Some of the most popular MBA courses will accept students who don’t have a first degree. That comes as a surprise to many people as information on these opportunities can be hard to find. Most institutions, it seems, are not keen to publicise flexible admissions arrangements.

Dan Bauer, owner of the admissions consultancy MBA Exchange, says the reticence is because schools are worried about being inundated with applicants who do not have a degree. This reflects a solid reputational worry, as students who arrive without previous qualifications could lower schools’ overall scores in some business school rankings (this would not be the case in the FT’s rankings).

Nevertheless, Mr Bauer has helped clients without degrees to gain places at several leading MBA providers, including Wharton, London Business School, Columbia Business School and the University of Chicago’s Booth School of Business.