Back at it!

Last night I attended the Atlanta session of The MBA Tour. The MBA Tour is a collection of traveling MBA recruiting fairs where MBA student recruiters can seek out prospective admission candidates for their programs. Depending on the time of year and location of the event, the size of the crowd can vary. Last night there were approximately 150 prospects seeking information as well as making contacts with school representatives. There are several companies similar to The MBA Tour connecting prospects with schools, but this organization also has other features that make it a destination for student recruitment. The MBA Tour offers what they call Meet Ups which allows MBA admission officers to schedule individual meetings with applicants. This is different than the general browse format of a traditional fair and allows for more meaningful conversations to take place. I enjoy these Meet Up opportunities and how they can allow both parties to learn more about each.

It was good to be back on the road. July is very early – over a year until the next cohort begins – but research has shown that a prospective students take 6 to 18 months to prepare and then begin an MBA program. We have a new organizational structure in our office and we recently established an MBA admission advisor position. This new position will do a great deal of the recruiting but I still will cover a few events to keep abreast of the trends as well as meet these individuals and tell them the Auburn story. These events, while tiring and long, still play a crucial role in having students join a program.