Background
A bustling center for innovation with a devotion to driving change
At University of Connecticut’s School of Business, no student is just a number. As one of the smallest top 100 ranked MBA programs, the program’s intimate 45-50 person class size is one of its biggest differentiators. By offering real-world, project-based learning opportunities for students, the MBA program’s ability to foster meaningful connections between tomorrow’s leaders is paramount.
As a national leader among public research universities, UConn’s pride lies in its culture of innovation, globally renowned faculty members, and a diverse and vibrant culture.
Challenge
Enrolling students in a time of extreme uncertainty
Finding and enrolling the right cohort has always been critical to the school. Even the most prepared of business schools could not have planned for what was coming in 2020.
COVID-19 disrupted everything.
For programs who offer small cohorts by design, keeping candidates engaged, informed and reassured in their choice to pursue UConn’s MBA for the fall became a business-critical priority for the admissions team.
“If I could shout it from the rooftops, I would. Kira Talent has been an absolute gift and the people I have worked with have been top-quality. Every experience has been easy and enjoyable, it checks all my boxes.”
- Moira Rosek, Director, FTMBA and EMBA Admissions.Solution
Admissions assessment moves forward from a distance
Fortunately, Kira’s online assessments allowed one aspect of admissions to continue as “business as usual,” said Rosek. While the school pivoted to drop GRE/GMAT requirements, accepted new and alternative language assessments, and refunded deposits, their Kira assessment remained consistent.
“While other schools were scrambling to have real-time global interviews conducted from home, we already had it figured out. This brought immense comfort to the admission team as well as our leadership team,” Rosek told us.
Results
UConn MBA makes meaningful connections with applicants
UConn’s MBA program has kept their admissions process moving forward, despite the unexpected challenges of a global pandemic. In fact, the program even was able to adapt to a spike in completed applications as the world locked down.
Kira assessments enabled UConn’s MBA program to evaluate their applicants for program fit, without sacrificing the empathy and human connection so deeply needed in this time.
We don’t know what will happen next fall yet. But by focusing their time on making meaningful connections with applicants, UConn’s MBA is helping to put their applicants’ fears for the school year at ease.
