Applicants to business schools intend shunning business schools in the US because of the Trump administration’s immigration policies, according to a new survey by the admissions firm, Stacy Blackman Consulting. The survey suggests that over 21 percent of candidates feel they have been affected by President Donald Trump’s immigration policies and intend to apply only to schools outside the US.
Over 80 percent of applicants in the survey, which was conducted in the spring of 2017 and had 755 students responding, also felt that the diversity of business schools in the US would be reduced by the current administration’s immigration stance. The data is the most recent sign that the hardened immigration outlook of the US is benefiting business schools in other countries by alienating MBA applicants.
This month, Trump made a controversial pledge to cut immigration by 50 percent during his Presidency, although skills and education are likely to be the main priorities of any immigration reform legislation. But, it appears that some candidates are being pushed to other nations, perceived as more welcoming to overseas students, including Canada.
The new survey confirms earlier research that also suggested business schools in the US are negatively affected by the policies of the current administration. Almost two-thirds of MBA programs have seen a fall in the number of applications from overseas students, according to a recent Graduate Management Admissions Council survey of as many as 300 US business schools.