School Selection: Top 10 is Not an Answer
I talked with a pre-MBA candidate recently who was feverishly studying for the GMAT, which she plans to take in two weeks. When I asked which business schools she was considering, she told me “top 10”. I kept it together, but internally I was having a fit. My disappointment had nothing to do with whether or not she could get into or be successful at any of these schools. It was driven by the continued realization that even the best and brightest adults don’t take enough control over their professional decisions. Business school is such a major investment, financial and otherwise. The cache of a school’s brand cannot be the driving factor of whether to apply there. So no, “Top 10” is not an answer!
1. “Top 5”, “Top 10”, BusinessWeek’s rankings, Financial Times rankings. They are all fine. I have no issue with selecting a top school. I went to a top school. It’s an overly simplistic decision though to elevate rankings before considering what you want and need from an MBA program. Don’t let US News & World Report tell you where you should go to school! Now I think rankings can be quite helpful, especially if you aren’t familiar with many business schools. Don’t be tempted to only look at the top 5-10 schools, look throughout the list and also consider the specialty rankings, such as by industry or topical specialty.
2. I don’t care where you go to school. It’s your decision. I do care about how you make that decision and the factors that you consider in reaching the decision. Use your critical thinking and analytical skills to approach your business school decisions. This will not only help you make the best decision, but it will also help you when you write your MBA application essays. You obviously can’t say, “I’m applying to your school because Business Week ranked you as #4”. Instead you can capture the many factors that are important you in a business school and articulate how that particular school meets the criteria that you’ve set.
3. Explore, explore, explore. Talk to as many people as you can about the business school decision. Talk to professionals who chose not to go. Talk to those who think they went to the wrong school. Talk to people who are working industries and jobs that you want to have in the future.
4. Go with your gut after the research is done. Gut feelings too early in the MBA school selection process can be detrimental. Do the research first, consider the pros and cons, and then let your instincts/ calling/ gut help you make the ultimate decisions.
5. Even if it’s your dream school, you may not be their dream candidate. Just because you want to attend a particular school, you may not have a profile that will yield an acceptance. Have your dream schools, but also have a Plan B. There are lots of amazing MBA programs. Your task is to find the ones that can best enable you to achieve your goals.
If you are in the NYC area, check out an event that DiversityMBAPrep co-sponsoring with Bell Curves and the Ohio State Fisher College of Business on September 25th:
