What They’re Saying: Top Admissions Consultants On MBA Applicants’ Reaction To Trump

The National Science Foundation reports that after Donald Trump’s first-term travel ban in 2017, the number of international applicants to U.S. colleges fell by 2.2% for undergraduates and 5.5% for graduate students, according to Inside Higher Ed. After a rebound crushed by the pandemic, “international enrollment had recently begun to recover,” reports Liam Knox, “surging in 2023 and continuing to inch closer to pre-pandemic levels this fall.”

Will international numbers crater once again as Trump ratchets up the rhetoric against higher education? And how will business schools — historically cushioned from the worst impacts of economic and political peril by virtue of their financial independence — be affected? Poets&Quants this week asked some of the top MBA admissions consultants for their views on the current political chaos and how they anticipate it will impact B-school application volume and enrollment in the near- and long-term.

LINDA ABRAHAM, FOUNDER OF ACCEPTED: A RECESSION WILL BOOST B-SCHOOL APPLICATIONS, EVEN WITH TRUMP IN OFFICE

We are seeing less interest in U.S. programs among international applicants. However, it’s hard to say if that’s because of the new administration or because of what has been until recently a strong economy. In my 30 years in MBA admissions consulting, application volume usually has declined during an economic expansion and increased during a recession. We were not in a recession this past cycle and unemployment has been low. Talk of a coming recession and Trump administration policies could increase domestic application volume in the upcoming cycle while simultaneously decreasing interest from abroad.

These trends have two implications: First, competition at top U.S. MBA programs could increase next cycle for U.S. applicants while it decreases for international applicants. Top non-U.S. MBA programs could see an increase in application volume from around the world.

And second, next year could be an excellent time for international applicants to apply to U.S. MBA programs. However, given the Trump administration policies, it may be more important than ever to apply early in the cycle, no later than R2 and preferably R1 so that visa issues and restrictions or even lack of personnel to process visas are not a problem.

For international applicants admitted this cycle: Get your visa applications in ASAP!

P&Q: Have you noticed a decline in the number of applicants seeking MBA admissions consulting services since Trump took office? If so, do you attribute that decline to any one specific action or a cumulative effect?

It’s somewhat early to say. It’s hard to believe, but he’s only been in office two months, and this is traditionally a slower season for us. R1 and R2 of next year will be a better test of his impact on MBA programs. Another test will be how many international applicants decline offers of admissions from U.S. programs. Again, the causes of a potential decline could be many:

• Trump policies.
• Increasing unemployment or a recession.
• More and better graduate management options in the form of other masters degrees, part-time and online options,.and certificate programs.
• Reports of reduced employment opportunities for MBA grads.

If the economy slides into recession for whatever reason, I still anticipate an application volume increase. Given Trump’s disdain for higher ed, there may also be less scholarship money available.

P&Q: Has your approach to advising MBA applicants changed because of shifts in U.S. policy under Trump? Are you encouraging more clients to consider non-U.S. programs?

It depends somewhat where they come from and where they want to go professionally. If clients come from countries that were not affected by the previous travel ban, I would encourage them to apply to U.S. programs, assuming those programs were otherwise appropriate. Those international applicants may actually have an advantage that they would not have without all the concerns raised by the Trump policies, which no doubt are discouraging many from applying to U.S. programs. Their international experience and perspective will be more valued and intrinsically more distinctive than if competition among international applicants is higher.

P&Q: Are business schools themselves changing their application processes or criteria in response to shifts in applicant behavior? Have you had to adjust your consulting strategies accordingly?

In terms of DEI initiatives, if clients work or volunteer in that area, I have advised them to focus on impact, leadership, and results more than the DEI. Somewhat similar to advice I give to people working in an area that may be less common or traditional in the MBA applicant landscape.

It will be very interesting to see if the essay questions, some of which were directed to DEI and inclusivity, change. I anticipate that schools will avoid those topics in their essay questions.

P&Q: In short, after two months, what do you see being the impact so far of Trump on B-schools and those interested in applying to them?

As indicated above, it’s hard to assess his impact on MBA admissions at this point. The first test will come if many international applicants accepted this cycle change their mind about coming next year. The next test will be changes to applications and essay questions — will schools change in response to Trump’s policies? Then we’ll see how applicants react by applying or not. Finally, it will be very interesting to see if schools try to conserve resources by being somewhat stingier with scholarships.

PETIA WHITMORE, FOUNDER OF MY MBA PATH: NO APPLICANT COLLAPSE, BUT … 

It’s been an interesting cycle. I’ve seen a lot more anxiety in the online forums than in my own candidates or pipeline. When it comes to my consulting practice, I’ve seen demand increase, not decline.

Obviously, we all know that historically, whenever recession fears creep in, interest in graduate management education tends to spike. And while I’m always wondering if that cycle will one day reverse itself, so far that pattern seems to be holding steady.

