P&Q’s Must Reads: The MBB Aren’t Hiring Fewer MBAs – They’re Hiring Different Ones

Hello everyone  — Welcome back to Poets&Quants’ Must Reads, a quick, digestible recap of the top business school news, sponsored by CentreCourt, P&Q’s virtual admission events. 

I’m your host, Kristy Bleizeffer, and I’ll be highlighting the most important P&Q stories you might have missed. So, let’s get to it.  

No. 1: The MBB Aren’t Hiring Fewer MBAs – They’re Hiring Different Ones 

Each year, thousands of students graduate the world’s leading business schools and head into consulting jobs. The Big Three absorb a substantial portion of this talent, particularly out of the MBA. If you believe recent headlines, there’s been a cooldown in hiring by these top consultancies. If true, the knock-on effects could be significant, from shaping student loan decisions to internship strategies to curricula. 

So are the Big Three in fact hiring fewer graduates? Has the ideal candidate profile changed? How are AI and geopolitical headwinds shaping the recruiting process and hiring timelines? 

We talk to reps from the top firms for this report, which you can find on our homepage. 

No. 2: Johns Hopkins Layoffs Reach Carey Business School As Federal Cuts Deepen 

Johns Hopkins University is laying off about 110 employees across multiple schools and offices, and its Carey Business School is among the units affected, as the institution absorbs one of the steepest declines in federal research funding in its history. 

The cuts, first reported June 25 by The Baltimore Banner, fall on Carey, the Bloomberg School of Public Health, and the university’s central administration. Most of the eliminated positions are administrative, university spokesperson Doug Donovan tells the Banner. 

Read the full effects of the layoff now, in our trending tab. 

No. 3: Stanford’s MBA Admissions Chief Unveils A Revamped Application Experience 

Every year, thousands of people convince themselves they don’t belong at Stanford Graduate School of Business before they ever fill out an application. Erin Nixon wants to change that. 

With her third application cycle approaching, Nixon, assistant dean of admissions and financial aid at Stanford GSB, explains a pair of changes the GSB is rolling out this week. The first is a redesigned application interface meant to make the famously introspective process feel less daunting. The second is a new resource hub called Application Essentials that brings together the videos, checklists, and admissions guidance all in one place. 

Check out this story, also in our trending tab, for the full details. 

No. 4: Our Weekly Round Up of News You Can Use 

No matter where you are in your B-school journey, we bring several helpful stories for you this week. 

First up: The Former Wharton Admissions Head On Tackling Wharton’s Essays 

This article, up now on our homepage, lists what Wharton really wants in your essays. 

Next: Applying To MBA Programs Together: One Military Couple’s Journey To Tuck: Find it in our admissions hub. 

Finally, The MBA Applicant’s Guide To AI In 2026: This story, also in our admission hub, details what’s allowed, what’s risky, and what you should avoid when using AI in your MBA applications.  

And, that’s it for this week’s Must Reads recap.  

I also want to alert school seekers to our events tab from our main menu. There, you’ll find all the upcoming admissions events for a range of degrees and programs including full-time and online MBAs, specialized masters, entrepreneurship and more. Registration is free. 

Again, I’m Kristy Bleizeffer, and you can join me next week, right here, for a recap of what’s important in the world of business education. Thanks for listening. 

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