By Francesca Di Meglio

SPREADING THE WORD.  That's why many top B-schools are partnering with groups like Leadership Education & Development (LEAD), a national organization launched at University of Pennsylvania's Wharton School in 1980 to nurture leadership potential in high school juniors from disadvantaged communities.

One of LEAD's main projects is offering the students an introduction to business at intensive summer programs at top U.S. B-schools. About 50% of LEAD alumni have attended or are pursuing an MBA degree at a Top-25 B-school, according to the organization's Web site, but the programs have only made a small dent in the overall numbers. For instance, Wharton's own minority enrollment has remained stagnant over the last couple of years -- in 2004, African Americans accounted for 5%, Asians 16%, and Hispanics 4%.

Part of the problem is that minority groups don't always see the benefits of an MBA, making them less likely to leave a steady job to pay B-school tuition that can reach upward of $80,000. So, many schools are turning to their current minority students to spread the word about how an MBA can boost one's career. For instance, Ayanna Lonian, an African American woman and first-year MBA student at Northwestern University's Kellogg School of Management often answers the questions of minority applicants.

HIGHER MOTIVES.  "Fewer of us apply to B-school because we don't have role models," says Lonian. "The reason some of us don't get accepted is because we don't have someone to turn to for advice during the application process." Asians made up 24% of Kellogg's 2004 enrollment, vs. only 4% for African Americans and 3% for Mexicans, Puerto Ricans, and other Hispanics.

Like women, minorities often tend to be interested in using their careers to help people, and see professions in medicine and law as better avenues for a positive contribution than business. About 13% of law and 12% of medical students are under-represented minorities, vs. just 6% at top B-schools, according to the Boston Consulting Group.

Through publicity and outreach, schools are trying to send the message that you can use an MBA to work for nonprofits or companies with socially responsible agendas. B-schools are also coming up with innovative ways to attract more racially and ethnically diverse students -- from Kellogg's recent recruiting efforts in Africa to scholarships for exceptional minority students at other schools. For the most part, administrators are optimistic that more minority students will sign on for the MBA.

Many minority students say more needs to be done. Keisha Dawn Entzminger, an MBA applicant and founder of MBA Diversity, says representatives at recruiting events and on admissions committees must include more African, Hispanic, and Native Americans. Hiring more minority faculty and including minorities in case studies wouldn't hurt either. The message: If B-schools really want greater diversity, they need to put more effort into stirring the melting pot.

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