One Year Later: MBA Program Gender Parity at USC Marshall
Last fall, USC Marshall became the first top-tier MBA program to reach gender parity with the full-time MBA Class of 2020 having as many women as men. It was a massive 20-point percentage increase from the previous year when women made up just 32 percent of the class.
Now that almost a year has gone by, we wanted to reach back out to USC Marshall to see how reaching gender parity has affected this year’s class, the new recruiting season, the business marketplace, and more.
To gain insight into what’s happening at the school, we spoke with Evan Bouffides, assistant dean and director of MBA admissions, as well as Mark J. Brostoff, the assistant dean and director of graduate career services. They both offered unique perspectives on the impact of USC gender parity at the Marshall School of Business.
USC Marshall Class of 2021 Recruiting
While the Class of 2021 recruiting season is still ongoing, it’s not possible to gain a full picture of how achieving gender parity has affected the upcoming class, though Bouffides has witnessed a few changes.
Evan Bouffides, Assistant Dean and Director MBA Admissions, USC Marshall
“This year, industry-wide, many U.S. business schools were down in application volume, but USC Marshall received about the same number of applications as last year,” says Bouffides. At the same time, the “quality has gone way up.” As they’ve been reviewing applications for the Class of 2021, Bouffides believes the candidates have been stronger—both men and women.
Now, while that improvement cannot solely be laid at the feet of gender parity, it’s certainly a factor. Gender parity has made candidates more enthusiastic. Other factors include the continued improvement of USC Marshall’s rankings as well as the overall trajectory of the MBA program.
One thing that hasn’t changed is how Marshall is recruiting MBAs—with one exception.
After achieving gender parity last year and admitting the largest number of underrepresented minorities ever, USC Marshall has set their sights on international diversity, and particularly, international female diversity. “This is where we’re lagging behind,” explains Bouffides. “So, we concentrated our 2021 recruiting efforts on traveling to certain parts of the world including Africa, South East Asia, and Latin America where we haven’t gone before or often.”
Beyond that, Marshall held the same recruiting events as last year, including the third annual International Women’s Day Celebration Event in February. The event was extraordinarily well attended with even more enthusiasm this year over last.
Inside the First 50/50 Class
As for what’s happening with the class who achieved gender parity, you wouldn’t notice much difference from any previous class except that there are more women.
“If you break down the Class of 2020 into geography, academic area, or prospective career, there really isn’t a marked difference between students,” says Bouffides. “There’s definitely a story to be told being a class of 50/50 men and women, but we don’t know what that story is yet.”
What Marshall does know is that there has definitely been a positive vibe when it comes to having a gender equal MBA class. People appear to be generally happy with the achievement, and diversity and inclusion have been bigger than ever.
One noticeable change is the increase in women in leadership in the 40 MBA clubs and organizations. Women have always tended to take on more of those leadership roles, but now it’s even more recognizable.
Women in the Business Marketplace
As for the business marketplace, “obviously, there’s excitement about the fact there’s gender parity,” says Brostoff. And while it hasn’t opened up any floodgates in regards to internship recruiting or getting on the radar of new companies, there has been quite a bit of positive reaction. This is especially good news considering the Forté Foundation’s latest research, which revealed that gender inequality impacts almost half of all MBAs in the workplace.
Mark Brostoff, Assistant Dean and Director, USC Marshall Graduate Career Services
“We’ve had quite a few companies decide to start recruiting at USC Marshall when they might have been a little more hesitant in the past,” Brostoff explains. And while he wouldn’t lay all that success on the back of gender parity, it’s played a role, especially for tech companies.
Tech companies have been under the microscope recently for their obvious lack of gender equity, particularly in light of the #MeToo movement. And though those companies aren’t setting specific targets or quotas for the number of female employees they need, the fact that USC Marshall has so many female MBAs coming up is quite attractive. “Companies appreciate the opportunity to increase their gender inclusion initiatives,” says Brostoff.
As for what the career center is doing to continue this positive gender parity trajectory for the school, they’ve been looking to create more and more opportunities for women in business. For example, they recently hosted a new case competition on women in business, and they’ve been able to engage more female alumni and female executives to come to campus.
We’ll continue to keep an eye on gender parity at USC Marshall and keep you updated as we learn more.
This article has been edited and republished with permissions from its original source, Clear Admit.
