Will the B-school Application Process of the Future Incorporate Machine Learning?

In 2019, the Graduate Management Admission Council (GMAC) acquired the global b-school event The MBA Tour, which will be held as a digital event this year from the first week of September.

GMAC recently announced that throughout all the 2020 dates, prospective students will have access to a machine learning mechanism, designed to help them find the right school for their study needs.

The decision to hold The MBA Tour digitally was announced in view of the coronavirus pandemic, as in-person events won’t be taking place anywhere for the foreseeable future.

But how does it work? The matchmaking tool will combine a matching algorithm with GMAC data that has been acquired over decades of candidate engagement research to better facilitate interactions between candidates and the schools that will participate in the events.

The algorithm will take into account the schools’ candidate preferences, candidates’ school preferences, as well as data on student behavior, demography and psychological profile.

Petia Whitmore, Managing Director of The MBA Tour, said: “Integrating The MBA Tour model with GMAC’s data science platform enables us to develop smarter, more innovative ways to help business schools grow their candidate pipeline while also providing programs with more intuitive, data-driven solutions to meet their recruiting needs.

“That mission doesn’t stop in a COVID-19 environment as the need to build a robust and diverse pipeline remains a critical issue facing business schools around the world, while candidates still have a need to connect and learn about the schools they’re considering; GMAC recognizes the critical role we play in that process.”

GMAC’s matchmaking tool can make the process of finding the right school online much easier. First, it helps prospective students find new schools to apply to. Second, it encourages talent from across the globe to take a closer look at institutions that they might not have considered before, as online learning allows them to study from anywhere, eliminating the challenges associated with geography. Third, it can facilitate the narrowing-down process, as it can be difficult for candidates to select their preferred schools on their own.

As an increasing number of events move online and institutions worldwide invest in remote learning, it’s highly possible that the b-school world will see the digitalization of the application process.

Aside from giving candidates considerable advantages, this could also represent a win for lesser-known business schools who don’t receive as many applications as top-ranked institutions by putting them on the radar for thousands of prospective students.

Moreover, matchmaking figures could provide them with invaluable data on the types of candidates they appeal to, facilitating the marketing process for their different programs.

Do candidates stand out during online events?

Digital events like The MBA Tour are a great opportunity for prospective MBA students to learn more about different b-schools, make valuable contacts, build relationships, and shine within the candidate pool.

While it might seem more difficult to impress recruiters through a screen, you can still successfully engage with school admissions representatives through a virtual meeting.

To find out how to shine during a virtual meeting, TopMBA  has compiled a comprehensive guide on how to do so here.