The GMAC Market Development team engaged with over 60 school professionals in July through a combination of school visits, two Admissions Institute for New Professionals programs (held in Washington, DC and Newport Beach, CA) and two Meetups (hosted in Texas and California). Below are a few interesting insights we gathered.
Although many of the schools we spoke with indicate they experienced a decline in international applications (primarily from Chinese candidates), overall yield has not been heavily impacted. To encourage the international pipeline of talent for 2018 and beyond, some of these schools increased their in person engagement in markets outside of the US- sending over faculty and members of the senior administration to convey the school’s commitment to a global classroom. Others have begun to reallocate their marketing dollars in favor of campus events and digital marketing to attract domestic candidates. Stay tuned for the 2017 Application Trends Survey Report (published in September) for a comprehensive view of the market
L1 visas seem to be one way companies are handling the H1B visa challenge. International employees return to their home countries and then will return to the United States on a L1 visa - a dual intent Visa, allowing the holder to apply for a Green Card. With extensions, this Visa is valid for seven years. L1 Visas are available to certain classes of employees of an international company with offices in both a home country and the United States, or which intend to open a new office in the United States while maintaining their home country interests. Find more information on L visas here.
Schools have continued to grow their portfolio by increasing the offering of Specialized Masters Programs, many in a hybrid or online format, which appeal to younger candidates with limited work experience. Some schools have reported seeing a 30% boost in enrollment upon the addition of an MS program. Several schools have also experienced success in creating dual degree programs, enabling younger MS students to combine and transition their degrees into Full or Part-Time MBAs in the future. GMAC data indicates the top three programs created in 2017 are Data Analytics, Accounting and Finance.
Send your GMAC rep a note if you have a question you want us to explore as we engage with schools this quarter. We’ll report out our findings in Q4.
Americas Market Development Team