Women MBA Applicants Better Chance

Atul Jose (Admissions Consultant, F1GMAT): To answer this question, you have to look at three data points

1)    4-year College Undergraduate Degree Trends in the US
2)    GMAT Test Taking Volume (2018 to 2022)
3)    Women's application pool from Investment Banking, Technology, and Management Consulting

Let's go one by one

1) 4-year College Undergraduate Degree Trends in the U.S.

If you look at the % of male vs. female graduation rates, you will notice that in 2016, gender parity was reached for a 4-year undergraduate degree in terms of completion rate. Both male and female graduates were around 33% of the U.S. population. From 2016 to 2021, the male percentage increased to close to 0.5 -0.8%, while the female percentage increased to 1% per year. And in 2021, the Female percentage with a 4-year undergraduate degree was close to 40% of the U.S. population against males' 37%. That is a 3% gap between the male and female MBA application pool. We are going by the assumption that for a top MBA program, you need a 4-year undergraduate degree even to apply. Of course, there are exceptions.

2) GMAT Test-Taking Volume

GMAC, the organization behind the GMAT test, faced a huge challenge during the pandemic to conduct the GMAT test online. And the biggest casualty was women GMAT test takers. If you look at the 2018 to 2022 GMAT test-taking volume

Fall in Volume (2020): Male fell by 22%, Female fell by 25%
Fall in Volume (2021): Male fell by 6%, Female fell by 14%
Fall in Volume (2022): Male fell by 21%, Female fell by 19%

From 2020 to 2022, the test-taking Volume for men fell by a total of 49%, and for women, it was 58%.

Close to 60% of the test scores are sent to an MBA program against 35% for a Business Master's program. So the qualified women application pool targeting an MBA program has come down. That will definitely improve your admission chances compared to a male applicant.

3) Women's application pool from Investment Banking, Technology, and Management Consulting

If you look at the latest demographic trends in Investment Banking analyst jobs, close to 75% are male, and 25% are female. In technology, female candidates are represented at 27% in the U.S. for the year 2022. Now if you look at the most popular MBA function – Management Consulting you will see a surprising number. Close to 42% are female.

What are the chances for a Women MBA applicant (By Industry)?

If you are from a Management Consulting background, expect more competition as the application pool is overrepresented. But schools will always look at accepting a Management Consultant because employers can guarantee a certain level of post-MBA salary that determines the school's ranking. As a management consultant, your chances are pretty high.

If you come from an Investment Banking background, you have a huge opportunity to convert an M7 offer. The representation is lower in your industry; you will certainly have many narratives about thriving in a men-only culture that schools love. Your chances are really, really high.

If you are from a Technology background, the conversion rate depends on all the positive stereotypes of a woman applicant.

Women tend to volunteer more in the U.S. compared to their men counterparts. So if your volunteering is below expectations, then your admission chances go down drastically for M7 or even top 10 schools.

The biggest challenge for many women applicants who have overcome several barriers, like those over the age of 30, working in non-traditional backgrounds like construction, Oil and Gas, and even non-profit, is the funding opportunity.

Top schools tend to have multiple criteria while designing fellowships or scholarships. And many times, it is not based on gender. So you either should be self-funded, or your employer should part-fund your MBA if you plan to come back, or you should have at least 2-3 competing offers from peer schools. Then you negotiate aggressively. Schools have already declared that they are targeting to reach 50-50% in terms of gender representation.

Don't hesitate to ask for more scholarships.

If you need my help in planning your MBA application, editing your essays, or helping you with the scholarship application, reach out to me, Atul Jose

Reference

• INVESTMENT BANKING ANALYST DEMOGRAPHICS AND STATISTICS IN THE US
• Percentage of the U.S. population who have completed four years of college or more from 1940 to 2021, by gender
• CONSULTANT DEMOGRAPHICS AND STATISTICS IN THE US
• 70+ Women In Technology Statistics (2023)
• GMAC Test Taker Data