Selections Interview with Michelle Jacobson, Director of Graduate Business Programs at the Fisher College of Business, Ohio State University

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Selections: How has technology changed (helped, complicated?) admissions?
Jacobson: It has changed things significantly. We are moving away from brochures and the paper applications, which some people still like to have. Some still want to hang onto that. People can apply online, not only via the university’s own online application but also via another company’s application. The company makes it easy. You pay a fee and answer the general questions and then they ferret it out to fit the actual application for five or six different schools. So it makes it easy for students to apply to a variety of schools. So it has made the applicant’s job easier.

Selections: Has it made your job easier?
Jacobson: No. In the transition, it has made some things more cumbersome. Until things go completely to one system, we are having to maintain multiple processes. That is not bad. I am not complaining. But we need to maintain multiple processes. We want it to be fair. We want to make sure one application process isn’t making it faster or slower than the others. We want all applicants to be treated consistently and fairly. That’s a little extra work.

We have accepted online applications for three or four years. It happened ad hoc. Over the last three years, we have been dealing with this more with our eyes wide open.

Selections: Do you use decision models or matrices to help predict which applicants who receive offers will matriculate? If so, could you describe them?
Jacobson: Our process is trying to continue to interact and have different layers of contact with people that we have offered admission to. We don’t use a matrix.

Funding is obviously critical to people, so we will use that as a way of contacting admits. We will say we are interested in funding you. About 15 percent of applicants are offered funding. Then we have students contact potential students who we want to admit. We might have alumni, faculty, or deans contact that person. It depends on the situation. The Black MBA student association student reaches out to black admits. Women in Business would reach out to female admits. We have calling nights. We use a variety of techniques. The matrix is, we stay in contact through phone calls and e-mails.

Selections: What is the “art” of admissions, as you see it?
Jacobson: Being a student advocate and also having a passion about helping students learn and agreeing with the mission of the institution that you represent. I enjoy doing what I do, and I really want to help bring good students to the faculty and the Fisher College of Business. I think the art of that is genuinely believing that the product that you have is good. And here, it’s great. This is a place you will want to be, and these are the people you are going to want to learn from. These are the students you want to have as your colleagues. The art of that is hopefully having a story worth telling so that people are interested in applying as they are comparing us with other schools. That the fit feels likes a good match for them. I clearly am not interested in students who would rather be someplace else. I don’t want them to settle for living in Columbus, Ohio. I want them to desire to be here.

The art of admissions is to have a passion for what you are doing, to communicate that and to help students make educated choices. Sometimes they don’t. Sometimes they will just go with the highest bidder. Well, that is just part of the nature of people. Some people will accept a position because they really like the fit and feel like they are going to learn and they are just really motivated about the contributions they can make, and a couple thousand dollars here or there isn’t going to make a difference. But some people will take the highest dollar because that is where they are at. To me, people have a variety of ways in which they make a decision. I hope that we are able to attract people who decide to be here because it is a great program and the cost is reasonable for the value, the location is what they are looking for, and this is the type of climate they want to be in, etc.

Selections: How closely do you work with career services and how much would you say you consider the eventual placement of applicants when you consider their applications?
Jacobson: We are located in the same building. We do collaborate. Sometimes we want career services to look at applicants and offer insights into how they would be able to find positions.

Selections: Has the economic downturn affected your relationship with career services in any way?
Jacobson: Not yet. Some students are feeling the pressure because they are not having as many internships or job offers this year. Employers are still looking for good students. People are entrepreneurial.

Selections: Have you observed that the economy has affected who applies and why they say they apply?
Jacobson: Not yet. Occasionally, we will hear from applicants who just lost their job, but it used to be that way before. I would be able to give a better answer in five months. We are too early in the process. We are approaching second deadline date. We are not seeing a significant impact yet. //

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