Fact: The number of MBA applicants coming from India is up.
Fact: The number of MBA admissions for applicants coming from India is down.

According to last year’s application and acceptance data, several schools are reporting that although international students make up a large percentage of their total applicants, most of them are getting rejected.

…. Not the best news, eh?

Let’s take a look at the numbers:

70% of Washington-Olin’s 1,490 applicants were international, yet only 35% of the accepted class is made up of international students. Unfortunately, the same type of trends showed up in the data for Duke-Fuqua, MIT Sloan, Michigan-Ross, and Purdue-Krannert as well.

Even more alarming, the data also showed that Chinese and Indian applicants were 4-5 times more likely to be turned down compared to applicants from Europe, Latin America, Africa, and the rest of the world!

So… what now? Should Indian applicants give up? Forget about an MBA? Continue doing what they’re doing? I don’t think so, friends.

Look, the facts aren’t fun, but that doesn’t mean it’s time to throw in the towel. Instead, use this information to your advantage and step up your game. Be smart and do what you have to do to show the adcom why you deserve to be part of that tiny 35%.

And here’s how you do it:

For one, it means honing those English language skills. Just like during your interview, international applicants have to overcome that language barrier and convince admissions that they can read, write, and speak English just as well as any domestic applicant. It’s as simple as that. So brush up on your writing skills, send your essays to native English speakers for review, and practice your spoken English so it doesn’t become a red flag for your interviewer. Your goal is to make sure admissions reps can understand you AND communicate with you effectively.

And the other important part of the puzzle: make your essays STAND OUT. This is something we tell our clients every day. Don’t just answer the essay prompts; do so in a way that lures the reader in, holds their attention, and gets them EXCITED about you. Approach them like you’re writing STORIES and not answering essay questions. Do you know how many generic “This is what matters most to me and why” essays those adcoms will read? We do. A lot. And you don’t want to be just another boring, generic essay. If you want to stand out from the crowd, you better pack some major punch and load those pages up with impressive statistics, vivid imagery and well-thought out plans for your future.

Data and acceptance trends are constantly changing, but instead of giving up, focus all of your energy into making your application the kind they can’t turn down, no matter where you’re coming from. Show admissions that you are NOT just another international applicant, but one they can’t be without.

Not sure how to make that happen? Join us on May 24th-29th for our Advanced MBA Essay Writing Bootcamp FOR INDIAN APPLICANTS ONLY. This 4-hour, 3-day bootcamp will bring your essay writing to an entirely new level. Precision Essay will walk you through ALL the tricks it has picked up through the years. Topics will include how to overcome writer’s block, how to select the best stories, and how to stand out from a crowd that already understands “the basics” of the MBA essay-writing process.

Classes are extraordinarily interactive. All class participants will be assigned homework, be expected to participate actively, and will be encouraged to take part in each class’s closing Q&A session. All attendees will also get one essay edited by a member of the PE team upon completion of the course. For the full itinerary and registration information, visit our site: http://www.precisionessay.com/webinars/bootcamp/ There are only a few spots left so sign up SOON.
_________________

Jon Frank
Founder, Admissionado
http://www.admissionado.com
GMAT Club EXCLUSIVE: $100 off Bootcamps and Writing Workshops!

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I'm curious about your source for the opening facts. The latest Application Trends report from GMAC says specifically "...two-year full-time MBA programs have seen India volumes drop the most". This is corroborated by another 2012 GMAC report which indicates GMAT tests taken by Indians have dropped for two years in a row now, reaching pre-2008 levels.

Sources:
http://www.gmac.com/~/media/Files/gmac/Research/admissions-and-application-trends/applicationtrends2011_sr.pdf
http://www.gmac.com/~/media/Files/gmac/Research/Geographic%20Trends/asiangeotrendty2011_online.pdf

Your bigger point about the Indian applicant pool being the single most competitive one is, however, a well established fact.

Tell me about it... However it is true that a disproportionate number of applicants are Indian, and it will be harder for them to get in on average.

One trend that is very noticeable is that Chinese and Indians average the highest with the GMAT with the Chinese nearly average a 600 and the Indians at around a 580, which is brought down because of the low average of Indian women. Koreans, Taiwanese, and Japanese GMAT test takers also averaged well above 500 and were at least around the GMAT median of 540-550. Koreans in particular attend American universities at very high rates, but it seems that Korea doesn't value the MBA as highly as China and India do which may partly explain why many Koreans aren't taking the test in high droves for admission at an American business school.

I saw some interesting things here. One Chinese GMAT administrations are sprawling despite an overall downturn in MBA apps, so it's harder for them to get in than before. Next most Chinese GMAT test takers are women, which is a big departure from the norm. Women tend to have it easier for MBA admissions because there are fewer applicants, but Chinese women will NOT get that opportunity from seeing these trends along with a high GMAT average.

With the number of score reports sent per exam, it looks like every Asian group only average 2 or 3 score reports per exam, while Indians nearly maxed out on them. I'd think that most test takers should pick five programs regardless, unless the GMAT take was specifically done to improve one's score to get off a waitlist or something. Maybe most of these test takers were just applying to domestic programs? Just my two cents and conjecture here.