job.
My profile is follows. Your feedback is of immense value.
Education
Univ of Houston : Masters in Computer Science GPA 3.9
Bachelors in India : First class with Distinction (non -IIT)
GMAT : 720
Work Experience : 4 years as of this post in a start up in USA. I have grown along with he company in responsibility and position. Worked part-time during Masters in admissions office helping them with Statistics. 6 months after graduation started a website and shut it down in 2 months (Bad planning of resources, did this part-time).
Decided to join a starup then and switched jobs. Declined offers from big companies (Insurance and Housing not Google or Apple) and also the higher salary that was offered. Stuck with the startup for the last 3 years and grown with it along the way. The company sales increased 15 times from the time I started. I am wholly responsible for the Database and reporting side. One of the big fish in a small pond. Was given more than regular raises through out.
After successfully mastering the databases and improving them moved on to use the time I had to improve the business. Another part of my job which I voluntarily picked up, I work on improving the revenue for the company in the smaller profit generating areas. Was successful in improving the bottom line. Work with McCombs alumni on this project who is in a management level position.
Wish List of Schools
1) Booth
2) Stanford
3) Kellogg
4) Wharton
5) Duke
6) Columbia
7) McCombs
Long term goal : Becoming a management consultant. An MBA will equip me with skills I lack and honestly be able to get into consulting.
Have excellent recommendations.
I appreciate your time.
Hi MBA_Startup,
A few quick points:
- When you intially mentioned that your entire experience has been with a startup and then added that the company sales grew 15 times, I was mentally trying to connect the dots and thinking…’Great, our friend seems to have worn multiple hats right from day one and directly contributed to the growth of the company‘.
But then you clarified that your main responsibility was on the technical side (database and reporting). You got involved in business matters (you haven’t specified what you did) at a much later stage.
When you are applying to the top schools, try to take out the ambiguity as much as possible so that your story flows smoothly: ensure that questions like ‘what happened’, ‘why it happened’, ‘what did you do to make it happen’ become crystal clear to the reader.
- For a startup, growing the revenue 15 times in the initial years may not be as impressive as (say) growing a 5-10 year old company at the same rate. Adcoms will view this is in perspective. So every time you use numbers, evaluate what would make it easier for the reviewer to understand the impact – relative numbers or absolute numbers.
I’d have had other comments and questions on your choice of consulting, but will keep it short for now.
Bottomline is, the statistics mentioned in the post apply to many of the schools on your list. Also you’d be applying in Round 2 where things get just a little more interesting (if you get the drift) vis-a-vis Round 1. You’ve got a few good points (good GPA, startup experience) that many of your competitors won’t have. But don’t rely on just these, take it to the next level.
Also, think about what others who’ve been in bigger companies for 4 years will be talking about that may come up as a gap in your profile. Explain why these aren’t going to stop you from being a successful consultant.
Good luck, bro.
Sameer, thank you for a great insight. I applied to 3 colleges in the USA, I have an admit from Emoury. I am from a financial background with work ex in India, UK and China. What are the chances of landing up a good job in US in the banking and finance sector after an MBA from Emoury. Is it worthwhile to take this on in the current scenario. I have 2 weeks to decide. Your inputs will be appreciated. Thanks.
Hi Digs,
Congrats on getting an offer from Emory. It’s a good school.
Finance and banking jobs were the worst hit in the US. Having said that I hear from current students that internships and jobs are coming back. So by the time you complete you program, hopefully things will be better (unless the economy drops another unexpected bomshell).
But irrespective of the economy, you’ll have to actively pursue the job hunt on your own. Read the MBA careers chapter in Beyond The MBA Hype to see why I say that.
Hi,
I have a gmat score of 710 and i am from the mumbai university with a 69% average in engineering i have been working for 3 years in a pretty reputed firm as a consultant i also ran my own startup for a while and currently run my own ngo do i have a shot at colleges like wharton booth and so on .I would like to get into management consulting
i would greatly appreciate your help
Gomzit,
A small request. We have recently launched our MBA discussion forum, so we can manage all MBA and career related queries in a central manner.
Can you please post a more detailed version of your profile on the relevant thread out there along with specific queries that you’d like me to address? Happy to share my thoughts.
