Hi Everyone,
Thanks to the original poster for the links to the recent MBA rankings.
On a side note, here is something to consider… through my work as an MBA Admissions Consultant, I often get asked ‘do school rankings really matter?’
I strongly believe that while a school’s ranking is important (lets face it, who doesn’t want to be affiliated with a top program…besides my Detroit Lions), it is by no means a measure of a student’s ability to obtain the education or post-MBA career they desire.
First of all, there is considerable debate about the legitimacy of rating systems, specifically the various methodologies they use to rank the programs. (I would not be surprised if some of these rankings evaluate school colors… if so, count my vote for Maize and Blue!)
More importantly, there are many factors to consider about the MBA program itself – including alumni network, specialty rankings and geographic location. For example, while Wharton has a ‘higher’ overall ranking, the school does not have the same recruiting strength for Brand Management / Marketing positions as does a ‘lower’ overall ranked school such as Michigan.
Similarly, while UC Berkeley and UCLA are not ranked in the top 3-5 range; in the West Coast they have greater alumni connections (and in some cases reputations) than ‘higher’ ranked East Coast schools.
Ultimately, your success in the MBA program and beyond is really dependent on you! Despite the rankings of your school, you need to work hard to network with classmates, reach out to alumni and utilize the resources of the career center to find your dream opportunity.
So look beyond a school’s overall ranking. Research the programs and make your ‘own’ rankings based on criteria that is relevant to you (I think ‘number of social functions’ was on my list!) Otherwise, you might overlook a program that could be well suited for your post-MBA goals.
p.s. As always, this is my opinion. I am curious to hear what others have to say.
p.s.s. My apologies for the shameless reference to C+C Music Factory in the subject line. Not cool...
Regards,
Nikhil
Nikhil P. | Admissions Consultant | Veritas Prep
Those with better experience on Statistical modeling could probably add more meaning to these numbers. For the rest of us, its a great place to start.
