I have gotten a ton of questions recently from clients who are struggling with their MBA school selection. While there is no easy answer to this question, I thought it might be helpful to post a few factors to consider as you start narrowing down your list of schools:
- Consider the schools student demographics. Look at the average GMAT, average age, undergraduate majors, average GPA, % international, gender distribution, etc. Get a sense of the incoming class and assess how you fit with their profile.
- Consider the schools career placement. The career office will typically publish stats such as % of grads with a job offer, post-MBA salaries, job placement by industry, job placement by region, and top companies that recruit at the school. Assess whether these statistics are in-line with your post MBA career aspirations.
- Consider the program offerings at each of your schools - do your research. For instance, if you are passionate about Health Care - make sure the school has a strong Health Care curriculum, faculty, club offerings, etc.
- Consider your personal preferences. Do you prefer a certain region? What teaching style do you prefer? Do you want to focus on learning the core curriculum or would you rather have flexibility with more electives? What type of student culture are you looking for? These types of questions will help you to narrow your list of schools even further.
- Consider your competitiveness at schools. This one is tough, because it requires an honest assessment of your profile relative to your peers. Be realistic.
There is rarely a school that meets all the criteria and fits your profile exactly - so look for those programs that provide the best overall fit!
Good Luck!
- Consider the schools student demographics. Look at the average GMAT, average age, undergraduate majors, average GPA, % international, gender distribution, etc. Get a sense of the incoming class and assess how you fit with their profile.
- Consider the schools career placement. The career office will typically publish stats such as % of grads with a job offer, post-MBA salaries, job placement by industry, job placement by region, and top companies that recruit at the school. Assess whether these statistics are in-line with your post MBA career aspirations.
- Consider the program offerings at each of your schools - do your research. For instance, if you are passionate about Health Care - make sure the school has a strong Health Care curriculum, faculty, club offerings, etc.
- Consider your personal preferences. Do you prefer a certain region? What teaching style do you prefer? Do you want to focus on learning the core curriculum or would you rather have flexibility with more electives? What type of student culture are you looking for? These types of questions will help you to narrow your list of schools even further.
- Consider your competitiveness at schools. This one is tough, because it requires an honest assessment of your profile relative to your peers. Be realistic.
There is rarely a school that meets all the criteria and fits your profile exactly - so look for those programs that provide the best overall fit!
Good Luck!
