Rotterdam School of Management,

Erasmus University International practices in selective admission

Adri Meijdam Executive Director

Bachelor International Business Administration

International Business

Administration (IBA)

BA IBA

Dutch-language English-language

Dutch students 40 – 50 nationalities

large scale, fragmented cohesive

open: 850 => 820 Selective: 1.000 => 400

local market global

‘zesjescultuur’ ambitious

• Programme taught in English

• International student body

• International teaching staff

• Intended international learning outcomes: content, skills, attitude

• Development of cross-cultural competences through working in culturally diverse teams

• Learning of Dutch language facilitated

• Learning of other foreign languages facilitated

• International exchange with renowned schools

• Summer programmes

• True Bachelor – Master: cross traffic after Bachelor with other B-schools of A-status

• RSM is dedicated member of CIS – active recruiting at international schools

• Internationally accredited: AACSB, EQUIS, AMBA

• NVAO Certificate in Internationalisation

• Internationally ranked: Financial Times, Wall Street Journal,

Business Week, Neue Karriere

IBA: an international programme

Legislation: it is allowed (*)

Demand: more applicants than places

Choice: there is an alternative

Habit (and expectations): all (good) business schools do it

Quality: selected students are better students

Multicultural classroom: IBA wants to influence composition of student body

Why IBA works with selective

admission

From fixus to selection

started in 2000, as part of Bedrijfskunde

NF in place for Bedrijfskunde => decentralized selection

applied for pilot status with ‘Selectie aan de Poort’

works with full selection since 2005

How IBA qualified for full selection

already in decentralized procedure within NF

‘erkende evidente meerwaarde’ had to be proven

which did not work

instead: selection criteria needed to have a relationship with the learning outcomes and way of delivery of the programme

concept of ‘matching’

still valuable for future requests

* A story in selective admission

Rolling admission puts risk on the side of the programme

Total number of applicants unknown

Difficult to achieve exact target

Early decisions sensitive for competition by other schools

Detailed knowledge of educational systems and grading worldwide required (a 9 in Lithuania is not a 9 in NL)

DUO is not used to work with fully selective programmes

No disadvantages?

Formally: selection does not require a Numerus Fixus

NF with DS is fixed procedure (vs. flexibility for the programme)

NF with DS: selection 50% maximum (vs 100%)

selection on grades in DS not allowed (vs. active selection on grades)

application deadline & fixed offering moment (vs. rolling admission)

deadline for deficiencies (vs. late qualifications)

working with IBG/DUO: sending C1-file up and down => no flexibility after deadline (vs. managing the applications yourself)

risk of undesired late placements (vs. flexibility in admission)

Subtle differences between NF-DS

vs Selection

NF with DS:

selection 50% => 100%

selection grades allowed

remaining differences between NF with DS and full selection:

NF is fixed procedure (vs. flexibility for the programme)

application deadline (vs. rolling admission)

deadline for deficiencies (vs. late qualifications)

working with IBG/DUO: sending C1-file up and down => no flexibility after deadline (vs. managing the applications yourself)

risk of undesired late placements (vs. flexibility in admission)

Recent developments in selective

admission

Rolling admission system

With fixed deadline: May 15

Offer within 6 weeks (risk is ours)

Cooperation Admissions EUR and IBA Office

Small selection team

Changes per 2012

Application & Admission

Generally: ‘international’ students

International:

- by origin

- by mindset

- by education

Internationals:

foreign students from abroad

Dutch students from abroad

foreign students from the Netherlands

Dutch students from the Netherlands

Who we recruit at IBA

Recruitment & Admissions Grid

Dutch non-Dutch

NL 40% 10%

Abroad 10% 40%

By education

International Baccalaureate – international schools, abroad and in NL

European Baccalaureate - European schools

Bilingual secondary school (TTVWO)

Local schools abroad

VWO: limited

Who we recruit at IBA

Target area policy

- 45% NL versus 55% foreign

- Europe vs global (25% global)

- EEA vs non-EEA (fee approach)

Where we do not recruit

- regular VWO in the Netherlands

- Germany

Where we recruit for IBA

Selection on:

international background

international motivation/ambitions

grades

Selection criteria for IBA

International background

o nationality

o citizenship

o descent

o place of birth

o past or current residence

o education

o international experiences

o travelling

o Internships

o language courses

International background

Motivation: student’s international ‘drive’

o motivation letter

o subject of Extended Essay/’Profielwerkstuk’

o ambitions: academically and afterwards

o careers: functions, companies, places

o participating in international events (MUN e.g.)

Letter

in English

concise

four subjects

Motivation

• End-of-year report of the before last year (5=>6 VWO; IB 1=>2)

= past performance

= where we base our offer upon

• Grade list of final exam

(for those students who graduated a year before)

• Option to improve in final year (‘show it to us!’)

• Careful use of predicted grades

Grades

(TT)VWO : average 7.0 ; English 7.0, Math A 7.0 (B = 6.0)

(no further) test of English required

IB : 33 points including EE, TOK, CAS (6 * 5 = 30); Math SL 5 (HL 4), English A SL/HL 5, English B HL 5

EB : average 7; Mathematics A 7, Mathematics B 6, English 7

High School : only accepted if combined with AP or by taking mathematics exam; SAT might help but does not suffice

AP : 3

Abitur : average 1.8; Mathematics 10, English 10

ASO : average 7; Mathematics 7, English 7

Fr. Bac : average 12/20; Mathematics 12/20, English 12/20

Extensive pages on website for large number of diplomas

Grades

diverse student population

good students

able to realize intercultural learning outcomes

Selection results

A diverse student population – our 2012 IBA student body (64 nationalities)

Afghanistan Albania Armenia Australia Austria Azerbaijan Belarus Belgium Bolivia Brazil Bulgaria Burma Canada China Czech Republic Denmark

20

RSM.NL/BSCIBA

Ecuador El Salvador Estonia Finland France Georgia Germany Greece Guinea India Indonesia Iran Ireland Israel Italy Jordan

Latvia Lithuania Luxembourg Malaysia Mexico Moldavia Morocco Netherlands Nigeria Norway Pakistan Peru Poland Portugal Romania Russia

Serbia Slovenia South Africa South Korea Spain Surinam Sweden Switzerland Taiwan Turkey Ukraine United Kingdom United States Uzbekistan Vietnam Yugoslavia

Academic performance: IBA drop out after 1st year 17% vs 40% in BA

passing rates exams higher than in BA

average grades higher than in BA

Cum Laude IBA 30 vs BA 4

Acceptance at top schools for graduate studies

=> assistant jobs, the best exchange spots, case competitions

Study climate: motivated and ambitious students

strong group feeling

Commitment: proud to be a student at RSM

groupwork in culturally diverse groups appreciated

> 25% applies to be a Mentor….

Good students

The Dutch

- by default sent to Dutch-language BA programme

- need solid motivation to be selected

- grades are selective as such: group over 7.0 is not that big

The Germans

- apply in large numbers

- risk of having second dominating group => cap

- first reduction by grades: 1.8 and 10 English and 10 Math is high

- second reduction with regard to desired balance in programme

A diverse student population

1. Are grades really relevant in the selection process for an international programme?

2. Can you measure ‘motivation’ adequately?

3. Isn’t selection on international background discriminating?

4. Isn’t this whole selection discussion a luxury that only a few programmes with a high demand can afford?

5. Is it worth the effort to go for full selection now that NF with DS allows so much?

A few points to discuss