How do you choose a school? What do you think? ...

Hi W,

Thought the following might be of interest to you!

Choosing a Business School

Excerpted from MBA Admissions Strategy: From Profile Building to Essay Writing by A.V. Gordon (McGraw-Hill-Open University Press)

Choosing which business school to study at requires detailed, hands-on research into the institution’s culture, curriculum emphasis, and mix of special opportunities and extramural activities. Everyone will have their own specific requirements from an MBA, so no hard and fast rules apply, but these are the most important parameters to look at:

First consider yourself: It sounds obvious, but candidates often overlook who they are as people and what they need and want. Best b-school experiences come from choosing an institution where the student really fits in, that really suits his or her personality, preferences and goals - rather than one that looks prestigious but is alien. Don’t apply to the place where you think you have best chance of getting in. You’re the customer. Consider your needs first. Sure school reputation counts (see below) but candidates do better and recruit better at place where they are happier.

School culture: Culture is crucial in whether the candidate will get along with the institution. It is expressed in the curriculum, faculty choices, teaching approach (for example, using case method or not) type of clubs and societies, attitude to assessment (exams or similar) and so on. Remember, too, that students very often stay involved with the alumni network (a major career benefit) so a b-school choice is for life not just for a year or two.

Location: Place strongly affects both the kind of students you will be with, as well as the type of on-campus activities available, and recruitment options. Recruitment, particularly, is highly localized. There will be some overlap, but the companies that come to, for example, Chicago GSB will be quite different to those that come to NYU. This generally is true of internship placements too.

Profile of participants: On the one hand business school students resemble each other worldwide. On the other hand many do seem to attract a subtly different type of student. Insead, for example, inevitably get’s the most internationally oriented crowd, while Wharton gets a lot of serious finance types, and so on. Some schools recruit mainly younger candidates (college + 2 years experience) and some recruit a mix of ages. It is not easy to understand the differences from afar, but a campus visit usually gives a very good sense of who is there and what they are like. Again, the more easily you fit in, the happier you’ll be.

Size: Schools vary profoundly in size. Some, like IMD, are very intimate. Others are enormous, where one can attend for two years and still not be sure of meeting everyone! Graduates of small institutions point to the value of making close, lasting contacts. The big schools offer many more options in terms of people, clubs, and number of recruiters.

Recruitment opportunities: Every school publishes a list of companies that come to campus and how many graduates they hire, together with placement rates and average starting salaries. A careful look at this should give a clear sense of what your likely options will be come graduation day.

Length, structure and flexibility: The time it takes to get an MBA can vary from ten months to two years. Longer programs offer more electives, exchange programs and other forms of enrichment including summer internships. All programs offer electives, but some have a high proportion of fixed courses, while others allow students great freedom to tailor the program to their interests. The structure of a program does not affect its value in the market, so, once again, what is important is whether the character of the program fits with your personality and goals.

Electives and options: Mostly the core curriculum is identical everywhere and, from a strictly educational point of view, it doesn't matter too much where you do it. Electives however, differ significantly from school to school, according to faculty staff interest and expertise.

Reputation: Reputation is not the same as the popular annual rankings published by business periodicals. The rankings are a guide, very often flawed, to reputation. The top schools are: Chicago, Columbia, Dartmouth, Harvard, Insead, Kellogg, London Business School, Sloan, Stanford, Stern and Wharton - with Fuqua, Darden, Empresa, Haas, IMD, IESE, Johnson, and Ross, also there or thereabouts. Average starting salary is a much better guide to a program's real prestige than any magazine rankings.

A.V. Gordon, MBA, is Director of the MBA Admissions Studio https://www.mbastudio.net, a specialist admissions coaching and essay editing practice for MBA and executive MBA applicants.

This topic has expert replies