The College Admissions Scandal—Could it Happen with MBA Programs?
Earlier this month, dozens of people—including celebrities Lori Laughlin, William H. Macy, Felicity Huffman, and Mossimo Giannulli—were caught greasing the wheels in a major college admissions scandal. Parents funneled a combined total of $25 million through a college admissions consultant, William “Rick” Singer, to athletic coaches and test proctors, all with the aim of gaining admission for their children to an elite undergrad program. Undergraduate programs entangled in the scandal included Stanford University, the University of Southern California, Wake Forest University, Georgetown University, Yale University and others.
Singer organized the bribery through his admissions consulting operation and a phony non-profit called Key Worldwide Foundation. In exchange for payment, the exam proctors would give students more time for the SATs and ACTs, provide answers and even allow substitute test takers. Meanwhile, athletic coaches would push candidates as recruits at their institution, whether or not they even had athletic experience.
Full House actress Lori Laughlin (left) was one of the major names caught in “Operation Varsity Blues,” paying an alleged $500,000 bribery to get her daughters Olivia Jade (center) and Isabella Rose (right) gain admission to USC / Photo via Gabriel Olsen/Getty Images
“Operation Varsity Blues,” as the FBI has nicknamed the investigation, exposed weaknesses in the college admissions process and demonstrated the shocking lengths that some parents will go to in securing a brand name education for their children.
We’ve seen the pressure and the hope of gaining admission to a top business school—so what’s to prevent fellow MBA applicants from gaming the system? Clear Admit believes there are several key differences in the MBA application space that make the “Operation Varsity Blues” type of scandal less likely.
- GMAC Runs a Tight Ship
The Graduate Management Admissions Council (GMAC) owns the GMAT exam, a test required by a majority of leading business schools for admission. The test is only offered via computer, making it harder to bribe a proctor for extra exam time. It also features strict identity security—including palm scanning—that thwarts any attempt of substitution of the test taker. Fraudulent attempts to increase GMAT scores have happened in the past, but GMAC has been swift in taking appropriate measures to avoid future threats to the integrity of the test. For instance, GMAC explicitly chose Pearson as the designated administer of the exam in 2006 due to the firm’s track record in testing security and anti-fraud measures. - Without Sports, There are No Coaches to Bribe
There are no formal athletic programs in graduate business programs. Unlike for the undergraduate scandal, the space for which one would pay simply does not exist. - Integrity Matters, and AIGAC Helps
The Association of International Graduate Admissions Consultants (AIGAC) released a statement upon news of the undergraduate admissions scandal: “AIGAC was established with the express purpose of setting high ethical standards in the graduate admissions consulting industry…AIGAC exists to provide support and professional development for those helping young people self-reflect through the admissions process and attain the right education in the right way.” Scott Shrum, former President and COO of Veritas Prep and current Secretary of AIGAC, added, “One of the most important things AIGAC does is keep the lines of communication open between the admissions consulting industry and administrators at schools. The more the admissions process seems murky to applicants, the more room that shady operators have to operate in the twilight and promise things that they really shouldn’t be promising. The more transparent the process is, the less room there is for that sort of behavior, and AIGAC has helped schools find allies in the industry who also want more transparency. A good admissions coach helps an applicant see the process more clearly and approach it with more confidence, and I credit AIGAC and the schools for helping to make that situation better over the past decade.” - Admissions Consultants Offer Advice On How to Put Your Best Foot Forward, Not Tips to Cheat the System
Shrum also notes, “The journalists who conflate legitimate coaching with this scandal are either deliberately doing it or are missing the point. That’s like saying that hiring a tennis coach and giving your kid steroids are both ways to help your child do better in a tournament, so they must not be very different. While this scandal has rightly shed more light on the college admissions game, Rick Singer and his cronies weren’t admissions counselors. They were crooks.” - Applicants are in the Driver’s Seat
Clear Admit co-founder, Graham Richmond, shared the following observation, “Helicopter parents are much more likely to be present in undergraduate admissions. By the time young people turn their attention to the MBA, they are usually the ones driving the process (and NOT their parents) and therefore, there is far less likelihood of fraud.” - Sooner or Later, the Truth Will Come Out
Shrum also offered this perspective, “I think it would be naive to think [such a scandal] can’t happen in MBA admissions. In the test prep space, the Scoretop scandal from 2008 showed the lengths that people will go to in an effort to boost their GMAT scores. On the admissions side, it’s inevitable that an applicant from a well-connected family, or whose boss is a huge donor to a school, has a leg up in the process. As long as universities value fundraising, I think this will always be the case. With all that said, however, it’s important to keep in mind that business school classes tend to be much smaller than undergraduate colleges, so it’s much tougher to ‘hide’ a mediocre applicant in a class. But it surely happens.”
