Ohio University’s College of Business is following suit in a nationwide trend that has seen fewer business school applications.
College officials say students’ perceptions of a business degree’s value in the current job market might be deterring them from applying.
OU’s College of Business saw an increase in the number of applications received each year preceding 2009, when 1,666 students applied.
However, in 2010, OU received 1,442 applications. The school saw another decrease when 1,175 students applied for fall 2011.
Those numbers do not reflect students in OU’s sports administration program, which was incorporated into the College of Business this summer, said Hugh Sherman, dean of OU’s College of Business.
“We’re reading in the newspapers how companies have been doing layoffs and are slow to start rehiring,” Sherman said. “We would all be concerned about that, right?”
Chris Guenther, a senior studying management information systems, finance and economics, is looking for a post-graduation job. He said he is confident in his major and education.
“With the current economy, I don’t think there will be any other degree that gives you the marketability you need,” Guenther said.
He added that, in the interest of the economy, students should pick a practical major such as business.
“I think a lot of times now, kids are encouraged to do what they want at a young age,” Guenther said. “A lot of times, that may not be business. It might not be what will give you a better opportunity to get a job.”
Despite the decline in applications, the College of Business has not changed its admission standards and doesn’t plan to make any changes in the near future, Sherman said.
To gain direct admittance to the College of Business, high-school seniors need to score 24 on the ACT or 1100 on the SAT critical-reading and math sections and place in the top 20 percent of their graduating class.
However, the college has taken initiatives to encourage more to apply since the 2009 decrease in applicants. It began offering a “fast-track program” that permits applications from students with lower ACT scores but strong high-school academic records. Despite this initiative, the College of Business is still recording a slump in the number of students applying and those directly admitted.
Though the numbers of applications and directly admitted students have decreased, the number of overall students enrolled in the College of Business has risen. In fall 2009, 2,028 undergraduate students were studying in the college, an increase of 84 students from the year prior. By fall 2010, 2,403 students were enrolled.
That is in part due to students who transfer to the College of Business from University College or other colleges at OU,
Sherman said.
Ohio State University’s Fisher College of Business is noticing a similar increase in the number of overall enrolled students in the college. However, the school has not had a decrease in the number of applicants, said Jackie Elcik, executive director of undergraduate programs and advising at the Fisher College.
“I think recently Ohio State has had really good press on being a return investment,” she said. “A lot of students are thinking this is a good plan to go for as far as finances.”
Elcik said she also believes students are attracted to Fisher’s co-curricular programs — a sentiment Sherman shares.
OU’s co-curricular opportunities include a global consulting program that allows business students to get practical business experience in other countries.
Between 100 and 140 students participate in this program each year, Sherman said.
“Those kinds of real-life experiences where students get to engage and apply all that they learned is what makes us distinctive,” he said.
sj950610@ohiou.edu
