The Indian School of Business (ISB) is one of the prominent institutions in India. It goes without saying that getting admission into the ISB is challenging. If you glance at the numbers, you can note that the ISB has a stunning run, as you can see in the series of charts.

We have referred to the famous M7 business schools and the INSEAD/London Business School (LBS) for comparing the data.

Table of Salary Increase (%) by graduates from various business schools

Source: Financial Times 2020 Global MBA Rankings

As you can see, the salary increase (%) is quite good from ISB. As an Indian candidate, it makes sense it is worthwhile to join the ISB, as you can see the massive increase after joining the degree. The ROI is tremendous and worth your tuition fee.

ISB is a standard option for several Indian students. They obtain the highest GMAT scores globally, and from the above table, ISB stands above the rest of the business. When you want to ensure that your degree is worth your time and money, you know the best choice.

Table of Acceptance rate (%) by graduates from various business schools

Table of Yield (%) by graduates from various business schools

Source: Poets and Quants (2019); * ISB date is for 2014; ** 2018 data

The above data was retrieved from the year 2014. However, our readers can quickly note the difference in ISB among the other prestigious business schools. It is right next to HBS/MIT. Besides, potential students will be glad to hear that the admission procedure is quite stringent.

That only means, only the best minds are given entry into the business school. It also verifies the statement we made earlier about the business school as the top option for Indian students globally.

Most of the Indian students garner exceptional marks in the GMAT test. Additionally, the yield percentage is outstanding. That means the business school has the ability to attract highly talented students who are keen on joining business schools but have ISB as the primary target.

Table of Average GMAT by graduates from various business schools

Source: School websites

Are you a student planning to ace the GMAT? Then the good news is that you can do it with the help of a few tips and ideas that we have mentioned below. The GMAT may not be equivalent to the M7 for ISB, but it is still rated as the best in the educational sector.

Since we have given you a small idea about the program, you might want to know how you can succeed in it. We have broken it into 3 steps we will call as ABC. We can assure you that you can be confident of succeeding in the GMAT once you have read our ABC steps.

How to get into ISB

A – Ace the objective parameters.

Knowing this critical factor lays the foundation for your preparation for the GMAT test. The A that we have mentioned above is to ace the objective parameters. In this sense, you need to have an exceptional GPA in GMAT or GRE.

This gives you a head start over other candidates who lay in wait for seats in the best business schools. So, the higher you score, the better your chances of getting admission to the best business school.

For working professionals who want to compromise for their undergraduate GPA can think about joining a career in finance. However, it may not actually help you increase your past score. You can think of enrolling for CFA may help in your MBA admission prospects.

There is no reason why you cannot get around the hurdle of poor academics. That should not be a cause why potential candidates must not apply for top business schools. Those of you lucky ones reading this post, still early in college or university, might want to give in your best academically.

Of course, if you cannot score high marks, that does not mean you cannot make it huge in life. However, your job on the road to success becomes narrower and difficult. When you have been able to score exceptionally well, then you can use ISB 100% ride or healthy financial aid.

B – Bigger is better

The second is what we like to call B. That stands for more significant achievements, qualifications, and even quantification. You can also read it this way as Be Brave, Be Bold, and Be Better. Doing that can help you achieve greatness in life irrespective of your current situation.

This is a general piece of advice that is suitable for anybody. It would help if you tried to excel in everything that you do. It could be anything. For example, if you are volunteering in something. Then you may want to think of ideas on how to increase your productivity.

Besides, you may want to help others achieve or improve on their levels. That is a good sign of the traits in an emerging leader. As they say, leaders are born and not made. That is the sole reason why work experience matters.

When you want to push yourself, then you must not only focus on your peers. But you would like to match with your manager or seniors if you can. This way, you are pushing yourself to break those barriers that usually do not allow ordinary workers to be able to excel in life.

You will also want to consider educating yourself on the business schools you plan to register your degree. You can do that by going to the business school, attending the information sessions, joining live webinars if possible.

Besides, you can meet up or interact with alumni and current students. This helps you to learn more about the various methods in learning how you can develop your career. It enables you to have a balanced understanding of the course and interest in the adcoms.

It ensures that you are aware of the things that happen in the institute. You need to know these factors before you invest your hard-earned money. There is no need to pressurize yourself to be outstanding at all times.

But being able to set the benchmark is genuinely a skill that very few mortals have been able to learn. As seen with several IT applicants, they know how to differentiate themselves from other candidates with a lack of work experience.

Probably because they know what is expected from them, they have the exposure and training in how to stand out from the regular crowd. We don’t need to be trying to mention only about the IT candidates here.

But candidates can also be from a non-IT background and still excel in business school. This can be because of the experience he/she has attained. A good example, your friend or college mate may prefer enrolling in the engineering field.

You may have decided to join the IT industry. As you can see, your mentality and career objective differ from your friend’s. An MBA adcom job can be challenging. They have to judge both of you, not knowing your objective.

However, you can convince them when you are able to highlight that your career goals are more significant than the rest of the candidates. You may be interested in knowing how this particular candidate could get an ISB to admit an offer on the spot in 3 minutes of the interview!

Notable, isn’t it? The ability to judge skills and differentiation is vital for those who are reapplying. Though they have the potential, it takes some time for them to meet and understand that potential.

Our team has worked with candidates who have reapplied thrice and then go in. Of course, personal dedication and commitment will also come into the task. We suggest you read how to get selected into ISB with scholarship in the third attempt on how not to give up at any cost.

C – Comprehensive

You may not want to leave out anything, whether it is good or bad. You never know when it might come in handy. Life is an experience. You have the good days and the bad days. They both are essential in the development of any student or working professional.

A top business school like ISB has the perfect combination of pupils in their classes. Each student is processing their traits and skill set. Having this kind of diversity enables students to share their knowledge, compete with each other in a healthy environment, develop a smooth learning process.

You gain knowledge during discussions in class, attending workshops, and building your personal and professional expertise in applying the theory in real life. If you find yourself needing help at any moment, then you may want to express yourself in your optional essays or the main application essays.

You do not want to hide these factors or resort to lying in your MBA application because it is not a good idea. It may come back to haunt you one day. Hence, you may want to explain yourself so that adcoms assume the worst to ensure that you do not stumble during any moment of your career.

You can manage the test scores and find employment quickly without any delay. You might be interested in learning how this candidate got into ISB with low GMAT and a career break. To encourage you further, we have provided you with another scenario of how a candidate got into ISB with a super low GMAT score of 600.

We hope you found this post helpful in adding your journey into ISB. Besides, you may also want to read the stories that we have given the links for. They can give you the much-needed hope and encouragement not to despair during testing times

Pursuing MBA in the United States is quite an expensive endeavor. It can cost between USD 150,000-200,000 for the entire course and this is a huge financial burden for any average international student.

Therefore, students who go to the United States for their MBA also plan to work there so that they can repay their loan and ensure a good life for their family and themselves.

However, in the recent years, students are deciding against pursuing MBA in the United States as there are negative sentiments regarding H1-B visa approvals. The reality is quite the opposite!

However bad the new H1-B Visa approval rate may turn out for IT outsourcing companies, it could mean the precise opposite for MBA aspirants, especially for those who are aiming for the top 20-30 business schools in the US.

Why New H1-B Rules Could Be a Good for MBA Aspirants

In 2016, The H1-B visa program was oversubscribed and the chances of securing a visa for an MBA student even with a job offer was just 40%. However the scenario has changed.

With the higher rejection rates of upto 50% for Indian IT companies, MBA students with job offers now have significantly higher chance of securing a H1-B visa.