Hi Sameer,
I’m an Indian IT male (IIM) who applied to a host of Univs in US and Europe in the past year. I finally ended up with offers from Boston University, Penn State University and IESE (Univ of Navarra in Spain). My goal is to get into tech-consulting post-MBA. Which among the above 3 univs would best serve my aspirations? Looking forward to your reply.
Sai,
We are managing all queries that aren’t directly related to the blog post on our MBA discussion forum.
Can you please post your query under MBA Admissions – General Queries?
Is it true tat indian mba finance wont get a job in america or london?
Tanu, please see my comment just before yours
A quick question that might be related to the post, how much do similar profiles (mostly engineering backgrounds) and work-experiences may be affecting the relatively higher rejection rates for Indian b-school applicants you think?
Deepu,
I spoke to a few top bschool admission officers recently at an MBA fair (we’ll be publishing their interviews here soon). A common theme that came across is that – ‘Most Indian applicants look the same. It’s a struggle going through such applications.‘
Part of the issue is the background (can’t deny that Indian IT male engineers rule the roost). The bigger problem (this is my perception based on folks who work with us) is the assumption that their resume = their application.
There’s very little in their essays that shows the person behind the resume – the traits, the aspirations, the professional, the though process etc.
If you can manage to do that, you’ve lifted yourself above the clutter and won more than half the battle.
Is it worth doing mba in us in the present scenario of recession. Will finding a job after mba in us be very difficult for an indian student because of recession?
Rahul,
Getting the best jobs with the best average MBA salaries in a foreign country will always be a challenge. So it’s important to realise your potential and aim for careers that aren’t impractical.
Hi,
I’m an BTECH fresher with 88%.. I got only 73% in my Higher secondary exam and 75% in Secondary exams with no EC..And now i’m very passionate into joining ISB.will it create any hurdle in joining any top-b school ..pls guide me so that i can mould myself that i have to do in these coming yrs and join in ISB or IIM’s ..
Hi Sameer,
I got an admit in Queen’s MBA(Canada). I am from IT background with 9 yrs exp and 700 gmat and 1 yr international exp. The reason I chose Queen’s was for its focus on personal development, Team work, 1yr course and brand name in canada. I chose canada for the ease of getting work permit post-mba.
I am a little worried as canadian salaries are generally lower compared to US and due to the high cost of the program. Your website has not reviewed Queen’s or any other Canadian Mba’s. Any Insights on the program and its international brand value / relevance are deeply appreciated. I am also worried by the idea that I maybe settling for something less paying big bucks.
@ Srinivasan: Your HSC marks aren’t relevant. Focus on getting some good experience and a strong GMAT score.
@Manohar: seems like you posted this twice. I’ve responded to your query on this –> post
Hi Sameer,
I am an ex Indian Army Officer and served in Army for 5 years. Currently I am in USA and gave GMAT twice. In the first attempt I scored 590 and was very really sad on seeing the scores however I thought of giving it one more shot. Thus I again took the GMAT but to my surprise my score went down and I scored 540. I was planning to start with my applications just after my GMAT so that I can start my MBA by this year fall. But after my score I’m very apprehensive about getting into any good business school. What is your suggestion?
Naina,
GMAT can be quite unpredictable. So don’t take the drop in the score personally.
There are folks who have made a huge jump in subsequent attempts purely by focussing on technique and practice. We worked with an Army candidate who was a reapplicant to a top school. He’s done really well career-wise,. We asked him to share his story on our site, but he wasn’t comfortable doing so.
But there are others who have come forward to share their success stories on our forum.
Drop a post to Neerav on our GMAT success Stories forum and ask him (and the other folks who have posted here”“) for some tips. More than the tips you might get some inspiration to give it another shot.
Hi Sameer,
Right I work with IT feild as programmer in one of the good MNC. And I have done Engineering in Electronic with a score of 70%. And I am 2 years experienced now. And I have planned for GMAT to do a MBA. Please suggest me something that I need to do in sequences to get into a good B-School in US and a career after that. Can the experience I have be a worth addon to me.
And also Do suggest other countries I can look forward ,having good B-Schools and so also jobs after that.
@Samuel: Within that innocent looking paragraph, you’ve covered everything there is to ask about an MBA
Unfortunately, it would be tough to do justice to all the sub-questions here.
See if this article helps you get things going. It explains the sequence that you want to know –> How to get into a top MBA program.