Points To Consider When Applying To MBA Programs

by Stacy Blackman Consulting, Oct 17, 2011

Making the decision on which business schools to apply to can be difficult. Although some people will advise you to apply to programs that you are more likely to be accepted into, in the end it is your decision on where you spend the upcoming years studying.

Although I do encourage all candidates to consider a number of MBA programs, I will never tell you to apply to a business school that you are not interested in. It is always nice to have a wide range of options, but if you know you would not like to attend the institution, you should save your time and money and not apply.

Furthermore, if you have a school that you have always dreamed of attending, then apply there! Even if others tell you that there is no possibility you will be accepted, even if your numbers are far below the reported averages, if you still really want to attend, you should apply. I would hate to see candidates apply to business school and always wonder what would have occurred if they had applied to their dream school. While low numbers can certainly hurt your chances of being accepted, if you are truly a good fit for a program and can show that in your candidacy, you may earn a spot in their class. If nothing else, at least you will have tried.

Many candidates have a specific idea of what they would like to pursue post-graduation. If you know the company you would like to work for after graduation, you should call that business and find out where they recruit from. I had a client who was based in New York and wanted to attend Columbia Business School. She also only wanted to have her summer internships with a few companies. I suggested she call one of her top companies to find out where they recruited from. It turned out that they did not recruit from Columbia Business School. This short phone call dramatically changed where she applied to business school.

Lastly, where you are in your life and where you want to be will influence which MBA programs you apply to. Your family and career satisfaction are often overlooked, however these are very important factors. If you realistically want to end up building your career in San Francisco near your family, you will have to consider this when applying to schools. Make sure to not leave your family out of this decision making process.

One of the consultants that now works with Stacy Blackman Consulting applied to Haas and Harvard and was accepted into both programs. Many people are surprised to hear that she decided to attend Haas, which has a slightly lower ranking, because she was interested in pursuing a career in the wine industry. Years after graduating, she is living in Northern California pursuing her passion, and is still in close contact with Haas. She regularly leverages her network at the business school and has absolutely no regrets.

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