How many schools should I apply to?

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How many schools should I apply to?

by dblazquez » Thu May 04, 2006 3:53 am
Hi Stacy and BeatTheGMAT community:

i am planning to apply to some top-20 schools next fall. Last november i visited many schools i am considering. My preferences are:
- top 25-30 school
- general management program, maybe with an special focus on management of technology
- good contacts with Silicon Valley
- nice, fun, casual place to live, preferabily West Coast

with these considerations in mind, i've narrowed my target schools to the California "Big-Four" (Stanford, Berkeley, UCLA, USC). I visited the four schools and i am really enjoyed and learned from that experience.

My profile is:
- European, Ms in Computer Science. 3.1 GPA, 700 GMAT
- 4 years experience in IT consulting, Software developing
- full partner
- (extracurriculars) Founder of two stock-market related web applications, with hundreds of daily visits

As the application volume and GMAT test takers number is rising, i am considering applying to more than my initial four options. So, my question is:

which extra schools do you think fit better with my profile/preferences?

and, a bonus one, is my profile competitive in the schools i mentioned?

thanks a lot for your attention, Stacy!
Daniel, Spain

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by Stacy Blackman » Thu May 04, 2006 9:14 am
There are so many great schools that will fill some, if not all, of the criteria you have established. You have hit all of the top California schools. The others I will suggest are geographically dispersed, but if you can get past the locations and in some cases colder weather, they are fantastic programs and will fit your program and culture requirements. Some other programs to consider are:
Ross at U Michigan
Sloan at MIT
McCombs at UT Austin* (might be a particularly good fit for you)
Kellogg at Northwestern
Darden at UVA

I recommend 4-6 schools. If you apply to many more than 6 you will probably spread yourself too thin. Research the schools above and consider adding two of them to your list.

Based on the little information I have on your background, I think the four schools you listed are a reasonable set for you. I would be optimistic about your chances for success at one or more of these schools if you manage the process correctly.
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by dblazquez » Fri May 05, 2006 2:50 pm
Dear Stacy,
thanks a lot for your help. After a careful review of Austin McCombs, i have to admit that you were totally right, it is a great alternative that i had previously ignored.

I think that i am very focused on california schools because they are the only ones i have visited so far. For me it is important to visualize myself at the corridors, classrooms or living in that place... I wish i could visit more schools from the east coast or the south.

thanks again for your advice, Stacy!
Daniel