Most of my clients are U.S.-based, and if anything, they’re more determined than ever. They are ambitious, they are aiming high, and they recognize that differentiation matters more than ever.

Internationally, I’ve also seen steady interest. Despite visa concerns, shifting policies, or the general noise in the media, serious candidates remain undeterred. In fact, more and more international applicants have gravitated toward my group coaching program, MBA ABC. I suspect part of the appeal is that it offers access to a top MBA consultant and former AdCom at a price point that is accessible. It levels the playing field — especially if you’re applying from halfway across the globe without the benefit of a U.S.-based network. Plus, they get to learn alongside a cohort of equally ambitious candidates, which adds some much-needed camaraderie to the process.

Now, are applicants more attuned to the broader policy environment? Of course. There’s awareness, especially around visa issues and the DEI rhetoric shifts. But rather than panic, what I hear most often in consultations is a desire to be prepared. They’re asking smart questions about career flexibility, about building a path that’s resilient to external forces. MBA hopefuls in 2025 are pragmatic — but not pessimistic.

Have I adjusted my approach in light of U.S. policies under the Trump administration? Not dramatically. I still work with candidates to make sure they’re presenting airtight applications, wherever they’re applying. But I do encourage them to be even more open-minded about the career opportunities they might consider, especially in light of how we should expect AI will change hiring needs. It’s less about steering them away from U.S. schools and more about making sure they’re playing the long game.

In short: No exodus, no applicant collapse. Just a crop of smart, driven professionals who realize now’s the time to double down — not retreat!

STACY BLACKMAN, FOUNDER OF STACY BLACKMAN CONSULTING: AMBITIOUS CLIENTS WON’T BE DERAILED BY TRUMP

Applicants for top U.S. programs are focused on their career potential, inclusive of job recruiting, networking and refining key skills deemed necessary for the next frontier of business. MBA applicants know that this is done optimally through an elite business school education and network. The climate under Trump’s leadership is widely known to affect every institution, domestically and abroad; universities are just one of many that Trump’s decisions will impact. Higher education is not disproportionally affected relative to the other institutions under Trump’s watch.

Demand for business education is always countercyclical to recession, yes. With the applicant volume surge last season, we are predicting similar or increased volumes this coming season. Trump’s disposition about higher education is not something that erodes an applicant’s desire to advance their career potential.

However, those who rely on the potential for significant scholarship through diversity, equity and inclusion programs may not have confidence in this current climate that that level of support will continue. This specific niche may feel deterred because they had greater flexibility around MBA admissions components in past years, including flexibility around test scores, greater scholarship awards, and other support such as discounted application fees, depending on the organization and advocacy group. I believe we will see fewer applicants incrementally from this diversity niche applying, as they may doubt that the graduate experience will be a supportive place for their next journey.

It is too soon to assess demand using our client volume as a proxy, but our client volumes have been steady for this time of year relative to last year, so far. We have seen an uptick in college seniors applying for the spring deadlines compared to last year, and the general tone among a portion of these college seniors is more of a “shoot your shot” mindset, where these applicants are eager to try for an early admission regardless of admit odds.

We have had a decreased international client base ever since Trump’s first political administration due to Visa barriers, of course, but the main driver here is not the visa process but rather economic realities, such as exchange rates/ cost of borrowing and the precarious economies in international countries. The struggling Asian and European economies have not helped with demand for those international MBA programs or for applicants being able to afford to leave those countries for U.S. programs. Because of the challenges in international countries, which may arguably overshadow the circumstances in the U.S. with the Trump presidency, we have not seen any uptick in the desire for U.S. applicants studying abroad.

It is costly to move abroad. Those in the U.S. media headlines who are stating intention to move abroad usually are the ones who are quite affluent and have the financial ease of making that investment. It’s easier said than done.

The effect of Trump’s decisions will be two-fold. Firstly, applicants of a diverse background may be more reluctant to apply because of the overall unsupportive climate under Trump. Secondly, MBA admissions will need to rethink how they screen applicants so that they are not exposed to regulatory, financial or legal risk that the Trump administration will pounce on. It will be interesting to see what the minority advocacy groups (Consortium, MLT, SEO, etc.) do to try to navigate this new normal and whether universities double down on their reliance on advocacy groups to gain access to diversity applicants. These behind-the-scenes relationships and partnerships may get reevaluated by MBA programs because of Trump’s relentless probes.

We have seen a change in the format of online applications for business programs in recent years since the affirmative action Supreme Court decision; the program applications no longer mention race, and those application questions are now focused on gender. Those application formats will continue to be refined by programs, as gender is also now under scrutiny by Trump.

Still, our client base has always been incredibly ambitious and focused on the networks and education caliber that the elite brand programs, specifically the top seven in the U.S., would enable for their own career advancement. Our clients are not the type to have one U.S. president derail their professional aspirations.

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