Meet Arizona State’s MBA Class Of 2021

A TIGHT-KNIT COMMUNITY

Responsibility is critical at an intimate program like W. P. Carey, where the Class of 2021 is comprised of 72 students. That creates a dynamic, says Hannah Jerdonek, “where every single day there is no doubt in your mind that you are a vital piece of this program.”

That’s one reason Zoey Nguyen describes her classmates as contributors. “They came from different backgrounds, worked in different industries before the MBA. They have never hesitated to speak up in classes to share their ideas and their unique perspectives cumulated through extensive work experiences. That makes me so excited to attend classes every day because I know that I can learn a new thing from my classmates through both in-class and out-of-class discussions.”

By the numbers, the Class of 2021 shrunk by 18 students, with the number of applications falling by 42.5% during the 2018-2019 recruiting cycle. Still, the school’s acceptance held up at a formidable 31%, making it more selective than Ivy League powers like Cornell Johnson and Dartmouth Tuck. At the same time, the program’s close-knit community remains a draw for students like David Darnell.

“With a small class size, everyone knows each other, helps each other, and learns from each other’s experiences at a meaningful level. At W. P. Carey, I can make my experience tailor-made and grow during my two years. I want to be a leader and push myself to take on new activities and skills; a small family-like community will both hold me accountable and encourage me to achieve these goals. It is amazing how this closeness has made the learning experience more intimate and worthwhile.”

THE LOWDOWN ON LOGISTICS

The class also brings an average 681 GMAT to Tempe, along with a 3.56 average GPA. Compared to the 2020 Class, the biggest difference is the percentage of women, which fell from 40% to 31%. By the same token, the percentage of international student dropped by six points to 32%. Overall, the Class of 2021 hails from 14 countries, including Cameroon, India, South Korea, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Taiwan, and Uzbekistan.

As undergraduates, 40% of the class earned STEM-related degrees, with Engineering majors making up 22% of the class. Business majors hold 25% of the seats, followed by Humanities and Fine Arts (15%) and Social Sciences (14%). In terms of professional experience, the largest segment is found in Health Care, which holds a 15% share of the class. Aerospace and Defense and Finance Services and Banking each account for 11% of the class, just ahead of Consumer Product Manufacturing (10%). The remainder of the class is divvyed up between students versed in Automotive and Transportation (8%), Education (8%), Consumer Services (7%), and Energy and Utilities (7%).

Innovation may highlight W. P. Carey’s marquee, but the school’s Logistics programming may be its signature. In a U.S. News’ 2019 survey of business school deans and MBA directors, the program ranked 3rd overall (and among the 15-best in Management and Information Systems). In fact, 38% of the Class of 2019 entered the Logistics field. To put that number in context, it is tied with the combined percentage of students who entered Marketing, General Management, and Consulting.

“I chose the W. P. Carey MBA because of its pioneering position in supply chain management,” asserts Chaitanya Chintakayala. “The supply chain management concentration at W. P. Carey presented the best opportunity to complement my practical supply-chain skills gained at work. I identified that combined insights from Strategic Procurement, Logistics in the Supply-Chain, and Operations Planning and Execution courses taught by eminent professors would be vital to refining my knowledge of interdependencies in a global supply chain, knowledge necessary to assemble robust end-to-end supply-chains.”

PARTY SCHOOL? HARDLY

Indeed, W.P. Carey’s reputation as a logistics powerhouse is almost canon in academics. However, there are some myths about the school that doesn’t hold up under inspection. One myth: It is very easy to get lost on a campus with 70,000 students. Caitlyn Styres, a 2019 P&Q Best & Brightest MBA, experienced the exact opposite as an MBA student.

“Our full-time MBA program is relatively small,” she admits. “With a class size of roughly one hundred students, we quickly got to know each other at an individual level and continue to have great relationships outside of the classroom. My favorite activity is our weekly karaoke at the campus dive bar. On a typical Thursday night, you’ll find a group of 25+ MBAs belting out some classics!”

That’s about as rowdy as the class gets, notes 2019 grad Amie Pierone, who disputes the notion that Arizona State remains a party school. “President Crow has worked diligently in recent years to shift this perception, and I can honestly say that my experience at ASU has not been clouded by rowdy, irresponsible partiers. My peers are motivated, bright, and conscientious individuals.”

A FAST-TRACK MBA

Clouded? Try sunny in terms of MBA pay. 2019 grads pulled down $103,771 in base, as Intel, Amazon, Bank of America, and Johnson & Johnson ranking as W. P. Carey’s biggest employers. In addition, Forbes projects that Arizona State MBAs will tack $50,800 onto their base pay over the next five years. That’s not the only breaking news at W. P. Carey. In its efforts to be increasingly responsive and relevant, the program announced its Fast-Track MBA in January. Think of it as an accelerated degree that can be completed in as short as 12 months (or extended up to 18 months) for just $34,000. A mix of two evening courses supplemented by online programming, the Fast-Track MBA reflects an approach to innovation that relies less on technological intricacies and more on upending an existing model to students’ benefit.

“For several years since we saw the incredible increase in demand for specialized master’s degrees, we suspected that with the number of people getting those specialized degrees that they would eventually reach a point where they needed the generalist skills of an MBA to advance into leadership roles,” says Dean Amy Hillman in an interview with P&Q. “We started thinking about this many years ago, but we really think right now is the right time for it, because — depending on who you talk to in the economy — we’re either facing a recession or the economy’s doing great.”

What else can MBAs expect with the W. P. Carey MBA? Recently, P&Q reached out to John Wisneski, clinical assistant professor of management and entrepreneurship and the faculty director of the MBA program. Here are his thoughts on new developments, as well as some overlooked benefits of the program.