The MBA enjoys a surge as the economy falters - Boston Business Journal:

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Several local business schools are reporting increases in interesf and applications for MBA programs as many people attempt to ride out a recessiohn by honing theirmanagement skills. For applications are pouring inat ’s , accordin g to Deborah Merrill-Sands, dean of the school of Applications for the Januaryh admissions cycle are up by 100 percent to 60 comparedd with the same time last she said. “We’re very pleased with both the qualithyand quantity” of applications, said Merrill-Sands. Simmona received 30 applications to its MBA programj in the previousapplication period. And Simmonss isn’t alone.
“Most schools are expectinbg an increase in applicationsx over thispast year,” said Shelley director of graduate management enrollment at ’sd Carroll School of Management. Boston College already saw a 27 percentg increase in applications to the business schoolast year, and whilew Burt said it was too early to provides specific figures, she is “noticing applications have increased over this time last At the , applications for the spring semester MBA program are expected to be up by 15 percengt over last year.
has seen a 14 percent increase in the volums of applications to its MBA program to AndRob Garcia, director of MBA admissionw at the ’s Sloan School of Management, said the number of applications this year could top the volume the schook saw after dot-com bust around 2001. The school receiver 3,896 applications last year, and Garcia said volumew could rise another 10 percent over that this Graduate programs at business schoolx are often seen as a havem for those who have lost their jobs or are want to enhancrtheir résumés during recessions.
“This is a recurringg theme, that as the economy applications to business schoolsgo up,” said John president and CEO of Tampa, Fla.-based Associationn to . The signs suggest that history will repeaf itselfthis year. The number of people takin g the Graduate ManagementAdmission Test, which is requirer by most business schools, has been on the rise this The number of registrations for the test this year as of Oct. 31 was 250,890o worldwide, more than a 10 percenty increase over theprevious year, according to the , whichn administers the GMAT. Some schools are reportinyg an increasing number of applicants with stronger levelsa ofwork experience.
That could mean peoples are either looking for somethinv to do after losing a job or want to strengthej their skill sets during the Burt said. A rise in applications doesn’t necessarily mean a corresponding increas e in the number of people attendinybusiness school, as many colleges keep a cap on What it typically does mean is that businessd schools can afford to be more selective and, by doing so, boost the profile of their programs, Fernandes said.