While the system itself clearly has several safeguards against fraud, Shrum left us with a dose of reality:
“Unethical clients and unscrupulous admissions consultants find each other. It’s rare that an innocent family gets steered into bribery by an unethical consultant, or vice versa. They know what they’re up to, and what/whom to look for. I can’t count the number of times an applicant or parent has asked me, ‘So you’ll write the essays for us, right?’ and when I explain that’s not how it works, they move on. In some cases, I’m sure they find an admissions consultant who will do just that for them. Both parties know that what they’re doing is wrong, but they seem to have no problem doing it.”
The view at Clear Admit is that what happened in the “Operation Varsity Blues” case is clearly repugnant and unethical. It is also sad and a little puzzling.
Richmond offered the following thoughts: “On some level, this shouldn’t be shocking; it’s certainly not the first time we’ve seen people have ethical lapses when they can line their own pockets with money. But what sticks with me is the role that the parents played. These parents—who are presumably well educated and could have theoretically provided a great environment for their children to become smart young people and get into great schools on their own merit—felt the need to cheat. I wonder if they were perhaps too busy with their careers and not bothering to parent (resulting in kids who weren’t motivated enough) … or if they were somehow led to believe that this is how the college admissions game is played. Or perhaps it was just a case of them desperately wanting to be able to brag about the success of their children at cocktail parties? In all cases, it’s just profoundly sad.”
This article on the recent college admissions scandal has been edited and republished with permissions from its original source, Clear Admit.
The Top Healthcare MBA Programs in California
The California healthcare industry is booming. The industry employs more than 1.4 million people across ambulatory settings, hospitals, and residential care facilities. And as the population continues to age, there’s no doubt that the healthcare industry will continue to expand.
So, it should come as no surprise that an MBA in healthcare is becoming a more popular track for future business leaders. With the industry estimated to be worth $2.26 trillion, there are many opportunities across the board. The key is to choose the right healthcare MBA.
Here are our top six California Healthcare MBA programs:
Inside the 2019 ‘U.S. News’ Best Online MBA Program Ranking
Where is the best online MBA program in the country? Who tops the charts when it comes to student engagement, student excellence, academic faculty, and more? The U.S. News & World Report just released its 2019 ranking for the “Best Online MBA Programs” in the US. The Online MBA programs at Indiana University’s Kelley School of Business and UNC Chapel Hill’s Kenan-Flagler Business School each came in tied at first place. Continue reading…
What Do You Do If You Can’t Afford an MBA?
An MBA is expensive. There’s no doubt about it. So, how do you afford one?
According to U.S. News & World Report, the average cost of an two year, full-time MBA from one of the top business schools in the U.S. is over $130,000. That number doesn’t include the cost of boarding and books ($40,000), peripheral expenditures ($20,000), and the cost of lost income ($120,000). Altogether, your total opportunity cost could come to around $300,000 for a two-year MBA.
If that number sounds astronomical, you’re not alone. While earning an MBA can advance your career path and greatly enhance your future earnings, few people feel blasé about the upfront cost. However, with a little bit of research, insight, and know-how, paying for your MBA doesn’t have to be out of your reach.
If you’re a prospective MBA student worried that you can’t afford an MBA, here are a few ideas to help you pay.
The Big Picture: The 5 Most Important MBA Numbers of 2018
Each year there’s a ton of new information that comes out about MBA programs. From new rankings to the latest GMAC news, there are a thousand little tidbits that can overwhelm applicants, students, and alumni. We’ve collected the most important MBA numbers of 2018.
To pare down the news into the information you need to know, we’ve taken a look at the big picture of the MBA for 2018 and outlined the five most important pieces of data you need to know. We’re talking about everything from the decline and U.S. MBA applications to the increase in female enrollment, the higher salaries and GMAT scores, as well as the increase in interest in technology. Continue reading…
