BW Online | January 23, 2003 | A Talk with Rochester's Admissions Director

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JANUARY 23, 2003

B-SCHOOL Q&A: ADMISSIONS

A Talk with Rochester's Admissions Director

Pamela Black-Colton of the Simon Graduate School of Business on the application process, life in Rochester, and myths about the school

A Talk with Rochester's Admissions Director^Pamela Black-Colton of the Simon Graduate School of Business on the application process, life in Rochester, and myths about the school^^Pamela Black-Colton of the Simon Graduate School of Business on the application process, life in Rochester, and myths about the school^A Talk with Rochester's Admissions Director

Pamela Black-Colton
University of Rochester

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MBA applicants may find a sympathetic ear in Pamela Black-Colton, the assistant dean of MBA Admissions at the University of Rochester's Simon Graduate School of Business (No. 27 in BusinessWeek's 2002 Rankings). After all, she herself was once in their shoes. The Simon MBA grad -- Class of '88 -- was director of research services for investment management firm Manning & Napier Advisors before returning to her alma mater in 1997 to direct admissions.

Black-Colton recently spoke with BusinessWeek Online reporter Brian Hindo about the current admissions environment. Following are edited excerpts of their conversation:

Q: You took the helm of the admissions office in 1997. What are some of the things that have changed since then?
A: We've seen an increasingly competitive market. The quality of students and the number of applications are up significantly. We continue to have a wide variety of students from many different countries, and that trend has grown. Some populations -- such as students from China -- have probably doubled or tripled in the time I've been here.

Q: What sorts of changes have you witnessed in the type of person seeking an MBA degree?
A: Compared with when I was in the program, work experience has become a much more important component. When I was in school, two or three years was about the average. Now the average is much closer to six. The average student age is 29.

A much smaller percentage of students comes directly from undergrad, though that's beginning to change a little. There was a point a couple years ago where basically nobody came directly from undergrad. Now, we're discovering, recruiters see some value in people with MBA training who don't have a huge amountof work experience.

Q: Which recruiters value those types of graduates?
A: A wide variety. Employers who want MBA skills but don't necessarily need managerial skills at this point are willing to develop people. They want someone who's hungry, who will work a lot of hours, and who they don't have to pay as much as somebody with six years of work experience. [Such recruiters include] investment banks, consulting firms -- though consulting isn't hiring much now -- and even those looking for market-research analysts.

Q: Rochester has always had a sizable population of international students compared to other Top 30 schools. Are you worried at all that job shortages and the political atmosphere will reduce the number of international students you'll be able to admit?
A: Certainly it's a concern. You look at the ability of international students to get jobs in the U.S. You look at the economic problems in Latin America, from which we traditionally draw a fair number of students, plus the problems students from some countries have getting visas. That does make me concerned about what the international composition of our class will be next year. We feel it's very important to have a diverse student population, drawing on people from many countries, so we're not walking away from that.

Q: What would you say to an international applicant to assuage concerns about coming to the U.S. and taking on a huge debt load with uncertain job prospects?
A: In every year, including this past year, our international students have gotten jobs. Obviously it has been harder for them lately. In an economic downturn, it's much harder to get an employer to sponsor someone for an H1-B [work] visa. But I also believe that the economic situation won't remain static. You're making an investment that's going to pay off when we move out of this economic downturn. You shouldn't let the current economic situation stop you from making an investment that's for a lifetime.

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