Admissions Trend: International Applicants

Last week, the Council of Graduate Schools released the results of a recent survey revealing a rise in volume of applications from international students. Reporting an 11% overall increase in applications from this time last year and a 7% increase in applicants targeting graduate business programs, CGS Director of Research and Policy Director Heath Brown attributes the change to improved efficiency and effort on the institutional level and federal policy changes alleviating visa issues. While the information provided in the report is perhaps not the complete picture – results are reported in percentages rather than exact numbers as only about 150 of the 450 US member schools responded to the survey – the findings certainly correlate with the rise in GMAT volume over last year and the fact that some schools are reporting leaps in application volume as high as 30% this season.

If this trend continues, this will obviously translate to fiercer competition for spots at the top US programs, particularly among applicants from oversubscribed groups. Those prospective students just beginning to think about their applications should note that this factor makes it all the more important to follow our standard advice of applying early in the season and targeting a number of programs in order to maximize your chances.

The New York Times also recapped the CGS findings in an article available at:
http://www.nytimes.com/2006/03/23/education/23apply.html.