Companies are advertising a rather peculiar perk to lure top undergraduate talent: Showing them the door -- to graduate school, that is.

As a means of attracting stellar young hires, an increasing number of firms in finance, consulting and technology are shepherding employees through the graduate-school admissions process by organizing and paying for test-preparation courses, inviting admissions consultants to help with applications, arranging mock interviews with senior staffers and even bringing school representatives to information sessions at the office.

Companies support staffers attending a number of graduate programs, but business school is by far the most common destination.

It may seem counterintuitive to encourage employees to head for the exits, but firms say that assisting with the graduate-school application process leads to long-term loyalty and, with strings attached to tuition money, improves the chances that employees will return after graduation. (Most companies reimburse employees only after they've been back for a number of months or even years.)

Such programs have been in place for a while, but have grown more popular in recent years as the recruiting process heats up.

Employees generally begin applying to business school two or three years into their tenure. The prep programs, some of which require formal applications and a manager's sign-off, are generally geared toward high-potential employees and direct those employees toward top schools.

Corporate interest in the GMAT course at Manhattan Prep picked up about six years ago and has grown steadily since, says Evyn Williams, seniormanager of marketing and corporate relations at the New York-based test-prep company.

Manhattan Prep's client list -- it boasts more than 40 corporate partnerships including dedicated classes and discount rates -- reads like a who's who of feeders for (and recruiters from) elite graduate business schools, including Goldman Sachs Group Inc., Boston Consulting Group Inc., Deloitte Consulting LLP and Google Inc.

Hoping to snag top talent, BCG began supporting GMAT test preparation in 2005 and brought courses on-site in 2008, though more recently it shifted to online courses to better accommodate traveling employees.

Jennifer Comparoni, head of Americas recruiting at BCG, says the support available for graduate-school applicants is 'absolutely' part of the company's recruiting pitch when hiring undergraduates.

The firm also partners applicants with more senior employees who hold M.B.A.s to assist in crafting essays and preparing for interviews. The aid doesn't end once the employee gets an acceptance letter: about 75% of associates are offered full-tuition sponsorship for up to two years of graduate school, with reimbursement upon return to the firm after graduation.