Minorities?

[the_new_guy]

Stacey, all other things being equal, does being an underrepresented minority (hispanic male) actually provide an advantage when applying to top schools?

I realize there is the argument that it helps with the class diversity etc, but in your experience, have you seen it actually play a role in gaining acceptance?

Thanks.

[Amy]

Hi new guy,

There are no official reports on whether being an underrepresented minority provides an advantage in the application process. Most of the top MBA schools do provide some resources for underrepresented minorities because the pool of applicants tends to be small and every school would ideally like a diverse class.

That being said, you are evaluated on many factors including academic potential, work experience, and personal qualities and those factors will be important regardless.

I would suggest starting the process by attending information sessions for the schools you are interested in, and beginning to network with current students and alumni. It might be helpful to contact the National Society of Hispanic MBAs as well: https://www.nshmba.org/

Good luck!

Amy

[career_switcher]

Stacey, all other things being equal, does being an underrepresented minority (hispanic male) actually provide an advantage when applying to top schools?

I realize there is the argument that it helps with the class diversity etc, but in your experience, have you seen it actually play a role in gaining acceptance?

Thanks.

Ignore the PC answer, you have a huge advantage by being a hispanic applicant. It's very simple, take a look at any top bschool. You will notice a dearth of minorities and bschools need diversity to buttress their claims to being 'international.'

[beny]

I agree with Career_Switcher that, compared to the average applicant, underrepresented minority candidates do have an advantage for admission. I say this because I know a black Stanford alum who was admitted to all the top schools you can think of. He was definitely a strong candidate, but nothing exceptional. Schools have special "diversity days" and other events specifically tailored to recruiting underrepresented minority candidates.

That being said, the minority candidate still needs to be extremely strong and extremely qualified. The school isn't going to admit all Hispanic applicants sheerly for the sake of diversity. True, there are less minority applicants, but you need to be among the best of all the Hispanic applicants to be offered admission.