2010 Application Trends Survey (Abstract)

2010 Application Trends Survey

2010 Application Trends Survey

September 06, 2010

This summary report of the 2011 Applications Trends Survey presents an overview of survey findings based on information provided by graduate business school admissions professionals on application trends for 2010–2011 class.

Overview

This survey of admission professionals provides information on application volume trends, applicant pool composition, recruitment strategies and marketing channels, acceptance and enrollment rates, enrollment structure, and incoming class size at graduate business schools worldwide. This year, the survey also looked at candidate age and regional distribution of international applicants.

Responses were collected from June–July 2010 and refer to only complete applications received as of June 30, 2010 for the 2010–2011 incoming class. A total of 327 business schools around the world participated with data from 665 graduate management programs

The survey data are best interpreted in the context of economic, social, and political factors that affects the higher education market in general and graduate management education in particular. Consistent with findings from previous years, program type and delivery format yielded profound differences in application trends, applicant characteristics, and admissions practices in this year’s data.

Quick Facts

  • Half the respondents reported an increase in application volume class, while almost 40 % reported a decline.
  • 59 percent of executive MBA (EMBA) programs reported an increase in the number of applications received, reversing a three-year decline.
  • More full-time two-year MBA programs reported a downward (49%) trend in application volume.