Top Ten Most Viewed Business School Stories Of 2015

2015 has been a tough and strange year. The rise of ISIS. The odd beginnings of a new Presidential campaign. The birth of the Black Lives Matter movement. The opening up of Cuba, and the arrival of the Apple Watch.

When it comes to the world of business schools, the news wasn’t nearly as dramatic or tragic, thankfully. MBA pay and placement reached unprecedented levels. More women than ever enrolled at the most highly selective business schools. Technology spread even more rapidly with an explosion of online degree programs, MOOCs and flipped classes. GMAT scores at top schools climbed still higher.

And then there was the scandal of the year at Stanford Graduate School of Business where the dean took as his lover a professor who just happened to be married to another GSB prof. It didn’t help that current and former staffers at the school had earlier led an unsuccessful revolt against the dean’s reappointment.

Some of those themes clearly played a central role in the most popular stories run by Poets&Quants this year. Based solely on our reader’s views, here is the top ten list of stories produced by P&Q (excluding rankings).

10. Best & Worst MBA Job Placement At Top Schools

When it comes to getting an MBA, this is the true bottom line. Given the major investment in time and money required to get a top-ranked degree, candidates want assurance that there’s an ideal job waiting for them at the end of their two-year experience. So the schools with the career management staffs that deliver the goods have a big advantage over those who don’t. Who does the best job in placing their students and the worst among the best schools is always a sure bet to get a vigorous debate going.

9. What Bain & Co. Seeks In An MBA Hire

For decades, Bain & Co. has been among a handful of the most prestigious consumers of MBA talent. After a year in which Bain hired more consultants than ever in the 40+ year history of the firm, our revealing interview with the firm’s top talent scout turned into a big winner. Global recruiting partner Keith Bevans dished the goods on the qualities that Bain screens for, how the skills of employees need to change in the future, and ways to enhance an MBA’s odds of getting a six-figure offer from the firm.