The center for immigration studies, an independent, non-partisan, non-profit research organization on immigration has provided the data illustrated in the table given below:

Table 1: Visa approval rates of IT outsourcing companies and US companies

We can see that the approval rate of the H1-B visa has reduced since fiscal year 2015. This, however, is due to the reduction in the H-1B approval rates of IT companies who typically outsource their employees holding Bachelor’s degrees from India.

Since the approval rates have decreased significantly for these IT companies, more visa opportunities have opened up for international MBA graduates in the US. We can also see from the table that the H1-B approval rates of US companies has been increasing since 2014. These companies are the ones which predominantly hire MBA graduates and therefore, it supports the fact that visa opportunities for MBA graduates have significantly increased in recent times.

The new visa policy is in favor of people with advanced degrees. Companies like Microsoft, Amazon, and Apple which typically employs more MBA graduates have an H-1B approval rate of 98-99%. The following table shows the H1-B visa approval rates of the top 15 companies in the Fiscal Year 2018:

The department of homeland security also announced a change in rule regarding the 85,000 H1-B visas granted to for-profit companies each year which was to be implemented from 1^st April, 2019. This change bolstered the chances of those who have advanced degrees, i.e. Master’s degree or doctorate, from the United States.

Prior to this change, the H-1B lottery process was divided into two phases. In the first phase, 20,000 visas were granted to only those holding an advanced degree from a US institution and in the second phase, the remaining 65,000 visas were granted to all qualified candidates. However, with the implementation of the new visa rule, the order has been reversed. Now, in the first phase, the lottery will grant 65,000 visas to all eligible candidates and the second phase will grant the remaining 20,000 visas to candidates with advanced degrees only. The implication of this reversal will result in companies favoring international workers with advanced degrees. The figure below illustrates the comparison between the old and new H1-B visa lottery process:

To get a more clear insight about the implication of the change in the process, a simple calculation is explained below:

Let us assume a total of 200,000 application of the H1-B visa out of which 120,000 are IT outsourcing employees and 80,000 are US graduates with advanced degrees.

According to the old lottery process 20,000 graduates will get H-1B visas in the first phase from a dedicated lottery. In the second phase, 120,000 outsourcing employees and 60,000 graduates will compete for remaining 65,000 visas. Assuming that both groups receive visas in a similar proportion, IT companies will receive 43,334 H-1B visas and US graduates will receive 21,666 visas. So, the total visas received by the graduates are 41,666 and the total visas received by IT outsourcing employees are 43,334.

According to the new H-1B lottery process, the phases have been reversed and all 200,000 applicants will compete for 65,000 visas. Assuming both groups receive visas in a similar proportion, graduates will receive 26,000 H1-B visas and IT companies will receive 39,000 visas. In the second phase, the remaining 20,000 visas will go to graduates. So, the total visas received by the graduates becomes 46,000 and the total visas received by IT outsourcing employees becomes 39000.

As we can see, this increases the chance for US graduates with advanced degrees to get more than 4000 additional visas. According to the department of homeland security, an increase of 16% will be seen in the approval of H1-B visa for US graduates with advanced degree with the implementation of the new visa lottery process. Which means 5300 additional works with advanced degree will get their visas approved.

The director of United States Citizenship and Immigration Services,Francis Cissna, said, “Everyone wants to hire the most qualified candidate they can. But if I’m an employer and I have two candidates who are equally qualified for a position, and both require me to sponsor them for a visa, I’m probably going to want to file for the one with the master’s degree because now, mathematically, I have a better chance of getting them picked.”

According to Mercury News, in April 2019, USCIS drew lottery for 201,000 visa applications from various employers for the 85,000 H1-B visas. Candidates having Master’s or a higher degree from a US school received 63% of the 65,000 H-1B visas projected for this year. The same for the previous year was 56%. Which means an increase of 4,550 visas.

The hiring of MBA graduates by leading Consulting and technology companies such as Amazon, Microsoft, Deloitte, McKinsey, etc. from top business schools of the US have increased tremendously in the last couple of years. 

