With the entry of Stanford, Kellogg and Chicago Booth into the Consortium and the uptick in fellowships through the Consortium, we believe that applicants from minority communities with strong community engagements (Teach for America/ NAACP/LEAD) should consider taking the Consortium route while targeting top MBA programs.
In this in-depth analysis of ‘The Consortium,’ we cover:
• History of the Consortium
• Consortium Membership
• Member Schools
• Application Deadlines and Process
• Consortium MBA Application Essays
• Consortium MBA Application Deadlines
• IMPACT
History of the Consortium
The Consortium for Graduate Study in Management was set up as a non-governmental organization in 1966 to assist African Americans to gain a business school education and a promising corporate career.
Sterling H. Schoen, a professor at Olin Business School, while pursuing a post-doctoral fellowship in 1962-63, witnessed the sit-ins for ending the segregation in university-owned residential properties in Chicago. The race riots in subsequent years and calls from Saul Alinsky, a renowned community activist, moved Sterling to unite Business Schools to promote equal opportunities and pursue civil rights goals.
In 1970, Women, Hispanic, and Native Americans were also included in fellowship opportunities. Over the past 56-years of actively fostering equality in America, more than 10,000 MBAs have been supported.
Consortium Membership
US nationals or permanent residents with a 4-year bachelor’s degree and a demonstrable commitment to the cause of improving underrepresented minorities in Business are welcome to apply for the Consortium membership.
The selection criteria are based on academic, employment history, and active involvement in the community. Demonstrable contributions in improving the lives of African, Hispanic, and Native American communities should be highlighted in the application essay and confirmed in the recommendation letter.
Affiliations with the organizations (mentioned below) can enhance the student’s chance of acceptance.
As volunteers:
• Leadership Education And Development (LEAD)
• Inroads
• Sponsors for Educational Opportunity (SEO)
• Urban League
• National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) • Management Leadership for Tomorrow (MLT)
• Forté Foundation
• Big Brothers Big Sisters of America
As an employee:
• Teach for America
The Consortium’s membership fee varies with the number of schools the applicant is targeting.
The Consortium (Fees): The minimum application fee to one to two business schools is $150 and ranges up to $300 for 6 business schools. The members would also have access to 80-plus corporates, 1,000 current students, and the Consortium alumni to discuss admission strategies, career paths, and the feasibility of the goals mentioned in the essay.
Applicants can take two routes – direct application to the Consortium or choose the ‘Consortium’ application through the member school.
For direct application to the Consortium, students must select up to a maximum of six Consortium member schools they are applying to and rank them based on preference. The schools don’t have access to the ranking during the evaluation process. Only after they decide the preference of the applicant is revealed.
3-in-1 Advantage: With the consortium application, applicants save time and use one streamlined application for membership to the Consortium, admissions to member schools, and consideration for fellowship.
Member Schools
The Consortium was initially set up with 3 member schools in 1966 – Olin Business School, Kelley School of Business, and Wisconsin School of Business. Simon Business School and Marshall School of Business joined the cause two years later. There has been up to a 10-year gap in admitting business schools in the past. However, since the independence from Olin Business School in 1999, the frequency of member schools joining has increased. M7 Schools like Columbia Business School and Stanford’s Graduate School of Business have joined the Consortium in 2021 and 2022 while Kellogg and Booth joined in 2023 and 2024, respectively.
| Consortium Member Schools | Rank | Year of Joining |
|---|---|---|
| Washington University in St. Louis, Olin Business School | 26 | 1966 |
| Indiana University-Bloomington, Kelley School of Business | 20 | 1966 |
| University of Wisconsin-Madison, Wisconsin School of Business | 43 | 1966 |
| University of Rochester, Simon Business School | 32 | 1968 |
| University of Southern California, Marshall School of Business | 18 | 1968 |
| The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Kenan-Flagler Business School | 20 | 1973 |
| University of Michigan – Ann Arbor, Michigan Ross School of Business | 12 | 1983 |
| New York University, Leonard N. Stern School of Business | 7 | 1984 |
| The University of Texas at Austin, McCombs School of Business | 16 | 1984 |
| University of Virginia, Darden School of Business | 10 | 1992 |
| University of California, Berkeley, Haas School of Business | 7 | 1993 (withdrew in 2003) & 2010 |
| Dartmouth College, Tuck School of Business | 10 | 1999 |
| Carnegie Mellon University, Tepper School of Business | 16 | 2001 |
| Emory University, Goizueta Business School | 18 | 2001 |
| Yale University, Yale School of Management | 7 | 2008 |
| Cornell University, Samuel Curtis Johnson Graduate School of Management | 15 | 2009 |
| University of California, Los Angeles, UCLA Anderson School of Management | 20 | 2010 |
| Georgetown University, McDonough School of Business | 24 | 2013 |
| Rice University, Jones Graduate School of Business | 29 | 2017 |
| University of Washington, Foster School of Business | 27 | 2018 |
| Columbia University, Columbia Business School* | 12 | 2021 |
| Stanford University, Graduate School of Business* | 1 | 2022 |
| Duke University, Fuqua School of Business | 12 | 2024 |
| University of Chicago Booth School of Business | 3 | 2024 |
| *M7 Schools |
Application Deadlines and process
Consortium membership decisions are independent of admissions decisions by member schools. Membership cannot be transferred to non-Consortium member schools. Most member schools, except for Emory University, offer 2-year Consortium programs for members.
