About the MBA (more)

Is it right for you?

Having an MBA will give you more career choice, higher earning power and better promotion prospects.

The MBA course will require commitment, hard work and a large financial investment.

We recommend doing a self-assessment to focus on your reasons for considering an MBA.

SELF ASSESSMENT

There are many alternative degrees that could be considered before deciding on an MBA. Some related graduate degrees you might consider include:

Finance

Economics

International Economics

Accounting

International Relations

Public Policy

Political Science

Public Administration

Human Resources

IT Management

Real Estate Management

General list of business-related programmes

How can you find the right school?

Choosing the right school for you is vital. Criteria include:

• Full time, part time, executive, or distance programmes
• Location (country, urban/rural, language of instruction)
• Concentrations available (programmes of study)
• Length of programme (one year, 18 months, two years)
• Programme start date (autumn, winter, spring, summer)
• Average GMAT/GPA of accepted applicants
• Percentage of applicants accepted
• Tuition (cost)
• Environment (collaborative or competitive environment)
• Size of school/student body
• Make-up of class (nationality, gender, race, age, etc.)
• Average work experience of applicants (number of years)

Once you have defined your criteria, there are many books and online sources that can help you find schools that meet your needs. Follow these links to get you started.

CHOOSING A SCHOOL

CHOOSING AN EXECUTIVE MBA

SOME GLOBAL EXECUTIVE MBAs:
LBS (London & US)
Trium (NY, London, & Paris)
Instituto de Empresa (Spain, US)
IESE (Europe, Asia, US)
IBSS (Austria & US)
NHH (Europe & Mexico)

How are the schools ranked?

Business schools are ranked by a wide variety of organizations, including business journals, test prep organizations, and collectives of universities. Because each organization uses different criteria to determine rankings, there is no way to determine the ‘real’ ranking of schools. However, based on your own criteria it is possible to choose business schools that are the most suited to your needs. You can consult various ranking tables (see LINKS) to give you guidelines, then refine your search using one of the school search engines (LINKS above). But beware of relying to heavily on rankings to make your decision. In reality, the best way to determine a school’s suitability is to visit, experience an actual class, and hold conversations with students or alumni. Many students begin with a list of their ‘favourite schools’, only to toss out half of them after a school visit.

Business Week rankings - need to register (FREE) to see school info.
Financial Times rankings
Wall street journal rankings - b-school page with links to rankings.
US News and World Report rankings - requires purchase of online pass to view rankings.
Princeton Review student rankings - must sign in to use.

What is involved in the application process?

Once you’ve found schools that you think are suitable to you, you need to think about the application process; it is expensive and time-consuming, and needs serious advance planning. Most experts recommend that you apply to one or two ‘dream schools’ that suit your needs, but where it might be difficult for you to get accepted. It is wise to apply to a ‘safety school’ whose requirements you exceed without question. The remainder of your shortlist of schools should fall in between. Applying to 5-8 schools is common, but it is up to you to determine how much time and money you are willing to put into the process.

Don’t apply to any schools that you wouldn’t actually be willing to attend.

Once you’ve chosen schools, you’ll need to request and complete application forms, write essays and CVs, and obtain references. You may even have to prepare for interviews. Your completed application package is the main chance you’ll get to market yourself to the schools of your choice, so remember to allow yourself adequate time and seek outside feedback before your target deadlines. Follow these links for some advice on preparing a strong application package. In addition you might want to get application counselling from a qualified expert, such as your GMAT instructor.

APPLICATION TIMELINE

ESSAYS

REFERENCE/RECOMMENDATION LETTERS

INTERVIEW

CV/RESUME