Consulting and technology companies end up hiring the majority of the graduates from top business schools. They are also the ones who provide the most opportunities to international students. In fact, 75% of the graduating class is hired by the industries which sponsor the most H1-B visas to MBAs. The following table shows the percentage of graduates hired by consulting, technology and financial services from top business schools of the United States.

As per the GMAC’s year end employment poll report of 2018, consulting, finance, healthcare, and technology companies plan to hire more international candidates in the coming years. It is also seen that there is an increasing trend towards hiring more international MBA students by these companies. The highest jump comes from the technology industry where 14% more companies plan to hire international MBAs in 2019 followed by financial services companies at 12%.

When it comes to the share of industries in sponsoring H1-B visas to MBA graduates, while the acceptance rate for Indian IT companies is low, the acceptance rate for most companies that hire MBA students is higher than 98%.

A table showing the percentage of international students graduating from top business schools of the US who found employment within 3 months of their graduation is given below:

More than 90% international MBA graduates have been successfully finding employment in the US and the new H-1B visa rules have significantly reinforced this trend. But the reason to pursue an MBA from a US business school doesn’t end here.

One of the key attraction of international MBA aspirants to study in the United States is the abundance of scholarships. According to a report published by GMAC, the percentage of students receiving scholarships increased from a 41% to 61% in a span of 4 years since 2014. A GMAT score of 740 or higher blended with a neat profile gives an excellent chance of securing a scholarship. The Harvard Business School offered a sum of USD 36 million in scholarships to MBA students in 2017 which is approximately USD 40,000 per year or USD 80,000 in total per candidate. The Darden School of Business offered a sum of USD 30 million in 2018 as a scholarship to MBA students to attend additional courses for free. Nearly half of the class studying in Stanford GSB receives some kind of scholarship. There are also schemes like the Stanford Reliance Dhirubhai Fellowship which aims at Indian students who want to pursue an MBA from Stanford GSB.

Taking into account, all the factors given above, barring the impact of Covid-19, 2020-21 may be one of the best years for international students to apply to a business school in the USA.

The H-1B visa lottery process now favors MBAs, Consulting and Technology companies have increased interest in hiring international MBA graduates and business schools are offering more scholarships than ever. It is therefore logical to look forward and start the preparations to study in one of the top business schools in the United States.

The United States of America has some of the most noteworthy and esteemed business schools in the world. The MBA program enjoys a special status when obtained from the crème de la crème of these American colleges.

With all the top MBA recruiters residing in America, the country offers many favourable positions in top businesses for MBA graduates, adding to the plethora of reasons why an MBA in the USA is a lucrative choice.

Also Read – Scholarships Galore For International MBA Students In The US

What makes the USA so popular among MBA seekers?

51 of the best 100 MBA programs, graded by the Financial Times’ Global MBA Rankings, are from the US. Furthermore, there is a valid justification for the particularly uncontested rule of USA over the domain of business education. The MBA degree itself began or, in a sense, originated in the country as a way to give an educational certification to the study of business.

The University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton in the 1800s originally started preparing students with the parts of managing a fruitful business – bookkeeping, finance, legal, promotions, activities, and much more.

Also Read – Kellogg on Top Among One Year MBA Programs in the U.S.

Dartmouth’s Tuck took it further to a postgraduate education while it Harvard bestowed the first-ever MBA. The remainder of the country, and steadily the entire world, started to value this American model of providing its students and the future directors with academic preparation versus allowing them to learn hands-on at work.

The USA is the world’s biggest economy with the highest GDP per capita. Furthermore, that is one of the reasons for the success of the presumed US Business schools – a steady demand for MBA graduates is always on tap in the USA.

For example, 42% of the Financial Times Global 500 rankings, from 2018, were US-based organizations. These corporate giants are also the nation’s absolute biggest businesses, and consequently the biggest recruiters.

