Choosing the right business schools to apply to is important. It requires not only understanding the characteristics and qualities of an MBA program that are important to you, but some efforts and research to evaluate which programs might be a fit. The good news is that there are plenty of resources out there that can give you a better understanding of the schools that might interest you, so you can figure out where you want to apply. In this article, I’ll share some tips about how to properly research information on MBA programs.
How to Research MBA Programs
Read anything that you can find – In the digital age it’s never been easier to access information about virtually anything, and MBA programs are no different. There are so many resources available out there to learn about the various MBA programs that exist, and learn about how they might be a fit. All schools have websites for their programs, but don’t just stop there. Make sure to take a look at other resources like online forums like GMATClub or BeatTheGMAT, or learn directly from students who share their experiences on sites such as MBASchooled. Furthermore, many schools regularly engage with content and blogposts. One school that does this frequently is Michigan Ross. Try to identify the programs you are interested in and sign up for their mailing list, or subscribe to their updates.
Listen to podcasts or watch videos – The explosion of content is not just limited to blogposts or emails, but to plenty of other mediums and platforms. Some schools have podcasts, or even videos that are great ways to learn about the experience. In some cases, these are student run (ex: Business Beyond Usual at Ross) in other cases, they are run directly by the school (ex: Darden) Finally, there are other great resources that are just in the MBA Ecosystem, such as my podcast MBA Insider.
Attend School Sponsored Virtual Events – Each school will host their own series of virtual admissions events. These can usually be found on the schools admissions website, and are a great chance to not only to get to know the school, but to familiarize yourself with the school specific admissions process, as well as to get tips that are specific to each of the school. For example, UNC Kenan-Flagler’s Admissions team has an Admissions calendar updated with all of their events.
Attend School Sponsored Virtual Events from Students – While events that are put on by the Admissions Office are important, so are virtual events that are put on by students, whether it be the student admissions ambassadors, or student clubs, or organizations. For example, at UCLA Anderson, the UCLA Admissions Ambassador Core (AAC)
“delivers an immersive on-campus and off-campus experience for prospective students. The AAC is responsible for managing class visits, campus tours, admissions interviews and events such as AROW and A-Days.” Many of these events are now virtual, so whether you are looking at UCLA Anderson or another MBA program, take a look at these events.
These events are helpful because they provide an insight look to the school from the voices who know it best, the students. In these venues, you can hear directly from students about their experiences at the school, and get another perspective that is valuable to learning more about the program. Furthermore, in theory, these are the students who if you were to attend the school, would be your classmates, so talking with them will give you a better sense of if you want these people to be your classmates.
Contact Student Admissions Ambassadors or Club Leaders
One of the best ways to get an inside look at the school and MBA program is to talk directly to the MBA students at the program. One of the easiest ways to do this is reaching out to the MBA Admissions Ambassadors, which most programs have. For example, at the University of Texas-McCombs, they have a database of students ambassadors that you can reach out to ask questions or connect with to learn more about the MBA program. You can use this time to get a 1:1 conversation about their specific experience, and ask specific questions that might be hard to ask in a larger group event like a webinar or a fair. In addition to Student Admissions Ambassadors, you can also reach out directly to the various leaders of student clubs and organizations that you are interested in. In some cases, clubs will actually have a presence, or students who are dedicated to managing student outreach. For example, if you were interested in a career in management consulting, you can reach out to the Management Consulting Clubs at various MBA programs to learn about their experience. There are other clubs as well you can connect with, say for example like the Stern Women in Business (SWIB) club who has their contact information on their website just so they can engage with prospective students like yourself.
Finally, these are also good opportunities to build relationships and advocates at MBA programs. Most admissions departments will take student recommendations or referrals, and while this does not guarantee you admission, it could be a nice thing to have on your admissions file. This is especially true if you get waitlisted.
Attend Diversity Events Sponsored by the MBA program
Many MBA programs have specific events for candidates of underrepresented backgrounds. If you are a prospective applicant who identifies with one of these populations these events are great opportunities to engage with both admissions officers as well as current students and to get to know them on a more intimate level. Schools are increasing the amount of resources and efforts to recruit diverse and inclusive applicant pools and specifically are looking to talk to you if you are of these backgrounds, and often times will provide you with extra resources that are very valuable, such as a workshop or guest speaker to help with your application or essays, or even application fee waivers if you choose to attend.
Attend MBA fairs— For many who are just embarking on their B-school journey, attending an MBA fair is a stellar way to meet admissions representatives from several programs. As a result of COVID-19, all of these events are now virtual, and are far more frequent than before as schools look for ways to engage with prospective students. These give you a great chance to get an overview of a handful of schools all at once.
Some examples of these events include:
There are plenty of resources out there to research MBA programs – it’s now on you to use them effectively! The more you know about the elements, characteristics and aspects that are important to you about the various schools you are interested in, the better you have a shot at finding the right school for you.
Interested in learning more about the MBA Experience? Check out MBA Insider Today