How many schools should you apply to?
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Source: Beat The GMAT — The Application Process |
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VP_MBA_Guru
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Hi Monkey,
I believe most candidates apply to 4-6 schools.
I found this link on another forum (mba.com) and thought it was quite helpful.
https://www.mba.com/mba/ApplyEffectively ... oApply.htm
Deciding Where to Apply
The Costs of Applying
Your investment in an MBA starts with the application process. Because of application costs and the time and effort required to prepare applications, you will want to limit the number of schools to which you apply.
Factor these costs into your application budget:
* phone calls
* transcript request fees
* postage or express delivery services
* travel expenses for recruiting events, interviews, or campus visits
* testing fees, test preparation materials, and other miscellaneous costs
* application fees (ranging from U.S. $40 to U.S. $200), including the cost of using various online services or CD-ROM programs
Costs add up quickly. Be realistic about what you will spend to apply to each school.
Pick One Dream School
Pick at least one school where you would really like to go, even if your credentials do not meet or exceed those described in the typical applicant pool. This is your dream school.
Don’t hesitate to apply to your dream school. In the words of one admissions professional, “I can’t guarantee you admission if you apply, but not applying guarantees you a 100 percent chance of not being admitted.”
Limit the Number of Schools
It takes time to prepare a solid application, and it can be expensive to apply to many schools. Don’t spread yourself too thin.
There are more than 1,500 graduate management programs worldwide, but only a portion will be a good match for any candidate. At this stage, your career-related goals, academic study, and personal needs should lead to a targeted list of schools that meet your most basic requirements.
Any program to which you apply must be one that you would be willing to attend if offered admission. It doesn’t benefit you to apply to a school that doesn’t interest you.
Develop a Short List
After you compile an appropriate selection of business schools you are interested in, take one more critical look before you begin to prepare applications.
To help keep applications manageable, narrow your list to the few schools that have the curricular strength, culture, and program philosophy that will meet your educational and professional needs. Most MBAs advise picking five to seven schools. Use your judgment to determine which schools are worth your investment of time and money.
Be sure to include at least one school that you believe you are more than qualified to attend on the basis of your work experience, test scores, and undergraduate grade point average. Also include your dream school.
I believe most candidates apply to 4-6 schools.
I found this link on another forum (mba.com) and thought it was quite helpful.
https://www.mba.com/mba/ApplyEffectively ... oApply.htm
Deciding Where to Apply
The Costs of Applying
Your investment in an MBA starts with the application process. Because of application costs and the time and effort required to prepare applications, you will want to limit the number of schools to which you apply.
Factor these costs into your application budget:
* phone calls
* transcript request fees
* postage or express delivery services
* travel expenses for recruiting events, interviews, or campus visits
* testing fees, test preparation materials, and other miscellaneous costs
* application fees (ranging from U.S. $40 to U.S. $200), including the cost of using various online services or CD-ROM programs
Costs add up quickly. Be realistic about what you will spend to apply to each school.
Pick One Dream School
Pick at least one school where you would really like to go, even if your credentials do not meet or exceed those described in the typical applicant pool. This is your dream school.
Don’t hesitate to apply to your dream school. In the words of one admissions professional, “I can’t guarantee you admission if you apply, but not applying guarantees you a 100 percent chance of not being admitted.”
Limit the Number of Schools
It takes time to prepare a solid application, and it can be expensive to apply to many schools. Don’t spread yourself too thin.
There are more than 1,500 graduate management programs worldwide, but only a portion will be a good match for any candidate. At this stage, your career-related goals, academic study, and personal needs should lead to a targeted list of schools that meet your most basic requirements.
Any program to which you apply must be one that you would be willing to attend if offered admission. It doesn’t benefit you to apply to a school that doesn’t interest you.
Develop a Short List
After you compile an appropriate selection of business schools you are interested in, take one more critical look before you begin to prepare applications.
To help keep applications manageable, narrow your list to the few schools that have the curricular strength, culture, and program philosophy that will meet your educational and professional needs. Most MBAs advise picking five to seven schools. Use your judgment to determine which schools are worth your investment of time and money.
Be sure to include at least one school that you believe you are more than qualified to attend on the basis of your work experience, test scores, and undergraduate grade point average. Also include your dream school.
Nikhil P. | Admissions Consultant | Veritas Prep
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murrayhill
- Newbie | Next Rank: 10 Posts
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congratulations to this website, this is the #1 link on google for "how many business schools should i apply to". this is how i found this thread.
my questions is, it recommends that you "narrow your list to the few schools that have the curricular strength, culture, and program philosophy that will meet your educational and professional needs" -- but where exactly is the best place to find this information? i have asked around to friends, looked up their website, read books, and all the top schools sound somewhat the same!
aside from maybe kellogg (marketing), and several more finance-oriented schools (wharton, columbia), what are the "insider reputations" of schools that would help me distinguish one from another?
to be even more specific, let's say i want a general management focus (which i do), aside from harvard and stanford, what are good top-25 programs for this? how is say, duke different from dartmouth from cornell or virginia etc.
okay, i know uva uses the case study method, but any other insider info? thanks in advance!
my questions is, it recommends that you "narrow your list to the few schools that have the curricular strength, culture, and program philosophy that will meet your educational and professional needs" -- but where exactly is the best place to find this information? i have asked around to friends, looked up their website, read books, and all the top schools sound somewhat the same!
aside from maybe kellogg (marketing), and several more finance-oriented schools (wharton, columbia), what are the "insider reputations" of schools that would help me distinguish one from another?
to be even more specific, let's say i want a general management focus (which i do), aside from harvard and stanford, what are good top-25 programs for this? how is say, duke different from dartmouth from cornell or virginia etc.
okay, i know uva uses the case study method, but any other insider info? thanks in advance!
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Brett N
- MBA Admissions Consultant
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How many schools to apply to?
The answer is very specific to your situation. For instance, I only applied to 3 schools because:
1. I didn't want to apply to safety schools (or go)
2. I only had time to focus on a few applications
3. I wanted to gain an advantage by showing schools they were my top choices
Result: accepted into my top choice and remove my application from other two.
This however might not be right for you as most people apply to 5 because they want safety schools, a wide range, etc.
The answer is very specific to your situation. For instance, I only applied to 3 schools because:
1. I didn't want to apply to safety schools (or go)
2. I only had time to focus on a few applications
3. I wanted to gain an advantage by showing schools they were my top choices
Result: accepted into my top choice and remove my application from other two.
This however might not be right for you as most people apply to 5 because they want safety schools, a wide range, etc.
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