Also Read – Stanford Tops Bloomberg Businessweek Best Business Schools 2018 U.S. List

Multicultural Society

American society has always been welcoming immigrants from all over the world, and that is how modern America, as it exists today, was formed. The USA is home to multiple cultures and the lifestyle, work habits, education, arts, music, media, sports, and more emenating from the USA have made a considerable impact on the world. Thanks to this, USA has what is called ‘soft-power’ – a culture that pervades into countries as far as Japan and India.

Also Read – Stanford Tops Bloomberg Businessweek Best B-schools 2019-20 US Ranking

Indeed, most unfamiliar societies grow up exposed to the US media, in a way preparing its kin to the manners of American life in advance. In a way, while students who travel to the US for schooling face different shades of difficulties (Read the experience of moving to the US from India and Cultural issues looked by Indian understudies in the USA), they have an advantage of working in a climate with a general language and a commonality which perhaps may be unfamiliar however surely are not unrelatable.

Also Read – Now’s the Time to Apply for Cornell Johnson 1-year MBA

Quality of Life

One of the significant hurdles while receiving a world-class education and that international students face is the cost of college and living in the country till their education is completed.

However, there are great solutions to manage your education and other expenses, including grants, associations, assistantships, and even schooling credit which reduces the financial burden of achieving an MBA degree.

Also Read – David Tisch Joins Cornell Tech as Head of Startup Studio

Once you beat the odds of the education cost, compensation for MBAs in the USA are very fulfilling, frequently ranging from $100,000 to nearly $200,000.

Here is the typical cost for essential items across the USA that you can expect to post your MBA, contingent upon which city you are in, and you may think that it is helpful to place your post-MBA pay in context:

Also Read – B-Schools Seek AI Advantage in Career Planning

*Overall quality based on safety, pollution, health, purchasing power, commute, climate, income, and living cost. The higher the index, the better is the quality of life.

Also Read – Gatton College To Kickstart 1-Year MBA 2019 Batch Admission In September

For examination, the personal satisfaction list in Bangalore (India) is 118.1, Shanghai (China) is 72.6, London (UK) is 110.3, and Sydney (Australia) is 161.8.  With lucrative and highly paid work, which one generally gets after an MBA, you can hope to live serenely, in the solace and comfort of the American way of life.

USA offers one of the most rewarding salaries around the world post achievement of an MBA degree. Given underneath is a chart contrasting the average yearly compensations offered in different districts of the globe:

Average Salary (USD) by region

• 91% of over 960 recruiters prefer hiring USA’s MBA graduates as per GMAC reports.
• Some Business schools have a payback time of hardly 4 years. Some of these include Michigan State University, Texas A&M University, etc.
• An annual increment of 11% is observed in most sectors in USA on average after appraisal.

Also Read – How An MBA Helped Kenya Hunt Switch Career From Offshore Oil Rig To Cosmetics 

Types of MBA Programs Offered in the USA

USA universities offer a wide range of options to choose from according to your interest and are flexible according to your choice. With these diverse options, students often get overwhelmed while selecting the most suitable program for them. Therefore, the aspects to be kept in mind while selecting the MBA plans are career objectives, the amount of time devoted to the course, admission prerequisites, and the cost of attendance.

The table is given below outlines important information on the type of MBA courses offered by USA universities.

Also Read – MBA Programs Evolve to Meet The Fintech Challenge

Also Read – US remains favourite destination for MBA aspirants

Top MBA Specializations at Business Schools in the USA

Another major determinant that may be important while making the informed choice when selecting the MBA program that you may want to pursue is the specialization you want to opt for.

Also Read – A Techie Twist to 1-Year MBA At Cornell Johnson

According to the QS MBA Specialization Rankings 2019, the accompanying USA colleges got the top ranks for various MBA specializations. Given beneath are the mainstream specialization and different business colleges in USA that rule the roost for different MBA specializations:

Best business schools for Consulting in USA

Columbia University (#2)

Harvard University (#3) 

Best business schools for Finance in USA

UPenn- Wharton (#1)

Harvard (#2)

Columbia (#3)

Best business schools for IT & Information Management in USA 

MIT- Sloan (#1)

Northwestern University (#2)

Stanford (#3)

Also Read – Why Do US Students Go Abroad For MBA?

