Picking a Business School
There are hundreds of graduate business programs in the United States alone. So how do you decide which one to go to? What makes one better than the other? I am always reluctant to use the word “better” when referring to business schools. Instead, find a school that is better for you. Find one that is a great match for what you want out of a business program and that better suits your personal and professional needs. This is why it is so important to establish what it is you want out of business school from the beginning.
In deciding which schools to apply to, many potential applicants rely too heavily on published rankings. There are two major flaws in this approach:
- Just because one program is ranked higher than another does not mean that the program is better for you. Many other factors should be considered as well, including the size, cost, location and quality of life, among others.
- There are a number of different rankings out there, all with different criteria for evaluating business schools. For example, at the time of this writing, Stanford is ranked #2 on US News, but #30 in the Wall Street Journal guide.
There are many other factors which should be considered when deciding where to earn your MBA, including:
- Cost
- Size
- Academic programs
- Employment statistics
- Location of school