05/12/97 GETTING INTO A TOP B-SCHOOL

GETTING INTO A TOP B-SCHOOL
Surprise. A work record won't help
Does work experience improve an applicant's chance of acceptance at a leading business school? According to recent research from Battelle Memorial Institute, more than 85% of business school deans agree that it's an important consideration in evaluating prospective students. And many college grads hoping to enroll in a highly rated graduate management program make sure they have some job experience under their belts before they apply.
A surprising finding, however, is that the value of such experience in getting accepted by a top school is negligible. Despite the reported views of B-school deans, the researchers found that experience had no real impact on admissions results, other things being equal. In fact, applicants to the most selective programs often fared worse than their peers if they had extensive work experience.
If aspiring MBAs are missing the boat in acquiring work experience before applying to a top B-school, the B-schools may also be losing out by not placing a high value on such experience in the admissions process. The researchers found that students with a lot of work experience were much less likely to drop out of MBA programs than students with little or no experience--even though their grades were no higher.
All of which suggests that leading B-schools might do well to start practicing what they preach.
BY GENE KORETZ