Best business schools for Marketing in USA

Stanford University (#1)

Northwestern- Kellogg (#2)

UCLA- Anderson (#3)

Also Read – MBA Programs Evolve to Meet The Fintech Challenge

Best business schools for Operations Management in USA

MIT- Sloan (#1)

Erasmus- RSM (#3)

Best business schools for Technology Management in USA 

MIT- Sloan (#1)

UC Berkeley- Haas

Stanford University (#3)

Best business schools for Entrepreneurship in USA 

Stanford University (#1)

Also Read – Is the 1-Year MBA on the Growth Path in the U.S.?

Also Read – Master’s Degree In USA: Everything You Need To Know

ALSO READ

There is no denying in the fact that online MBA is gaining prominence on a global platform. Most of the prominent universities worldwide are offering online MBA programs. Online MBA is no longer taboo because recruiters are given preference to students who have obtained their MBA online.

A QS applicant research done in 2020 showed that more than 24% of applicants wanted to do an online MBA.

Likewise, a 2018 report by a Graduate Management Admission highlighted that 36% of online MBA programs had increased in admission to that of 24% for a full-time 2-year course.

According to the US Bureau of Statistics report, an MBA degree done regularly or online immensely increasing your chances of applying for more jobs. By 2022, jobs related to MBA stand to increase by 15%.

Is MBA And Other Management Programs Becoming More Technology Oriented?

This is a good sign for students or working professionals who are keen on enrolling in an online MBA program. In America, an MBA degree ranks the highest, with 25% of graduates registering for their masters.

Besides, completing an MBA degree gives you a head start in your career with hikes and promotion. Technology also has its fair share of play in enabling MBA aspirants to take up the degree through online mode.

Also Read – Is The Full-Time MBA Losing Out To Shorter, Flexible Programs? 

More than a decade ago, materials in the form of textbooks, copies, and CDs had to be sent from the university to the student’s home or office. It was cumbersome and challenging for those from rural or economically poor backgrounds.

With laptops, PCs, and smartphones, and the internet, online MBA programs have become more effective. Both the teachers and students are benefiting immensely through proper communication and instant contact.

The online MBA programs are suitable for students from the Middle East, Latin America, and Africa as well. Though America and Europe have prestigious universities for MBA, more than 18-21% of respondents prefer the online mode of education.

Like any system, there are pros and cons. Let us read them carefully.

Benefits of online MBA

Cost saving

Online MBA courses are relatively cheaper than doing them from a regular college. Enrolling into a college or university for an MBA program can be an expensive affair. You would be stunned to know that the IE Business School and Imperial College Business School offer online MBA programs at lower prices than regular colleges.

Both the schools are ranked high by QS, and their programs come close to $58,000 and $46,000 at IE. It is the same at Imperial, where the programs cost $82,000 and $66,000. The traditional course is also offered here for 1-year.

Few online MBA programs can be expensive, but that does not mean you cannot find affordable programs. Joining an online program means that you can still continue your employment as well as do your study.

You do not have to obtain a study loan as your online program is reasonably priced. You do not have to relocate, travel, or waste your resources like traditional courses require you to do. Besides, you do not need books, materials, and so on like a regular student.

Also Read – 7 Books Business Professors Think You Should Read

Interaction

However, some have pointed out that online programs restrict students from normal communication with professors, teachers, and classmates. It may be true to a certain extent, but remember, you are a full-time working professional.

You will need to give your complete attention during the weekdays to your work and office matters. Hence, joining an online program won’t deprive you of any communication with your professors.

Many universities and colleges conduct events regularly so that you can meet your professors, classmates and get a feel of the campus life. Online MBA programs also enable you to meet international students, and you can discuss any topic under the sun.

Chat groups, forums, and online communities are also there, where you can communicate and meet up with students, professors, mentors, and business leaders as well. An online program encourages students actually to understand what they are learning with open book exams.

Flexibility

The flexibility of enrolling in an online MBA program is astounding. It usually takes you around 14-18 months to complete, thanks to flexible sessions that do not affect your work timings.

Usually, the classes are held from 6-9 pm. They are also held during the weekends, and you can have an interactive discussion with your professors and classmates as well. Besides, live sessions are conducted, the students are informed before that.

If you cannot attend the live sessions, then you can learn through recorded sessions, email, and message boards. Additionally, you can also enroll in several programs during your online program.

You can study whenever you want at any time of the day or night. You require a working laptop or PC and a fast internet connection.

Quality

You do not have to worry about your online MBA program’s teaching quality because your professors are highly educated and have relevant experience. Most professors work like you in colleges or universities.

You Don’t Have to Relocate

Relocating, traveling, and food issues are commonly faced by regular students who have to come down to college or university. That is not the case when doing your online MBA. You can join an online MBA program based in another continent without having to take a step outside.

Reputation

As we have said, you can join an online MBA program from a reputed university. Due to the pandemic, online programs have become a craze among students. It is a win-win situation for both the professors and the students as well.

The online MBA program can give you a shot in the arm for prospective promotions and help you reach your career goals. It is a boon for those of you who are working because recruiters will understand that you are a hard-working and career-oriented individual.

You also learn about the latest in communication technology during your online classes. This immensely enhances your communication skills at your new workplace. Any MBA job role requires you to have sublime communication abilities.

A top executive of Fiat has been quoted as saying:

“People who do online programs have a wealth of experience, work full-time, and manage the demands of their position with the MBA. They display qualities that are important in people we hire—a strong work ethic and project management and critical-thinking skills.”

In a student satisfaction survey, participants were satisfied and marked 9.22 on their online programs. Some of the top programs scored better at 9.7 and 10.

Admission requirements

As a working professional, you stand to benefit immensely from joining an online MBA program. Many organizations are sponsoring candidates to enter and study in online MBA programs because it benefits their business line.

As an employee, you may need to prove to yourself that you will contribute to them based on your learning experience. Most universities do not require candidates with work experience to attend entrance exams like GMAT and GRE.

Disadvantages of Online MBA

Absence of the campus experience

Sadly, there are a few negatives of joining an online MBA program. We will read about them briefly. However, you can overcome then if you are dedicated, focused, and a career-oriented person.

• You tend to miss out on the actual campus feeling when studying your program. Though events and occasional programs are held on campus, students attending from another country or continent cannot be expected to participate in it.
• Unlike in online programs, a regular student can have a lasting relationship with his/her classmates and professors. This badly misses out in the online program.
• The online program students will not be able to participate in job fairs, placements, and recruitments. Top schools have reputed companies come down at the end of the year. The alumni network is also excellent that can help students land lucrative job offers.
• An online MBA program does not come with programs that are offered in regular classes. It can hamper the growth of online students.

Most of the online students are employed and are working professionals. Some of them might even be in their 30s or 40s. Their main aim to enroll in the online program is to benefit from a career perspective and may not feel the pinch of the drawbacks mentioned above.

Need for greater discipline

As an online MBA student, you may find yourself putting in more discipline in your studies. That is because a regular student can fully concentrate on his/her studies and projects. An online students will have to fulfill their work commitments, office meetings, attend conferences, and take care of personal things.

These can affect your studies more often than not. A report published by Columbia University finds that regular students will complete their programs within the stipulated time period when compared to online students.

Besides, you are going to study alone. At times, you may find the going tough with that last-minute preparation. Few students who need more attention in their studies are compelled to join a full-time program.

