The Application Process

Hi,
I'm looking to narrow my school choice down to ~3-4 if possible, and am hoping for some advice on how best to achieve this.

I know in general the different criteria to look at when determining which business school is right for me (from the, 'how to get into a top MBA program' book that I ordered from the resource section of this site) but am wondering if there is a book/site out there that discusses each school in detail - strengths/weaknesses/culture/alumni geo/etc...

My current plan is to read some online resources like the vault, and then look at each of the top 10 MBA's website and create a comparison chart myself.

Any advice is appreciated. Thanks.

Hi Jason,

In addition to MBA admissions books, websites, Admissions Consultants -

I would recommend speaking with alumni and current students of the program. They can give you good insight (albeit somewhat biased) information on the school. Most schools have student/alumni chat sessions (in person or online) which can help you get a sense of each school.

Another resource is Business Week's popular MBA forms. The site gets a lot of traction, so its a good place to post questions. But USE WITH CAUTION - there is a lot of 'noise' on that site and you never know who your advice is coming from!

Good luck!

NP

p.s. Another book to consider is "Your MBA Game Plan" by Omari Bouknight (full disclosure - I work with Veritas Prep, a company affiliated with this book). The school descriptions are helpful - although they might be similar to Mountak's book.

I used US News and World Report's annual MBA guide. Besides the stats on who's best in each category, they provide good anecdotes and stories that got me imagining my future MBA experience... and what school would be able to provide that for me.

The narrowing-down process comes before talking with alumni, but I totally agree with Jim that once you have a few in mind, you need to meet them. It's also beneficial to sit in on a classroom session to get a feel for the level of the classes as well as the quality of the cohort. After all, half of your learning may well come from your classmates.

Some people get their sights set on one school and apply only there, saying to themselves that if they don't get in now they will apply later. That's a fine strategy. As for me, I applied to 3 schools.... one shoe in, one that was a great program that I would probably get into, and another that was a great program that I may or may not get into. I think this 3 school approach could work well for most people that don't want to postpone business school if they don't get in to their top choice. Since I was working full time when I was applying to schools, I think I would have killed myself if I had to write more than 3 sets of essays... though many were similar and I could indeed do a little cut-and-pasting followed by hours of revision.

Best of luck,

Tatiana