International MBAs Talk About Studying Abroad

What do MBAs have to say about the perks of studying abroad?

From the benefits of studying abroad to one business school offering free tuition—catch all the trending stories from top MBA programs.

Why consider studying abroad?

The MBA landscape is becoming increasingly international. Did you know that a majority (58%) of applications to U.S. business schools come from non-U.S. citizens? For European business schools, international applicants make up nearly 80% of the talent pool. There are lots of reasons to attend an MBA program overseas—the excitement and experience, for starters. One international MBA notes that most applicants do their research online. “Go beyond that,” he suggests. “Something very simple like emailing a student club can add tremendous value to your application.” Another suggests that studying abroad also benefits you beyond the classroom. “You learn significant amounts of life skills, such as [when] buying a car, a house, [or] opening a bank account. It’s those things that stand you in good stead, even after your MBA.” (BusinessBecause)

You’re in. Now what?

If you’ve applied to business school for the incoming fall class, hopefully by now you’ve received good news. If you got in, congratulations! All that hard work paid off, but that doesn’t mean you should rest on your laurels. MBA gunners have a reputation of being self-motivated, so it’s unlikely that you’re doing that. But just in case you are… keep the following things in mind as next steps. 1) You’ll (almost certainly) get an internship. Why? The MBA market is the hottest it’s been in years. 2) Recruiting starts the moment you get on campus. It’s not about the second half of your first year. 3) Time management will be a challenge. Balancing school, work, family, and friends. Get ready to juggle. (Poets & Quants)

When MBA programs go tuition-free

As you may recall from a blog post we wrote about last fall, Arizona State University’s W.P. Carey School of Business made the bold decision to make its MBA program free. What was once a tuition randing from $54,000 for in-state residents to $90,000 for international students has been reduced to zero. This has resulted in the Tempe-based business school receiving a record number of applications. Their office has been flooded with emails and phone calls. As of last week, the school received nearly 1,200 applications, almost triple the total number it received in 2015. “I really didn’t understand the extent to which there was a demand for scholarships,” said the school’s dean, Amy Hillman. (The Wall Street Journal)

From school to work

The good news for MBA students is that the job market is jumping. Top-ranked business schools have job placement rates well above 90%. In fact, job placement rates above 90% extend to business schools well below the top tier—some are even unranked. It’s a useful list, but what it doesn’t show is how much these graduates actually earn. (U.S. News & World Report)

Alumni jobs

Speaking of salary, research finds that newly minted MBAs tend to accept lower compensation packages if the job they accepted was offered by alumni of their school—16 percent less, to be exact. “The jobs coming through the alumni channel are perceived as having significantly better growth potential. They are willing to take less today for a job that has better prospects in the long run,” says NYU Stern’s Jason Greenberg, co-author of the research. (The Financial Times)

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