Research MBA Programs

I'm well underway in my preparations for achieving entrance into a top b-school, hoping to apply next fall.

I have several meetings coming up with graduates of some of target schools. Wharton, Columbia, Stern, Duke, Booth, Cornell, Harvard. Most likely more to come as well. The meetings are majority face-to-face, with a few over the phone. Some of the grads are older (mid-40s and 50s), and some are fresh out of b-school.

My goal of meeting with these people is multi-faceted:
A. Get inside opinions on the programs and aid in my research of school.
B. Get help on where I stand, where I need to be, how to get there, and how to market myself.
C. Possibly develop a mentor/applicant relationship that will help guide me along the way all the way through application process.
D. Network, and maybe, get connected to other individuals of great help. (You never know, they may be best friends with an AdCom!!!)

I have a few questions:
1. Is this a smart idea this early in the game? Being a year out from applications, is it too early?
2. Am i crazy for thinking these alums will take keen to a mentor/applicant relationship?
3. What types of questions should I ask and where should the conversations be focused?


Here are a few questions I plan on asking on my own. Please feel free to add to, remove, or revise any of the following:

1. Overall opinion of program? Dislikes? Likes? Would you recommend?
2. Was business school worth the time away and debt to you?
3. What are your overall thoughts on my current status? Where do I need to focus most? (This will be after I give some background of myself)

Ultimately I'd like to keep the first meeting short, pitch my situation, and hopefully strike a relationship with them checking in regularly for assistance.

Thanks for any and all advice from the beatthegmat community!

Thanks Jon.

The meetings have been going extremely well! I've made some connections as well as have had some alum offer to help in the application process. Thanks for the advice!

I have some "coffee chats" coming up with some current MBA students. Do you recommend I go about this differently? Any major questions that are a "must ask"?

Any other bits of advice?

FYI, plan on visiting some schools in the near future...

Can you shed some lights on finding the alums contacts?

jgnh wrote:can shed some lights on finding the alums contacts?

I'm also interested in how you found these people and their contact info.

Thanks

As a current student now, Jon definitely hit the nail on the head with do research before-hand. I can't tell you how many prospective students I've spoken to who ask "So, how do you like your program?" When I hear that question I check out mentally and then just start going through the stock answers. I feel that if you ask generic questions, I can give generic answers. I definitely do so in a way that still helps them, but in terms of wanting to help someone by giving them information, I'm more open if they've done their own homework first.

I'm pleased to see that you're taking this as seriously as you are. It reminds me of exactly what I did when I was going through the process.

One thing that you should do... if you talk to multiple people from the same school do the following:
- ask them the some of the same questions
- think not only about what they're saying, but also HOW they're saying it. How do they talk about their classmates?
This will give you a sense for the community at the school and then YOU can determine whether or not you fit with the school. Then when you write you essays, THOSE themes that you garnered from talking to multiple students or alums are the ones you craft your story around. In my opinion, that's how you convey a fit with the school. At least, that's how I did it.