Experience criterion

Many top universities may hesitate to provide enrollment if your work experience does not meet their admission criteria. You may need to have worked as a manager or have 3-5 years minimum work experience for applying to an online MBA program.

So, if you are a recent graduate or an MBA aspirant with little or no work experience, then you might as well enroll in a regular course. You can convert this weakness into a strength by working for a few years and then registering for an online program.

Recruiter apathy

Few recruiters are particular about their employees having completed the MBA full-time. Hence, you will want to see that you enroll your online MBA program from a college accredited by the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB).

It is heartening to note that recruiters these days are giving importance to online programs. Besides, you want to ensure that the business school you have studied is not a fake or scam. Hence, proper research is required from the student before he/she joins the program.

Technology cost

The cost of ensuring that your laptop, PC, or internet connection works at all times is up to you. The costs may not be too much to burn a hole in your pocket. Unless you are from an underdeveloped country or your region has poor connectivity issues, then you may face problems when studying.

This cannot be termed as a significant issue because it is how you see it. There is always a solution if you look around. For example, you may have a cybercafé in your locality or computer center in the next town, where you can study online.

Go for it or not?

This is entirely going to be your call. When you have made up your mind to join an online MBA program because of better career prospects, then you must go for it. However, you might want to do your research and homework properly before enrolling in a college or university.

There are tons of MBA programs out there for you to choose from. That is why you may want to choose a program that suits your learning style, which will help you climb your career and meet your job prospects.

Rankings

Best Online MBA Programs in The World

Here is a list of the Top 10 Online MBA Programs in the World. They have been ranked by Financial Times, London. Though most of the programs are based in the USA, some are also found in European countries.

Financial Times Online MBA Ranking 2020

Read More About Online MBA Rankings

Jobs & Salaries 

The scope for online MBA graduates stands to gain through promotions and increments after they have the MBA education under their belt. Close to 63% of online MBA degrees have experienced some form of an increase in their salaries and promotion job-wise.

Graduates from the Imperial College Business School in London are the highest achievers in this category. They reportedly received an increment change of $58,360, which is 57% higher than the $102,466 they reported when entering the online MBA program.

After completing an online MBA in the first year, they earn an average of $160,826. Likewise, students from the Tepper School of Business at Carnegie Mellon University were reported to have increased in change, of $57,728 to $149,773, an increase of 63%.

Besides new job roles and increments, completing an online MBA degree comes with added responsibility in the work area. Moreover, graduates experience an improvement in personal confidence and become members of an alumni network.

Top 10 Online MBA Programs For Salary Increases

Below are few business schools that reported online MBA student graduates receiving the highest salary increase during the 2019-2020 year.

Read More About Online MBA Salaries

ROI of Online MBA

Multiple factors reflect upon the Rate of Interest in pursuing an MBA course. The knowledge acquired by content students, salary offered after graduation, and the number of responsibilities and roles students takes after completion of their course.

Here is a list of some of the schools which top the list of 2020 Financial Times Global Online MBA Ranking. As per the ranking, Warwick Business School in the United Kingdom tops the parameters of highest ROI.

Read More About ROI of Online MBA

Cost

Cost of an Online MBA

Read More About Cost of Online MBA

Affordable Online MBA Courses

Admissions

Average GRE, GMAT & GPAs for Top Online MBA Programs of 2021

It is a known fact that the Graduate Management Admission Test is one of the most vital tests for getting admission into a reputed business school. Due to the pandemic, several MBA programs can be taken in different ways and are most likely to continue offering them.

Like full-time MBA programs, students must write the GMAT, the Graduate Record Exam, and other entrance exams. The online courses, too, expect students to do the same; however, it is secondary to other admissions factors.

The accepted GMAT scores from 42 business schools were taken this year. The average among them was 649.4. Likewise, the business schools that received more than 10% submissions from students saw an average GMAT score of 589.6.

Average GMAT Scores for Top Global Online MBA Ranking programs

Read More About Online MBA Admissions