Classroom demographics will undergo a noticeable shift as world economic and population trends, and GMAT volume data, seem to have permanently altered the student pipelines for B-school programs.

In the February issue of Deans Digest, Graduate Management Admission Council (GMAC) president and CEO David A. Wilson addressed the boom in demand for graduate business education, citing the record number of GMAT exams taken in the testing year ending June 30, 2009. For the first time in GMAT history, non-US citizens lead all test takers by 51%.

Wilson identified five macro forces which have influenced the channels of students interested in graduate management education:

• Economic growth and job creation. Growing economies create jobs and career advancement opportunities. GMAC research finds that some 70% of employers expect their business will improve in 2010, which also tracks with broader global indicators, Wilson said.

• Population changes. Africa expects a 50% increase in the student-age population (20-29) over the next two decades. The student population in Asia is expected to be stable until 2025. Europe, meanwhile, expects a nearly 25% decline in student-age population.

• Population shifts within regions. India will gain 28 million people in the student-age group over the next two decades, China will lose 76 million. Similarly, Germany expects to lose nearly 2 million, while France expects a gain of almost a quarter-million. In the US, a rise of some 4.8 million potential students is expected by 2030.

• Age range diversity. GMAT test-takers worldwide are largely in the 24-30 age bracket, but those examinees younger than 24 increased 132% between testing years 2005 and 2009.

• Student mobility. GMAT scores sent to non-US destinations jumped to 170,000 in 2009, up from about 90,000 in 2005. Score-sending patterns shifted away from US programs in nine of 10 global regions. US business schools  still received 78% of all GMAT scores sent in 2009, though, due to the fact that 98% of US citizens send score reports to US schools.

How will these changing demographics play out in the classroom? Wilson says business schools will need to assess how a potentially younger cohort with less work experience might affect class discussions, team projects, and school dynamics.

For more on this issue, check out GMAC’s new World Geographic Trend Report 2005 to 2009, which takes a look at schools outside the United States that have become increasingly attractive to business students.

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An ever-increasing number of MBAs are finding work upon graduation in clean energy, says Jackie Wilbur, senior director of the career development office at MIT’s Sloan School of Management in yesterday’s Wall Street Journal article, Where MBAs are Finding Jobs.

Students are coping with the sluggish job market by focusing their interest on consumer product companies, which include medical devices and clean energy technology, Wilbur says, adding that “A larger number are interested in energy, particularly in the space of green technology—there’s a lot of room for growth, particularly in introducing new technologies in an emerging market.”

Sustainability is also a growing theme at B-schools, WSJ’s Alina Dizik wrote Thursday. Corporations are pushing for a more hands-on approach to train potential future employees, as they’re finding that case studies become quickly outdated.

Business schools have reacted to the effort with a mixture of gratitude and skepticism, saying that despite the emphasis on integrating these hot-button topics into the curriculum, it’s business as usual at recruiting time, Dizik writes. For more on the work corporations are doing with schools to train potential employees in social responsibility and sustainability, read the WSJ’s piece here.

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If you are feeling stumped by your application essays and need some additional guidance, check out our NEW series of essay guides for MBA applications. Columbia, Harvard, Kellogg, Stanford and Wharton available now. They are seriously terrific and we are proud to say that almost every person who has ordered one has come back for more!

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Kellogg School of Management will host a premiere women’s leadership event the weekend of April 16-17, 2010, designed to increase the number of qualified women who apply to business school.

As a joint initiative between the Women’s Business Association (WBA) and the Kellogg Admissions Office, the 2010 Women’s Leadership Workshop serves as an introduction for high-potential women early in their career as to how an MBA contributes to accelerated leadership development and broadens career options.

The event targets women in industries and functions where an MBA may not be considered part of the traditional career path. Nonetheless, these women could have the background and skills to succeed at a top MBA program and could greatly benefit from the toolkit that an MBA provides.

For more information about this event, the schedule of activities, and how to register, click here.

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If you are feeling stumped by your application essays and need some additional guidance, check out our NEW series of essay guides for MBA applications. Columbia, Harvard, Kellogg, Stanford and Wharton available now. They are seriously terrific and we are proud to say that almost every person who has ordered one has come back for more!

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Deena Williams, associate director of admissions at the Kellogg School of Management, updated the admissions blog last week with some feedback designed to clear up the misinformation floating around cyberspace that may be contributing to “applicant freak out.” (You know who you are!)

Here are some of the details Williams offers up to help ease your anxiety:

Round 1 Waitlist

• Have questions? Call your waitlist manager!
• This is your chance to update AdCom about any life/work developments that might strengthen your application.
• Admit/deny decisions came out Monday, February 15th. If you did not receive a decision at that time, then you are still on the waitlist.
• Don’t call the office to check your status. Use the Application Status Check page located on the full-time website.

Round 2 Applicants

• Admissions officers are currently reading applications and conducting admissions interviews.
• Admissions decisions will begin in mid March and continue through March 29th.
• Kellogg is in the process of matching off-campus interview requests with alumni interviewers. (Make sure that your email settings do not filter Kellogg emails so that you don’t miss an email about your match.)
• On-campus interviews must be completed by March 6^th. There are not many spots available so call the office immediately to schedule your interview.
• Your interview information will also be noted on the Status Check page.

Round 3 Applicants

• Kellogg is scheduling on-campus interviews beginning March 15th.

The waiting game is extremely stressful, so we hope this information helps calm frazzled nerves somewhat. Best of luck to all Kellogg applicants!

* * * * *

If you are feeling stumped by your application essays and need some additional guidance, check out our NEW series of essay guides for MBA applications. Columbia, Harvard, Kellogg, Stanford and Wharton available now. They are seriously terrific and we are proud to say that almost every person who has ordered one has come back for more!

We are on Facebook – join the Stacy Blackman Consulting group, or become a friend of Stacy Blackman.

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