I recently connected with Robb Mandelbaum to discuss how the SCOTUS decision on affirmative action has affected business schools’ ability to sculpt a diverse class. His article https://lnkd.in/euzHfEFd supports what we have seen at MLT: the Court’s decision to bar race consideration in admissions has led to mixed results in diversity across top MBA programs, with fewer underrepresented minorities being admitted into the most selective institutions. I want to highlight some of the trends that we have observed with MLT’s MBA Fellows this past admissions season. Although the data covers one year, it represents a meaningful portion of the top Black and Latine students applying to the most selective graduate business schools. Our MBA Fellows represent highly qualified, extremely well-prepared applicants with extensive work experience. -- Fewer Applicants Accepted to the Most Selective MBA Programs: MLT’s data reveals that fewer Black and Latine applicants were admitted to the country’s most selective MBA programs. While 98% of our MBA Fellows were accepted into well-regarded business schools, admission rates to Tier 1 schools dropped by approximately 30%, and the number of Fellows admitted to Tier 1 schools decreased despite a larger MLT class size. In other words, many Fellows who historically would have been admitted to Tier 1 programs were only admitted to Tier 2 programs. -- High Test Scores Do Not Yield Similar Acceptance Rates: Following the SCOTUS decision, applicants with high test scores and qualifications are being denied at higher rates at top MBA programs. In 2024, Fellows with a 700+ GMAT had approximately a 75% chance of being admitted to at least one Tier 1 program, down from around 85% in the previous six years. The fact that applicants with impeccable credentials are not being admitted to the most selective schools at the same rates as before the SCOTUS decision on affirmative action is highly concerning. If this trend continues, these highly qualified MBA applicants will be disproportionately rejected, leading to a decrease in diversity at top institutions, consequently diminishing the diversity of the corporate talent pipeline. One positive trend we have observed is that schools are actively evaluating and refining their recruitment and yield strategies to enhance diversity in future classes. This effort demonstrates their commitment to and recognition of the value of diversity. We will continue to monitor these trends and observe how our MBA Fellows fare in admissions to the most selective MBA schools. #DEI #EqualOpportunity #Admissions
Rhonda P.
4d
Very informative
Blactina
1wit's interesting that this post is being flagged as "political" by the LinkedIn platform on my end.