"We are delighted to be involved with the launch of the competition," she says."We would like to congratulate all 1998 contestants and winners who will be worthy ambassadors for the schools and the MBA itself."Business schools were asked to nominate their best all rounders, taking into account nine criteria, which are listed in the box on page 4. The winners were those considered to have best contributed to the development of the MBA.They had to be good team players but also good at their studies and committed to the future development of the business school. They had to show they were concerned for the welfare of others by being good school representatives and by helping overseas students. They also had to show that they could overcome challenges, that they benefited from the MBA and, finally, that they had helped to maintain student morale.Such criteria meant there was a good range of students. "It wasn't just the clever-clogs who were nominated and who won," says Anthony Birts, director of Bath's MBA programme.

"Candidates really did need to be making some sort of input into the course itself."That was certainly true of Bath's nominee, Rick Chaplin, who works for his family's firm in Ontario and who helped to sort out some problems on the course, and the headmistress, Charlotte Rendle-Short who studied on one of Durham's MBAs. Dr Sue Miller, director of the part-time MBA at Durham University business school, said of Miss Short:"She didn't see the course as a meal ticket or as something to help her climb the ladder faster She saw it as an educational process. We had one or two problems and her mature, reflective attitude helped us through them."Some institutions nominated the best student in the year; others were elected by their peers. All but one of the winners and runners-up were women; the only man was the Canadian student at Bath, Rick Chaplin.Given that men are in a majority on MBA programmes, and that it is thought to be harder for women to persuade companies to sponsor them on MBAs, why did women sweep the board?One reason may be that it is only exceptional women who tend to make it on to MBA programmes. For men in some circles an MBA is becoming almost a requirement but for women it is a very positive choice, a way to give a lift to their careers or to dent the glass ceiling."The better women, those who are organised and pushing themselves, those are the ones who are doing it," says David Browne, the MBA course director at Kingston."We may be finding that the women who are coming through are better time managers."It is only in the last five to six years that women have been showing up on MBA programmes in greater numbers, according to Mr Browne.Figures from the Association of MBAs, however, show that the proportion of women is still low, around 23 per cent.Mark Oakley, director of MBA programmes at Aston, tends to agree that the women on MBA programmes may be unusually good: "As in so many other fields, women take a challenge terribly seriously." he says.

"They put a great deal of energy into what they decide to do."But a more humdrum reason for the success of women in the competition may be that the selection criteria favoured women. Women are often better at being ambassadors for a school or programme - in other words, at serving the common good - rather than at promoting themselves. "I suspect women are less ego driven, less competitive and take more account of the people around them," says Richard Kerley, director of the full-time MBA at the University of Edinburgh management school.If so, that could explain the superior performance of women. Different criteria, emphasising success at climbing greasy poles and earning big salary increases, could put men on top..

CHARLOTTE RENDLE-SHORT, 50, nominated by Durham University Business School, undertook a part-time MBA while holding down a job as head of Sunderland High School, an independent, coeducational day school. During her time studying for the MBA the school continued to thrive - student numbers increased by one-fifth. Elected class representative by her MBA peers, she organised social events such as the MBA Ball and was good at initiating and contributing to class discussions. "I decided to do the MBA because I wanted to be challenged and in touch with ideas but also because the management of schools is a complex business and requires the skills of general management that an MBA gives people."The programme gave me insight into ways of looking at a school as a business across all the disciplines that are part of an MBA - financial management and accounting, people management, understanding the organisation and some skill-based things such as marketing All these apply in schools. Even little things like learning about operating systems, batches and flow-throughs apply in schools just as much as in Nissan."You can't do anything else unless the bottom line is right, because you've got to be able to invest. I am now deputy chief executive of the Church Schools Company, which runs Sunderland High School and six other independent schools."Taking the MBA has given me a much broader and more secure understanding of business and a basis for asking questions."SARA HADLOW, 32, was nominated for the award by her fellow students at Aston Business School. Awarded a distinction and the Tomkinsons Prize for best full-time student in her year, she funded herself entirely, selling her car to bring in extra cash.Her project - a marketing strategy review of Royal Brierley Crystal - was one of the best Aston had ever seen."Before the MBA I worked in the consultancy branch of Lucas Industries. There were a lot of bright people in there who had undertaken MBAs."I saw there was something important to learn but as soon as I started the course I realised the benefits were far greater than I had ever anticipated I gained a broad understanding of how businesses work.

It was like opening a window, seeing beyond my own discipline of marketing and actually understanding how that fits into a broader context. I underwent a fundamental change in my thinking, my outlook and my prospects."The MBA was a big financial commitment - it cost pounds 8,000 - but probably the best investment I have ever made. I'm now working for Brintons carpets in Kidderminster, earning 15-20 per cent more than before the MBA."I chose it because I really liked the organisation, the people who head it up and I felt I had the opportunities to use the skills I had learnt."RICK CHAPLIN, 39, (above) flew over from Ontario, Canada, to take an MBA at the University of Bath's School of Management having spent 13 years working for his family business - a large vinyl manufacturer - and in other jobs in Canada.Staff student liaison officer on the MBA, he conscientiously sought out students views' of the programme. According to Bath he was careful not to dominate the discussion, patient with and respectful towards his peers, and always supportive of fellow overseas students."I chose to come to Europe for my MBA because I wanted the kind of international experience that you just can't have in your own country."My family owns controlling interest in Canadian General-Tower Ltd which employs approximately 1,100 people. My contribution to the enterprise has been considerable, but I found that I was hitting the glass ceiling in my career."I was in need of a modern management toolkit and a comprehensive understanding of the language of business.