In case you missed it, nearly half of the business schools in the U.K. have recently reported missing the target for enrolment of international students.
Technically, that’s bad news for the U.K. when you consider the financial implications.
On the other hand, that’s good news and an unforeseen HUGE opportunity for aspiring international students.
It indicates that the crowd is smaller, and right now might be a good time to gain admission quicker into reputable business schools in the U.K.
Image source: e-gmat
An international student recruitment agency, ICEF, recently said that up to four in ten U.K. business schools are yet to meet their 2023/24 recruitment targets.
The respondents in ICEF’s survey said that the UK government’s decision to bar students from bringing dependants is the cause of the decline in applications for business schools.
It is believed that the consequences of the government’s latest visa regulations are affecting both schools and the prospective applicants, who are largely from India and China.
A graduate admissions expert mentioned to Forbes that many of his company-sponsored Japanese clients often applied to London Business School in the past.
Unfortunately, the number of such applicants has decreased significantly following the announcement of the new visa regulations.
The admission expert revealed that the most affected are married applicants with children.
He said this category of applicants believes the MBA experience should be a “family experience.”
In further comments, admissions experts speculate that the U.K. government will likely issue subsequent policy corrections on the visa issue.
In the meantime, international students applying to business schools in the UK cannot bring dependants.
The only category of students that can bring dependants are those pursuing a research-based higher degree or a doctorate degree.
Overall, the current shortage of applicants for UK business schools is a big opportunity for aspiring students to gain admission easier than before.
For more information and guidance regarding studying in the U.K., click here to contact us at PTMA.