Deferment: Members are required to reapply if they choose to defer their education.
Fellowship: The admissions and fellowship committees at the member school determine the fellowship decisions. They are independent of the Consortium membership decision.
Requirements:
- GMAT/GRE
- Academic transcripts
- Resume (job titles, responsibilities, employer name, and location) – Post-secondary education, non-academic activities, interests, and awards are to be included.
- Three recommendation letters – two from current/previous supervisors (accessible to member schools), and one letter regarding the student’s contributions aligned with the Consortium’s mission (not accessible to member schools)
- Essays (two compulsory and one optional with an additional school-specific essay for each of the schools ranked)
- FAFSA
Consortium MBA Application Essays
Core Essay 1: Please describe your short- and long-term goals post-MBA. How has your professional experience shaped these goals and influenced your decision to pursue an MBA degree? (2,000 characters)
The first core essay asks the student’s post-MBA short and long-term goals. Students should be mindful to focus on their intrinsic motivations with reasons behind each of the goals.
While communicating these goals, students should include the roles and responsibilities they seek in their post-MBA career and contribution within these roles.
The examples should demonstrate a history of taking initiatives and include examples relevant to the chosen goals.
Students should refrain from making the essay school-specific as they will have the opportunity to discuss this in another essay highlighting the strength of the member school they are targeting.
Core Essay 2: (Optional Essay): Is there any other information you would like to share with us that is not presented elsewhere in your application? (1,000 characters)
The optional essay provides students the opportunity to discuss other profile strengths not covered in the essay or gaps (career)/academic (below median GPA or GMAT/GRE score) not covered in the application. The character count is 1,000, which is roughly 200 words.
Mission Essay: Our mission, through the strength of our growing alliance and extended network, is to enhance diversity and inclusion in global business education and leadership by striving to reduce the significant underrepresentation of African Americans, Hispanic Americans, and Native Americans in both our Member Schools’ enrollments and the ranks of global management across the following sectors: For-profit corporations, Nonprofit corporations, Government agencies and contractors, and Entrepreneurial ventures in both for-profit and nonprofit environments.
*Please address the three questions noted below. Please use specific examples pertaining to our target populations and clearly articulate your involvement, actions and results.
1. What have you done pre-MBA in your business, personal, or academic life to demonstrate commitment to this mission?(2,000 characters)
2. What will you do while enrolled in your MBA program to demonstrate your commitment to the mission? (2,000 characters)
3. What will you do post-MBA with respect to community service and leadership involvement to demonstrate your continued commitment to The Consortium’s missions of diversity and inclusion? (1,000 characters)
Students are required to discuss and identify examples detailing their involvement, action, and results within the underrepresented community.
The first core essay determines admissions to the school. The optional essay addresses academic/career gaps – relevant for admission to school and the consortium membership, while the third essay determines the fit for the membership.
If you need help with the three essays, Subscribe to F1GMAT’s All in One Application Essay Review Service (Unlimited Essays)(1 Application/School)
Consortium MBA Application Deadlines
Applications open in August 15. The early application deadline is October 15, and the traditional application deadline is January 5. Students who qualify for a fellowship are notified by March.
IMPACT
In 2020, 594 students were admitted, out of which 282 students received fellowships with an average GPA of 3.7.
The Consortium’s goals are to ensure 30% enrolment of underrepresented minorities in all member institutions by next year.
In 2021, 954 students were admitted, out of which 541 students received fellowships with an average GPA of 3.6, while the average GMAT remained at 646.
Related Services
• F1GMAT’s Essay Review Service (Unlimited Essays for 1 Application/1 School)
• F1GMAT’s Career Planning Service
References
• Sterling H. Schoen’s Letter to Alfred Edwards, a Management professor at the University of Michigan
• The Consortium – Application Process
Scholarship/Fellowship Essay Editing - Work with Atul Jose (Founding Consultant and Essay Specialist)