Alex Sarlin is the Lead Verbal Developer for the Knewton GMAT course.
Making the choice to defer your business school admission can be extremely difficult, and rough economic times add several complicating factors to the mix. It's not easy to leave a paying job in a harsh economic climate, and student loans become tighter when the economy is reeling.
This BusinessWeek article is essential reading for anyone considering a deferral. In essence, business schools, overrun by deferral applications, may not look as kindly on them as they have in previous years.
In an effort to stabilize changing admissions equations, many schools have reduced the number of deferrals they grant. Marci Armstrong, associate dean for graduate programs at Southern Methodist University's Cox School of Business, says the program has made a 'concerted effort' to scale back this year and will continue the policy for the class of 2012. 'Gone are the days where it's just an auto-deferral,' Armstrong says."
In a super competitive admissions environment, deferrals for work are no longer guaranteed. Still, for students who have strong reasons for deferring, it doesn't hurt to try:
For all those who want to defer but don't know if they'll make the cut, admission directors say simply making the request won't count against you. You'll get a fair shake, experts say, should you decide to resubmit an application the next year. And for students flummoxed by loans, hoping for admission at a better school, or unsure exactly what they want to do with their lives, that might actually be the best time to apply."
[BusinessWeek] Admissions Deferrals: Business Schools Hold the Line
