Comprehensive Analysis of 15 Leading MBA Programs Reveals New Trends in Business School Admissions, Says Veritas Prep

MALIBU, CA--(Marketwire - October 22, 2009) - In an effort to provide prospective business school students with unprecedented insight into the ultra-competitive admissions game, GMAT prep and MBA admissions consulting provider Veritas Prep today revealed new trends in admissions to help MBA candidates execute a successful application strategy. Veritas Prep identified several recurring themes during its thorough audit of 15 of the world's elite business schools. The three most notable discoveries are that (1) some schools embrace career switchers, (2) many top programs have recently overhauled their MBA curricula and (3) nearly every school places more emphasis on global business than ever before.

Some business schools have become havens for career changers. Historically, business schools have been wary of candidates applying to school in order to facilitate a change in careers. Career switchers often struggle to land a post-graduation job, harming placement statistics -- a crucial component of the most respected MBA rankings. However, more students than ever before are hoping to use a formal business education to move into a new industry. The Stern School of Business at New York University even offers a specific program tailored to such candidates, the Industry Mentoring Initiative (IMI), while the Tuck School of Business Administration at Dartmouth College also encourages career switchers to apply.

Revamped curricula and diversified learning methodologies. Of the 15 elite MBA programs examined in the Veritas Prep Annual Reports, ten have recently renovated their entire curricula to more tightly integrate how their professors teach the core disciplines common to every first-year MBA program. For example, the Yale School of Management has deviated from a more traditional, structured classroom format in favor of a blend of lecture, student projects and presentations and the proprietary "raw case" approach, in which students must distill information from ambiguous source materials similar to what a professional might encounter while analyzing a real-world business problem.

Truly global perspective. While most business schools have boasted about a global approach for years, globalism in MBA programming and curriculum requirements has never been more prevalent. Most top programs now feature a specific core class devoted to international perspectives, while the Fuqua School of Business at Duke University devotes its entire orientation period to the Global Institute, a three-week introduction to international business and the world economy. The Stanford Graduate School of Business mandates international experience prior to graduation, nearly a quarter of Harvard Business School case studies now address global business issues and the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania recently brought international experience to the forefront in the application itself, asking a key essay question about the candidate's global perspectives and experiences.

"It is critically important for applicants to cultivate a genuine understanding of the trends in MBA admissions in order to select schools that best align with their professional aspirations and learning styles, and also to help craft compelling cases for admission," explains Scott Shrum, Director of MBA Admissions Research at Veritas Prep.

These trends and others are captured in the inaugural series of Veritas Prep Annual Reports, now available for the following business schools: Harvard, Wharton, Stanford, Kellogg, MIT Sloan, NYU Stern, UCLA Anderson, Chicago Booth, Columbia, Ross, Fuqua, INSEAD, Haas, Tuck and Yale. For more information about Veritas Prep's Annual Reports or to download a complimentary report, visit http://www.veritasprep.com/annual-reports or call 1 (800) 925-7737.

About Veritas Prep

Veritas Prep is the world's fastest-growing test preparation and admissions consulting provider, offering industry-leading programs to help applicants improve their test scores and gain admission to the world's best graduate schools. Founded in 2002 by graduates of the Yale School of Management, Veritas Prep now offers live GMAT prep instruction in more than 80 cities worldwide, as well as interactive online courses available everywhere. Additionally, Veritas Prep offers industry-leading admissions consulting services for applicants seeking admission to the most competitive business schools, law schools, and medical schools in the world.